2210: Are Raise-Rise & Lay-Lie the Same Word? Jan 2, 2021
Ostensibly, the words 'rise' and 'lie' are very syntactically similar. Rare for most verb in English, they both modify apophonically (i.e. with internal vowel changes) to indicate transitivity (i.e. whether the verb takes an object). For instance, all in the present tense:
I raise something up // I rise (*something) up
I lay something down // I lie (*something) down
the latter forms of each being impossible in English. These 4 forms are often considered different words altogether rather than 2, in part because they conjugate differently, past tense perfect:
raise-raised; rise-rose; lay-lain; lie-lay.
Note also that while the intensive form 'arise' exists, there is no 'araise', nor for that matter intensive 'alay' nor 'alie'). While these are therefore almost certainly separate, apophany indicates multiple functions and not only tense or pluralization, so it is not so clear cut. If there is another word you know that indicates transitivity; there are some.
2209: How 'Caramel' and 'Cannon' are Related through a Semitic Root Jan 1, 2021
The word 'caramel' and 'cane' in English may actually be related through a root found in Biblical Hebrew. Indeed, the list of related words would also include 'canal', 'channel', 'cannon', and 'canon'. This is because while the '-mel' of 'caramel' comes from the Latin word for honey (mel), the 'cara-' most like comes from the Ancient Greek κᾰ́ννᾱ (kánnā) from a Semitic root also leading to the Hebrew קנה (kanë) which as a verb means 'to take' but as a noun refers to a hollow tube, usually meaning 'reed' or 'windpipe'. This sense of a hollow stick was retained in the English words mentioned above like 'cannon' or 'cane' (e.g. sugarcane) etc.. 'Canon', a more conceptual sort of thing usually denoting cultural or especially literary and artistic collections might seem odd on that list, but the original sense of 'canon' was 'standard' or 'measured' in the literal sense of a measuring stick. The way this transformed into ‘cara-’ is also not immediately obvious, but in Greek the [r] became an [n] and in Latin this ‘cannamellis’ before morphing into ‘calamellus’, where in Spanish the [l] developed into an [r], which are fairly close sounds.
For more on how those sounds morph: see this on kiSwahili.
2208: Brazilian Demonyms with São Dec 31, 2020
While there are some famous exceptions, usually the way to form a demonym—i.e. the term for a people of a certain place—is just to add one of a few suffixes like -er, -(i)an, or -ite. In a number of Brazilian names with São (saint) this is more complicated. For instance, while São Paulo goes to 'Paulistano', São Luís goes to 'Ludovicense', but São Carlos goes to 'Sãocarlense' or 'Carlopolitano'. This is counter to Spanish wherein 'Santa' (saint) usually stays at the beginning and other standard suffixes are added, but in Portuguese this is less consistent with the name of eponymous saint being what is used. That said, official demonyms do not always match up with how people talk, such as how the official one for Massachusetts is 'Bay Stater', but few people would likely say this and opt for 'Massachusettsian'.
2207: nurse and nutrition Dec 30, 2020
'Nurse' and 'nourish' related based off of a common Latin root meaning 'suckle', as discussed yesterday. These words are also related to 'nutrition' and 'natal', though less directly. All of these words are understood to come from the Proto-Indo-European root *sna- meaning 'to swim; flow'. This is the root of 'natant' and 'natal' (in reference to a child in the womb) but also with reference to the flow of milk and hence 'nurs[ing]' and of course its connotations to nourishment. The link between 'nurse' and 'nutrition' are less clear cut than between 'nurse' and 'nourish', though even those come from the Latin root 'nūtriō' and most people would acknowledge the Proto-Indo-European connection.
2206: nurse & nourish Dec 29, 2020
Nurses today have a wide variety of tasks to accomplish, and while there have always been a number of roles associated with the job, the initial meaning was inextricably linked to children. Indeed, the word is related to 'nourish', both from the Latin 'nutrix' (person who nourishes) from an even earlier term 'nūtriō' (suckle). Contrast this with the chiefly historical terms 'wet nurse' and 'dry nurse', the latter referring to someone who looked after a child but did not breastfeed it, and this will become clear. This word is very distantly related to 'nutrition' as will be explained tomorrow.
