209: want Jul 5, 2015

Language lends a perspective on societies. The word, 'want' derives from Middle English, from the noun from Old Norse, 'vant', (which–for all curious–is neuter of 'vanr') meaning ‘lacking’. The original notion of “lack” was early extended to “need,” and after that a more global consumer culture came to be, and the sense of ‘desire’ developed.