Word History: OK is a quintessentially American term that has spread from English to many other languages. Its origin was the subject of scholarly debate for many years until Allen Walker Read showed that OK is based on a joke of sorts. OK is first recorded in 1839 but was probably in circulation before that date. During the 1830s there was a humoristic fashion in Boston newspapers to reduce a phrase to initials and supply an explanation in parentheses. Sometimes the abbreviations were misspelled to add to the humor. OK was used in March 1839 as an abbreviation for all correct, the joke being that neither the O nor the K was correct. Originally spelled with periods, this term outlived most similar abbreviations owing to its use in President Martin Van Buren's 1840 campaign for reelection. Because he was born in Kinderhook, New York, Van Buren was nicknamed Old Kinderhook, and the abbreviation proved eminently suitable for political slogans. That same year, an editorial referring to the receipt of a pin with the slogan O.K. had this comment: "frightful letters ... significant of the birth-place of Martin Van Buren, old Kinderhook, as also the rallying word of the Democracy of the late election, 'all correct' .... Those who wear them should bear in mind that it will require their most strenuous exertions ... to make all things O.K."
derives from Greek boukolikos , "rustic; pastoral," from boukolos, "a cowherd; a herdsman" from bous, "a cow; an ox." And also from the Indo-European gwou, the Latin root is bos which we get bovine from.
Embarrassing to learn that it doesn't refer to anything or one about the Trojan War, like I thought. (I think I was thinking of both Paris and Priam, vaguely, neither of whom is Pyrrhus ;-)
Means 'powerful' in French, right? Doesn't look or sound powerful to me. It looks like the least powerful word I can think of, except maybe 'pantuflas' (the Spanish word for 'slippers'). It looks more like 'piss-ant' than anything, and we all know those aren't powerful.
I always assumed it meant something like 'to bow one's head' or 'to submit to someone else's head-ship', but it comes from 'to draw up terms or chapters' and 'chapters' comes from 'head' (like the heads of sections).
literally means 'without cure (of souls)' in Latin, like you find in 'curate'. Refers to those positions in the church where someone didn't actually have a parish or didn't go. Remember your history about absentee priests?
Sub rosa comes from the Latin, literally "under the rose," from the ancient association of the rose with confidentiality, the origin of which traces to a famous story in which Cupid gave Harpocrates, the god of silence, a rose to bribe him not to betray the confidence of Venus. Hence the ceilings of Roman banquet-rooms were decorated with roses to remind guests that what was spoken 'sub vino' (under the influence of wine) was also sub rosa.
*awesome* etymology: from Italian incarnatino, which came from the Latin incarnato, something incarnate, made flesh, from in + caro, carn-, "flesh." It is related to carnation, etymologically the flesh-colored flower; incarnate, "in the flesh; made flesh"; and carnal, "pertaining to the body or its appetites."
i most associate apotheosis with the painting in the US Capitol Building: The Apotheosis of George Washington. when i first saw it i was like 'what the heck?!' i like George and all, but he never became a god in *my* world ;-)
the thing i love about avuncular is its origin in Indo-European pre-history and the probable cultural milieu: the importance of the maternal uncle/grandfather in bringing up a boy in a paternal society.
seanmeade commented on the word thane
a good Tolkien word
Apr 30, 2007
seanmeade commented on the word prolix
sounds like logorrhea to me...
Apr 22, 2007
seanmeade commented on the word perigee
simply nice, especially when combined with apogee
Apr 19, 2007
seanmeade commented on the word osmosis
overused compared with diffusion
Apr 19, 2007
seanmeade commented on the word polyphiloprogenitive
fave word from The Sound and the Fury
Apr 12, 2007
seanmeade commented on the word iowa
Iowa, what a beautiful name
when they say it like we say it back home
Apr 5, 2007
seanmeade commented on the word eleemosynary
charity, alms, pity
and a play by Lee Blessing
Apr 5, 2007
seanmeade commented on the word euphonious
what a beautiful sounding word! ;-)
Apr 5, 2007
seanmeade commented on the word diadem
'bring forth the royal diadem'
Apr 2, 2007
seanmeade commented on the word fenagle
is this really a word? cf finagle
Mar 30, 2007
seanmeade commented on the word jammies
'no one sleeps naked in this house, boy!'
Mar 30, 2007
seanmeade commented on the word albeit
learned this from reading, never having heard it. thought for the longest time is was a French word pronounced to rhyme with 'weigh'
Mar 30, 2007
seanmeade commented on the word expectorate
'i'm especially good at expectorating'
Mar 30, 2007
seanmeade commented on the word halycon
is this really a word? halcyon is...
Mar 30, 2007
seanmeade commented on the word mendacity
great word from Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Mar 30, 2007
seanmeade commented on the word undulant
Undulant is from Late Latin undula, "a small wave," diminutive of Latin unda, "wave."
