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an ancient Greek lawgiver, Draco, who lived in the 7th century B.C. Solon, the famous lawgiver of the 5th century B.C., repealed these Draconian laws because of their severity.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 …
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