ב״ה
2205: L or M: What's the Symbol for Lesotho's Currency Dec 28, 2020
Although there are apparent exceptions, many currency-symbols, especially newer ones, will be consistent with the pronounced names of the currency, like euro, €, ruble, ₱, won, ₩ (note that ₱ comes from Cyrillic: рубль). The symbol for the currency the Lesotho is the Lesotho Loti is: M. This isn't from a foreign language as with the pound £ or the dollar $, and comes from a native word meaning 'mountain'. Instead this M comes from the plural 'maloti' and indeed while this is the symbol for the general currency, for reference to 1 loti people will use L, though this isn't worth much so is not so common. In effect therefore this is an abbreviation and not exactly a symbol, though that said the subdivisions 'sente' (plural lisente') would not have their own abbreviation.
2204: -ite Dec 27, 2020
In Biblical translations, it is very common to come across tribal demonyms ending in -ite, such as:
"...Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites..." (Deuteronomy 20:17) but this has little relation to the text itself. Indeed, just compare the modern 'Israeli' and Biblical 'Israelite' and the linguistic discrepancy is perhaps more noticeable. In Hebrew, these are all pluralized with the same ending:
החתי והאמרי הכנעני והפרזי החוי והיבוסי
but this ending is pronounced [i] with no hint of a final [t]. In fact that's a function of Greek and not of Hebrew. Moreover, many place-names around areas with no contact to Greek such as Southeast Asia still take -ite like Bandung-Bandungite (Indonesia), Kuala Lumpur-KLite (Malaysia), Kuching-Kuchingite (Malaysia), Vizag-Vizagite (India), and Seoul-Seoulite (Korea). The -ite ending is found from English names for places around the world.
2203: French Revolutionary Calendar: Months Dec 26, 2020
The French Revolution saw a lot of societal change, including an attempted change of the calendar. Everything was decimalized from the number of days of the week to hours in a day etc. but there were still twelve months. These months fell out on different days but roughly followed the seasons. The names are:
In Autumn: Vendémiaire, Brumaire, and Frimaire
In Winter: Nivôse, Pluviôse, and Ventôse
In Spring: Germinal, Floréal, and Prairial
In Summer: Messidor, Thermidor (or Fervidor*), Fructidor
These were all invented words meant to convey a meaning about the time. In order it would be:
vintage, mist, and frost; snow, rain, and wind; germination flowers and meadow; and harvest, summer-heat, and fruit, which would for the most part be recognizable for French speakers. This system had with it associated with produce, animals, minerals (for the winter) in order to counter the Catholic Church who had associated a saint with each day of the year. Likewise, the years and weeks ('décades') had similar systems of associated things meant to celebrate France and French culture.
2202: harbor and harbinger Dec 25, 2020
The words 'harbor' and 'harbinger' are related, but the meanings have since changed overtime. While a harbinger today is anyone who acts as a forerunner to something else, and a harbor is a place along the coast to keep boats, the original meaning of both regarded personal lodging. A harbinger was someone who was sent ahead of an army or noble to arrange the lodgings or even could refer to the innkeeper himself. A harbor used to have a more general meaning referring to any sort of shelter but especially that of an army, from the Old English 'here-beorg' (i.e. like 'burg') meaning 'army city'. This is also where the 'g' comes from in 'harbinger', with the 'n' coming on the same pattern as 'message-messenger'.
