A common practice in ancient Greece was for scholars to preserve their sayings. Here is a list of the 7 wise men with one of their sayings which they are supposed to have made famous. Many of these men were politicians or poets as well as philosophers. All of them lived between 620 and 550 B.C. Cleobulus of Rhodes – …
Continue ReadingOne might guess that the word – FEMALE – comes from the basic word – MALE + the prefix – FE. Not so. The word – FEMALE – comes from the Latin word – FEMELLA – which means – A YOUNG GIRL. French then used the word female to mean – A WOMAN … but the Latin word – FEMINA …
Continue ReadingThe word for today is – PLAGIARISM. Plagiarism is defined as using and passing off something as one’s own. It applies to written and spoken ideas. It comes from the Latin word – PLAGIARIUS – which means – A KIDNAPPER. The ancient Romans would use a net to ensnare prey. Gladiators used a net in combat in the arena. The …
Continue ReadingThe word SHERIFF has an old English etymology. It comes from the words – SHIRE REEVE. An appointee who was the chief representative in a shire for the royal authority. A shire was a county. The word CANDIDATE comes from the Latin – CANDIDATUS – which means – WEARING A CLEAN WHITE TOGA. In ancient Rome, a man running for …
Continue ReadingDo you know the origin of the $ sign? When America selected its symbol it decided to super-impose the letter ‘U’ over the ‘S’ for the United States. The curve on the bottom of the ‘U’ gradually wore off and symbol then looked like an ‘S’ with 2 sticks through it. And so it stayed as the sign of the …
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 ReadingGUT FEELING – A common expression used to express innermost emotional or visceral response to a situation. This modern day expression of visceral emotion has its origin in ancient Roman ceremonies. The Roman soothsayers, known as Augurs, would interpret omens by consulting the entrails of a sheep which had been sacrificed. If the liver of the animal looked clean and …
Continue ReadingThe words for today are – JANUARY, and FEBRUARY. January, the first month, comes from the name of the Roman God of beginnings and endings. He was – JANUS. He was represented as having two faces in opposite directions which is why he was positioned at the door. In this way he could see who was coming and who was …
Continue ReadingToday’s words are ASSASSIN, ASSASSINATE and ASSASSINATION which come from the word – HASHASHIN – meaning – HASHISH DRINKERS. This is an Arabic word and the story centers on a tribe in the Near East which was entrusted with the killing of various leaders. A popular drink in Persia and Syria was a tea made from hashish or marijuana. On …
Continue ReadingScholars are generally in agreement that Christ was born in latter March or early April. The ancient Romans celebrated the SATURNALIA from the 19th to the 25th of December in honor of Saturn, an ancient King of Sicily, who brought prosperity to the land. The Winter Solstice, 21st/22nd of December is the central part of the SATURNALIA because the shortened …
Continue ReadingWhat is the connection between an ancient Roman cart and the word – CAREER? The Latin word for cart, wagon is – CARRUS. And the Latin word – CARRARIA – means – A ROAD OR WAY FOR CARTS. CAREER is defined as a chosen path or pursuit of a profession or occupation. A road or path in the course of …
Continue ReadingThe word for today is – HYBRID – which comes from the Latin word – HYBRIDA. When you mix two distict races. breeds, varieties, or species the production or offspring is called -HYBRID. Hybrid is the offspring of two animals or plants of different breeds. The original meaning or use of the word in ancient times was to identify the …
Continue ReadingToday’s word is: HOCUS-POCUS. The word has evolved down through the years from some religious and Christian influence. HOCUS-POCUS is an incantation; a magical term used by magicians to change things right before your very eyes; or, to make something disappear. It comes from the Latin – HOC EST ENIM CORPUS MEUM – which translated means – FOR THIS IS MY BODY. In the Latin version of the …
Continue ReadingThe Latin preposition – INTRA – meaning – WITHIN, INSIDE is used as a prefix in many English words. The second part of the following words is also from Latin. One can easily see the original thrust of the word from knowing both parts. For example: INTRAMURAL – MURUS – WALL (school walls) INTRAUTERINE – UTERUS – WOMB INTRAVENOUS – …
Continue ReadingThe word for today is – EQUERRY – which comes from the Latin word – EQUUS – meaning horse. An equerry is a place for horses. The word – Equestrian – has to do with horseback riding and comes from the Latin word – EQUES – meaning – HORSEMAN. The Romans loved to gamble on chariot races and the circus …
Continue ReadingThe word for today is – MORTGAGE – which comes from the Latin word – MORTUUS – which means – DEAD and the French word – GAGE – meaning – TO PLEDGE. It means – to grant or convey, as property, for the security of a debt, or other engagement, upon a condition that if the debt or engagement shall …