Mar 30, 2007
seanmeade commented on the word blog
hate the sound of this word
Mar 26, 2007
seanmeade commented on the word okay
Word History: OK is a quintessentially American term that has spread from English to many other languages. Its origin was the subject of scholarly debate for many years until Allen Walker Read showed that OK is based on a joke of sorts. OK is first recorded in 1839 but was probably in circulation before that date. During the 1830s there was a humoristic fashion in Boston newspapers to reduce a phrase to initials and supply an explanation in parentheses. Sometimes the abbreviations were misspelled to add to the humor. OK was used in March 1839 as an abbreviation for all correct, the joke being that neither the O nor the K was correct. Originally spelled with periods, this term outlived most similar abbreviations owing to its use in President Martin Van Buren's 1840 campaign for reelection. Because he was born in Kinderhook, New York, Van Buren was nicknamed Old Kinderhook, and the abbreviation proved eminently suitable for political slogans. That same year, an editorial referring to the receipt of a pin with the slogan O.K. had this comment: "frightful letters ... significant of the birth-place of Martin Van Buren, old Kinderhook, as also the rallying word of the Democracy of the late election, 'all correct' .... Those who wear them should bear in mind that it will require their most strenuous exertions ... to make all things O.K."
Mar 26, 2007
seanmeade commented on the word resplendent
'honey we're all resplendent'
-- Bill Mallonee
Mar 26, 2007
seanmeade commented on the word pellucid
allowing the maximum passage of light, as glass; translucent.
Mar 26, 2007
seanmeade commented on the word bucolic
derives from Greek boukolikos , "rustic; pastoral," from boukolos, "a cowherd; a herdsman" from bous, "a cow; an ox."
And also from the Indo-European gwou, the Latin root is bos which we get bovine from.
Mar 26, 2007
seanmeade commented on the word pyrrhic victory
Embarrassing to learn that it doesn't refer to anything or one about the Trojan War, like I thought. (I think I was thinking of both Paris and Priam, vaguely, neither of whom is Pyrrhus ;-)
Mar 26, 2007
seanmeade commented on the word eldritch
etymology is 'elf kingdom' (the word for kingdom in Old English being 'rice' like in the German 'reich')
Mar 26, 2007
seanmeade commented on the word weltschmerz
mental depression or apathy caused by comparison of the actual state of the world with an ideal state
Mar 26, 2007
seanmeade commented on the word puissant
Means 'powerful' in French, right? Doesn't look or sound powerful to me. It looks like the least powerful word I can think of, except maybe 'pantuflas' (the Spanish word for 'slippers'). It looks more like 'piss-ant' than anything, and we all know those aren't powerful.
Mar 26, 2007
seanmeade commented on the word philologist
we love words, plus, it was the profession of The Professor Tolkien
Mar 26, 2007
seanmeade commented on the word capitulate
I always assumed it meant something like 'to bow one's head' or 'to submit to someone else's head-ship', but it comes from 'to draw up terms or chapters' and 'chapters' comes from 'head' (like the heads of sections).
Mar 26, 2007
seanmeade commented on the word sinecure
literally means 'without cure (of souls)' in Latin, like you find in 'curate'. Refers to those positions in the church where someone didn't actually have a parish or didn't go. Remember your history about absentee priests?
Mar 26, 2007
seanmeade commented on the word sub rosa
Sub rosa comes from the Latin, literally "under the rose," from the ancient association of the rose with confidentiality, the origin of which traces to a famous story in which Cupid gave Harpocrates, the god of silence, a rose to bribe him not to betray the confidence of Venus. Hence the ceilings of Roman banquet-rooms were decorated with roses to remind guests that what was spoken 'sub vino' (under the influence of wine) was also sub rosa.
Mar 26, 2007
seanmeade commented on the word vociferous
Vociferous derives from Latin vociferari, "to shout, to cry out" from vox, "voice" + ferre, "to carry."
Guess what that makes me sing? 'Hush, hush, keep it down, down. Voices carry.'
Mar 26, 2007
seanmeade commented on the word zephyr
zephyr is the Greek equivalent of the Roman favonius
Mar 26, 2007
seanmeade commented on the word carnation
*awesome* etymology: from Italian incarnatino, which came from the Latin incarnato, something incarnate, made flesh, from in + caro, carn-, "flesh." It is related to carnation, etymologically the flesh-colored flower; incarnate, "in the flesh; made flesh"; and carnal, "pertaining to the body or its appetites."
Mar 26, 2007
seanmeade commented on the word cavalry
must remember difference between cavalry and Calvary ;-)
Mar 26, 2007
seanmeade commented on the word behemoth
not enough Hebrew/Semitic-originating words in English
Mar 26, 2007
seanmeade commented on the word caryatid
learned this from D&D: the monster called a caryatid column
Mar 26, 2007
seanmeade commented on the word eponymous
eponymous: great REM IRS-years compilation album
Mar 26, 2007
seanmeade commented on the word apogee
apogee etymolgy: (far) from earth. cool!
Mar 26, 2007
seanmeade commented on the word schadenfreude
schadenfreude is terminally overused, but what a great word! truly captures that common, base feeling.
Mar 26, 2007
seanmeade commented on the word mellifluous
mellifluous is such a great sounding word! ;-)
Mar 26, 2007
seanmeade commented on the word apotheosis
i most associate apotheosis with the painting in the US Capitol Building: The Apotheosis of George Washington. when i first saw it i was like 'what the heck?!' i like George and all, but he never became a god in *my* world ;-)
Mar 26, 2007
seanmeade commented on the word avuncular
the thing i love about avuncular is its origin in Indo-European pre-history and the probable cultural milieu: the importance of the maternal uncle/grandfather in bringing up a boy in a paternal society.
Mar 26, 2007
seanmeade commented on the word doppelganger
favorite usage: 'welcome to our world, small, amusing doppelganger.'
-- Teen Titans, Season 2
Mar 26, 2007