2201: farthing Dec 24, 2020
In old British currency a farthing was a fraction of a penny, but also happens to be somewhat related to a 'riding' as in the divisions of land in Yorkshire. This is because one can understand 'farthing' as 'fourth-ing' (i.e. 1/4 of a penny or in other words 1 / 960th of a pound) from the Old English 'fēorðing', and a 'riding' is from 'trithing' (i.e. a third) in Old English. As a point of information, there were different types and subdivisions of a farthing, including 'third farthings' (1/12 of a penny) and 'quarter farthings' (1/16 of penny). Farthings also referred to divisions of land in places like Gloucestershire.
2200: thing Dec 23, 2020
The Icelandic parliament is called the Alþingi, sometimes anglicized as 'Althing' can illuminate some of the function of 'thing' in English. In this case the word is from the Old Norse 'al-' (general) and 'þing / thing' meaning 'assembly'. While this precise meaning has been lost in English it is still present in other Germanic languages like Danish/Swedish/Norwegian 'ting', the German 'Thing' and so on. Still, the modern sense in English comes from this root, and once referred to the meeting, and then later the matter discussed in a meeting, and then just any general matter; this process happened elsewhere as with the German 'Ding'.
2199: haberdashery Dec 22, 2020
The word 'haberdashery' today relates to all sorts of wares including fabrics, hats, beads, or stationery. The etymology of this word isn't really clear either, but certainly even in the writings from the 14th century this inventory was already quite diverse. It is even found in Canterbury Tales apparently derived from the Norman 'hapertas' (probably small wares), but this itself has an unclear origin, and some dispute its meaning claiming it was specifically just 'fabric' or specifically a merchant of hats.
2198: scavenger Dec 21, 2020
The idea of a scavenger, be it regarding an animal or person, is not a positive one, and initially denoted a particular type of tax collector. Although 'scavenger' is older than 'scavage' (noun)—note the -n-, same as in message-messenger—'scavage' was a tax on goods sold by nonresidence in order to protect local prices. This scavenger had a secondary job of keeping the streets clean and hence the modern sense of collecting debris and refuse. This word is also related to the English 'show' insofar as these scavengers would have to take note of goods and detritus in the area.
2197: Biblical Hebrew has No Tenses Dec 20, 2020
Biblical Hebrew contains no verb tenses, a fact which is often misunderstood. Hebrew did of course have a way of expressing the action—just not time—in verbs through aspect. Unlike, in English however wherein aspect only can express Perfect (i.e. that the action is completed) and the Imperfect (i.e. that the action is incomplete), using the prefix וְ (v-) known as 'vav', other verbs could signal sequence. In other words, there is morphology to indicate that the action came in sequence (after) another whether that is in actual time or simply conceptual.
Somewhat counterintuitively sounding, the Sequential Perfect expresses similar meaning to the Imperfect and vice versa, but this is because if a Perfect verb is followed by a verb in the Sequential Perfect, it would have to have the sense of ongoing action. For instance”I read a book and I ate an apple” (both Perfect) does not actually show the sequence of time how “I read a book and I am eating an apple“ would and hence the Sequential Perfect looks almost the same but acts like an Imperfect.
Of course, there were ways of expressing the concepts that English uses tense to describe using other words and structures, but it is technically wrong to use the term 'tense'. This use of the וְ prefix is known as the Vav Consecutive form. This is distinct from the Vav Conjunctive, which merely expresses the same meaning as the English 'and'. This is why often Biblical translations will often write 'and' even at the beginning of sentences or indeed chapters. Modern Hebrew and even Mishnaic Hebrew does employ tenses, but these developed closer to the Indo-European system.
2196: pure Dec 19, 2020
It is not uncommon for simple, fairly basic, more conceptual terms to have deep historical roots, but this isn't really true of 'pure'. Indeed, this word is found as a surname and as part of a compound before an adjective in its own right. Granted, that compound was 'purlamb' and referred to a lamb without any sort of physical defect. This word is from a Romantic root without much difference in meaning, and indeed the Proto-Indo-European one *peue- doesn't have too many semantically deviant derivatives. This replaced the earlier Old English 'hlutor', 'smǣte', and 'scǣre' which had some of the same sort of moral and genetic connotations etc. but 'pure' did not immediately have these either.