Continue ReadingThe word for today is BUS. The last few words in the flag salute in Latin are: iustitiaque omnibus… which means – AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. It is interesting to note that the license plate on school buses read OMNIBUS or FOR ALL. It is also interesting to note that the word for this vehicle is BUS, which comes from …
Continue ReadingThe word for today is CLUE which comes from an old English word – CLEWE – which means A BALL OF THREAD. In ancient Greek mythology, the hero THESEUS was sent by his father to the distant island of CRETE in the middle of the Mediterranean to slay the dreaded MINOTAUR, a monster – half bull, half man – which was devouring 7 …
Continue ReadingThe word for today is – ABSURD – which comes from two Latin words – AB – meaning – FROM, and – SURDUS – meaning – DEAF. The dictionary defines absurd as that which is ridiculously incongruous or unreasonable. The Latin word – ABSURDUS – is the source for this definition. However, this evolved from the word describing deafness. A …
Continue ReadingThe words for today are PANACEA and HYGIENE. Both are women and sisters. They are the daughters of the man who was the doctor on the ARGONAUTS’ ship. He was AESCULAPEIUS (or AESCLEPIUS) the god of medicine. PANACEA means – A REMEDY FOR ILLS. HYGIENE means – A SCIENCE FOR PROMOTING HEALTH. AESCULAPIUS was a Greek hero later became the …
Continue ReadingThe word – ALIBI – is defined as a form or defense whereby a defendant attempts to prove that he or she were elsewhere when the crime in question was committed. An excuse for oneself. The Latin word – ALIBI – means – ELSEWHERE, ANOTHER PLACE. It is formed from two Latin words – ALIUS – which means – ANOTHER, …
Continue ReadingThe word for today is – IMPERIUM – meaning – power. The Romans pointed out the difference between IMPERIUM and AUCTORITAS. Some leaders ruled by AUCTORITAS – meaning – AUTHORITY, without resorting to power. Augustus (died A.D. 14), the first Roman emperor who ordered a census taken in his empire ruled primarily with authority. Sometime around 17 B.C. a judicial …
Continue ReadingThe expression – “A PARTHIAN SHOT” – is historically apropos for today. Our soldiers are in Iraq for many years now and a solution for withdrawal seems improbable. The neighboring countries of Syria and Iran have an interest in that area. In Julius Caesar’s time these same countries were very important to the Romans. At that time, as today, there was an overland trade …
Continue ReadingThe word for today is – TACTIC – which comes from the Greek word – TAKTIKOS – meaning a plan or procedure for promoting a desired end or result. In 20 B.C. Augustus aimed to do a deal with king Frhata of Parthia (Iran). His tactic was to rum a diplomatic campaign alongside the threat of a military one. A …
Continue ReadingThe Polish words – PAN and PANI – have a Roman and Greek source. The Romans carried their culture and religion wherever they went. In ancient Greece PAN was the god of Arcadia, he was the son of Hermes (Mercury). He is represented with goat’s feet, horns and shaggy hair. At Athens worship began soon after the battle of Marathon …
Continue ReadingThe word for today is – SUPERSTITION – which is a belief in witchcraft, spirits and demons. It is an irrational idea which implies a religion like belief that stands outside the bounds of clerical religion. It comes from two Latin words – SUPER – meaning – ABOVE, BEYOND – and – STO, STARE, STETI, STATUS – meaning – TO STAND. …
Continue ReadingThe words for today are ACETYLENE and ACETONE. Each is flammable and is used for cutting. ACETYLENE is an explosive flammable gas used to cut metal. ACETONE is a highly flammable liquid used as a solvent in making plastics. Over 2200 years ago HANNIBAL cut through walls of ice in crossing the ALPS by using ACETUM. ACETUM is the Latin …
Continue ReadingThe words for today come from the Latin word – PORTO, PORTARE, PORTAVI, PORTATUS – which means – TO CARRY. Combined with a number of prefixes we now have everyday words such as: DEPORT – TO CARRY AWAY EXPORT – TO CARRY OUT IMPORT – TO CARRY IN PREPORT – TO CARRY BEFORE HAND REPORT – TO CARRY BACK SUPPORT …
Continue ReadingThe family names – CORTESE & CURTIS are derived from the same Latin word as the words – COURT, COURTEOUS, COURTESAN. They come to us through the French, from the Latin word – COHORT. In the Gallic wars a COHORT consisted of 300 to 600 soldiers. Caesar’s legion was comprised of 10 cohorts. Originally, the cohort was located in a …
Continue ReadingThe word for today is – MORTGAGE – which comes from the Latin word – MORTUUS – which means – DEAD and the French word – GAGE – meaning – TO PLEDGE. It means – to grant or convey, as property, for the security of a debt, or other engagement, upon a condition that if the debt or engagement shall be …
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