The word for today is PRELIMINARY which comes from the Latin words pre = before, and limen = threshold. The custom of carrying the bride over the threshold has its origin in ancient Rome. It was tradition that the groom’s parents supply the newlyweds with animal fat and oil. The purpose of the animal fat was for cooking and the …
Continue ReadingThe word for today is – CAPRICIOUS – which means TO BE ERRATIC, TO BE SUDDEN OR IMPULSIVE IN ACTING. It comes from the Latin word for – GOAT – which is CAPRA. Goats act in an impulsive way. They leap and jump. Since the original taxi was a horse drawn carriage which bounced a lot on dirt roads it …
Continue ReadingThe word for today is – POLKA – which comes from the Czech word for Polish woman. It is the feminine form of – POLAK- a Pole. The word may also be an alteration of the Czech word – PULKA – HALF – for the half steps of this Bohemian dance. The dance started in Prague around 1835 and reached …
Continue ReadingI suspect that most citizens in this state do not realize that the words ‘NOVA CAESARE’ are on the state flag. This means ‘NEW JERSEY’. JERSEY is the altered spelling of CAESAR. Julius Caesar sailed from Gaul across the English channel to Britain. Along the way he stopped at an island and named it after himself. The pronunciation and the …
Continue ReadingThe word for today is – DRACONIAN – which means – EXTREMELY CRUEL,VERY SEVERE. It comes from the name of an ancient Greek lawgiver, Draco, who lived in the 7th century B.C. Solon, the famous lawgiver of the 5th century B.C., repealed these Draconian laws because of their severity. Draco applied capital punishment to the smallest theft or crime. He …
Continue ReadingThe word for today is SEMANTICS – which comes from the Greek and then, later on from the Latin – SEMA – meaning SIGN or SYMBOL. It is the study or science of meaning in language. It is visual information as in the word – SEMAPHORE – which has the Greek root – PHORE – meaning – TO BEAR or …
Continue ReadingThe word for today has to do with the identification of a type of alcohol. The Romans drank wine daily. They often would mix honey with the wine to sweeten it. When crossing a desert they would mix the wine with the water to keep the water potable since the water would become rancid after an extended period of time. …
Continue ReadingThe Romans spread their culture, religion and language throughout most of Europe. We are aware of the Latin influence in Romance languages but surprised when we see or hear Latin in German, Polish, or Slovak. Today’s words are: ANGST – a feeling of anxiety or apprehension often accompanied by depression, and ANGUISH – a feeling of agonizing physical or mental …
Continue ReadingToday’s word is – HERMETIC. HERMETIC means – COMPLETELY SEALED, ESPECIALLY AGAINST THE ESCAPE OR ENTRY OF AIR; ALSO IN REFERENCE TO HERMETIC, WHICH HAVE TO DO WITH THE OCCULT SCIENCES, ESPECIALLY ALCHEMY. HERMETIC comes from Hermes, the Greek god. At some point Hermes became connected with alchemy, and alchemists began to consider themselves as HERMETIC, followers of Hermes. Alchemists …
Continue ReadingThe words for today are BARBARA, BARBER, BARBARIAN, LOMBARDY, and LUMBER. The Romans called the tribes living on the other side of the Alps – BARBARIANS – because they had heavy beards. The Latin word – BARBA – means BEARD. Later the word also meant – UNCOUTH, FOREIGNER. The barbarians, of course, were not so educated nor domesticated as the …
Continue ReadingToday’s words are – COUP and GOLF. COUP means – a SUDDEN STROKE, AN UNEXPECTED DEVICE OR STRATEGEM, A TERM USED IN VARIOUS WAYS TO CONVEY THE IDEA OF PROMPTNESS AND FORCE. GOLF means – A GAME PLAYED ON A LARGE OPEN COURSE WITH 9 OR 18 HOLES; THE OBJECT IS TO USE AS FEW STROKES AS POSSIBLE IN PLAYING …
Continue ReadingThe word for today is DIPLOMA – which means – FOLDED PAPER. Today it is a document issued by an educational institution. The Greek word- DIPL – means – TWICE. This is better understood by understanding travel in ancient times. The distance from Rome to Britain is about 1100 miles. An official messenger would make the trip by horse in …
Continue ReadingThe word for today is CORDIAL. This may be taken in two ways. It is a warm cozy meaning and we shall take a look at the origin. The Latin word – COR, CORDIS (gen. sing.) means HEART. If something is CORDIAL, it is from THE HEART. The ancient Romans believed that the heart was the seat of not only our emotions …
Continue ReadingThe following words: INSULT, RESULT, EXULT, CONSULT, RESILIENT, SALIENT, SALTATORIAL, & DESULTORY all come from the Latin word meaning TO JUMP – SALIRE. INSULT – means – TO JUMP UPON, TO STOMP RESULT – means – TO JUMP BACK EXULT – means – TO JUMP OUT OF (your body) CONSULT – means – TO JUMP TOGETHER RESILIENT – means – TO JUMP OR SPRING BACK …
Continue ReadingREVOLUTIONARY- as found in the title of Copernicus’ book “DE REVOLUTIONIBUS”. Today we know about Galileo and Copernicus setting the Church straight on what celestial body revolves around another. The Church had taught that man was the center of the universe and that the sun must therefore, revolve around the earth. Galileo and Copernicus using telescopes proved that the earth …