2195: Positive Names with Negative Etymologies Dec 18, 2020
There are a lot of names out there which sound as if the meanings would be undesirable as a personal name, like 'Delores' (Sorrows). In this case it comes as a moniker for the Virgin Mary, and likewise so do other names like Mercedes (Mercy), Soledad (Loneliness), or Luz (Light), though of course not all of these are so negative. Somewhat ironically then the nicknames 'Lola' and particularly 'Lolita' come from Delores, but these were once seen to have a more erotic connotations, with popular references found in the 19th and 20th century.
On that note, should anyone find a reason 'Delilah' is so popular considering especially that story is fairly commonly known, or any other stigmatized names, please write in to the Suggestions/Questions page:
2194: mood Dec 17, 2020
With long winter nights, many people are bound to get moody, but that said 'mood' used to have a much stronger connotation. Indeed, while many of the uses it had are similar to those of today, essentially meaning 'frame of mind', or even more strongly than today 'pride' or 'power' and 'violence', its uses don't end there. The Old English 'mod' meant 'mind; intellect', and would be used as a translation for the Latin 'animus' (spirit) and 'mens' (mind). The senses back then were not only broader but also used in compounds like 'modcræftig' (intelligent). From that now, while 'mood' on its own is fairly neutral, other connotations as in 'moody' or 'to be in a mood' are more negative. Keep in mind also that this was influenced by the use of 'mood' as it is found in grammar or music indicating a class of functions but that that meaning actually comes from an entirely separate etymology.
2193: Why the Spelling for the Maccabees is Controversial Dec 16, 2020
An important source to understanding the story behind the holiday of Chanuka is from The Book of the Maccabees, but exactly how to spell 'Maccabees' in Hebrew is unclear. These days, it is 'מכבים' but irrespective of that it might be surprising there is the ambiguity at all. This is actually because the oldest known records are in Greek, where is it universally Μακκαβαῖοι (Makkabaioi), despite the fact the entire subject matter focuses on fighting the Greeks militarily and culturally. It is unclear whether the name originates, as is most commonly understood, as an acronym written on their flags from מי־כמכה באלם יי (mi chamocha ba'elim [Hashem]) meaning "who is like You among the heavens [G-d]?". The name could also come as a reference to the military strength, with [מקבי[ם meaning 'hammer' in Aramaic. Keep in mind that while this is often taken to be a family name, as with Yehuda Maccabee, their actual dynastic name being חשמונאים ([the] Hasmonaim).
2192: Plurals that aren't Plural Dec 15, 2020
This is the final post of Pluralization Week. To see the whole collection together, visit this collection.
Notional agreement, also discussed under the broader label of synesis, is a phenomenon in which a grammatical construction will take on number or gender when relevant, which is not strictly grammatical, but which is otherwise implicit from the concept. For instance, in English plurals are often treated as singular or vice versa depending on how it is considered. Take for instance the seemingly contradictory grammar:
The British government are divided.
Great Britain is a wealthy nation.
This is especially common when there is something that distances the subject from the verb, such as:
*The number of people moving to big cities are increasing
*Five hundred dollars is a lot of money
2191: Languages without Plural Dec 14, 2020
While languages have multiple different types of pluralization in their morphology, some have none. Indeed, across the Austronesian languages there is a great deal of diversity in this matter, with Sursurunga having 5 and Indonesian having ostensibly 0. This is not to say languages like this, especially common around East Asia and the Pacific, have no way of expressing plural obviously, but that it will either be done through a certain amount of context as with the English 'sheep-sheep', with specific determiners as with the Maori
te ngeru (the cat)
ngā ngeru (the cats)
where the nouns stay the same, but the determiners are different. In other cases, as in Indonesian, there will be some of these markers but if not, there will be reduplication,
Kucing (cat)
Kucing-kucing (cats). This is certainly a syntactic way to express the plural, but lacks a specific morpheme.