Continue ReadingMany years ago when I was teaching in a Junior High, I knew a very clever man who would identify his problem students as having just one mother. Little did he know that one day some student may appear having two mothers. The word for today is SURROGATE – from the Latin SURROGATUS – meaning A SUBSTITUTE. A surrogate mother …
Continue ReadingThe words – COSMOPOLITE and METROPOLITAN – are used in reference to world travelers and large cities. COSMOPOLITE is the noun form referring to a person who is COSMOPOLITAN – from the Greek words – COSMOS meaning THE WORLD, and POLIS meaning CITY. It is pronounced by placing the accent on the middle part of the wor – COS – …
Continue ReadingThe word ANNIVERSARY usually elicits memories of things past, marriage being one of the most common in memory. There is a Latin verb – VERTO, VERTERE, VERSUS – meaning TO TURN, which is the root in these following words: ANNIVERSARY: the turning of the years (annus – year) TERGIVERSATION: to turn your back (tergum – back) REVERSE, REVERT, REVERSION: to turn back …
Continue ReadingThe following Latin prefixes are used in English: INTER – between, among INTRA – within, inside INTRO – within EXTRA – outside In an intercollegiate contest the contest is between one or more colleges. In an intracollegiate contest the contest is within the same school as when the freshmen play against the sophomores. What is the difference between: INTERMURAL AND …
Continue ReadingThe words – NO, NOT – come from the Latin adverb – NON. This adverb is used in a multitude of English words such as: NONBELIEVER, NONCHALANT, NONCOM, NONCONFORMIST, NONESSENTIAL, NONGRATA, NONNEGOTIABLE, NONPAREIL, NONPARTISAN, NONPLUS, NONPRODUCTIVE, NONSMOKER. NONCHALANT – comes through the French but ultimately from the Latin word – CALERE – which means – TO HEAT UP, TO BE …
Continue ReadingIn the famous stories – ILIAD and ODYSSEY – the ancient form of prayer is noted when Odysseus prays on ship; he outstretches his arms with palms open upward to the sky. The Roman Catholic priest when reading the oration at Holy Mass assumes this posture. In antiquity people prayed in this ‘orans’ position. Orans in Latin meaning – PRAYING. …
Continue ReadingThe word for today is SALARY. A SALARY is a fixed amount of compensation for services paid to a person on a regular basis. The Latin word – SALARIUM – means – MONEY GIVEN TO ROMAN SOLDIERS TO BUY SALT. One of the earliest and purest materials used in ancient commerce was common salt. It was formed through the process …
Continue ReadingThe word for today is VICTIM from the Latin – VICTIMA – meaning AN ANIMAL CHOSEN FOR SACRIFICE. The Romans, by tradition, made animal sacrifices to appease the gods. On occasion, a pure white lamb was selected, bulls or oxen at other celebrations. The Romans, like many other ancient people, believed that sacrifices had to be made to the gods …
Continue ReadingPOST MORTEM – AFTER DEATH. The great events of an ancient Roman’s life were not politics and war, but anxious births, festal marriages, and somber deaths. Old age was not then the abandoned desolation that so often darkens it in an individualistic age. The young never questioned their duty to care for the old; the old remained to the end …
Continue ReadingThe word of the season is – POLITICS – which comes from the Greek word – POLIS – meaning – CITY, CITIZEN. POLICE, POLICY, POLITICAL also come from this word. COSMOPOLITE – comes from the Greek – COSMOS – meaning – WORLD, and refers to a well traveled person. COSMOPOLITAN is the adjectival form describing such a status. METROPOLITAN – …
Continue ReadingDid you know that the Roman mile was one thousand paces (mille passus), close to 1620 yards (1480 meters or 4860 feet). The mile as measured in the United States and Great Britain is 1760 yards ( 1610 meters or 5280 feet). Try this out: pace off a thousand paces on a running track whose length you know accurately. Measure …
Continue ReadingThe word for today is – PLACEBO. Doctors may prescribe a placebo for certain patients.| Scientific research and studies use placeboes in experiments to test the effectiveness of a drug. It is a substance containing no medication and prescribed or given to reinforce a patient’s expectation to get well. Surprisingly, it is the 1st person singular of the future tense …
Continue ReadingThe word for today is MYSTERY. The various religions of the world have mysteries. A mystery is something that is not fully understood or that baffles or eludes understanding. A religious cult practices secret rites to which only initiates are admitted. When the cult of the Egyptian goddess, ISIS, came into the ROMAN mainland it attracted many followers. Other far …
Continue ReadingThe word for today is – DATE – which refers to the time a thing happens, the day of the month or an appointment or social engagement. In ancient Rome written letters began with the words – DATA ROMAE – GIVEN AT ROME on the Kalends of March or on the Ides of May etc. Generally letters were dictated by …
Continue ReadingThe word HISTORY – which means A NARRATIVE OF EVENTS comes from the Greek – HISTOREIN – TO ENQUIRE and then, HISTOR – A LEARNED MAN. The word HISTRIONICS – which means – RELATING TO ACTORS, PERFORMERS, comes from the Latin (ultimately from ETRUSCAN) – HISTRIO – ACTOR or PERFORMER. THE Etruscans inhabited that section of Italy before the Romans. …
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