For my final entry, I thought I would discuss some popular British slang-- in honor of the Royal Wedding, of course.
One slang term that I did not realize was British was ace. I use this term all the time (but come to think of it, I never hear any of my family or friends say ace, they just just cool or awesome).
We Americans would say that Prince William and Kate Middleton are "head over heels" for each other; however, across the pond they might say that they are "arse over elbow." I think this is a much more fun term to use when describing falling in love, for falling in love is never as dainty as falling head over heels-- it is a much sloppier, much less attractive affair, oftentimes leaving you toppled over on your ass (or arse, rather).
A popular British slang term is blimey. Variations of this term are "Gawd blimey" or "gor blimey." No matter the variation, however, these are all corruptions of the phrase "God blind me," which is itself a shortened version "May God blind me if it is not so." Blimey is a more innocent, mild expletive (equivalent to "my goodness").
And of course, there's bugger, a slightly more friendly way of telling someone to "f*** off." This word is also used as an insult and is like calling someone a 'git.'
Apparently Wendy's isn't very big in England. This would be because of their sizes-- in the UK, a biggie is what a child would call his "poo." Why would anyone order a "biggie" fry?! This just goes to show that in one country, a seemingly harmless, cute word can have an entirely different and more disgusting meaning across the pond.
Sources:
http://www.effingpot.com/slang.shtml
http://septicscompanion.com/showletter.php?letter=b
Friday
73, 74. Bilingualism
As much as I hate to admit it, learning a second language might be good for me.
Apparently, learning a second language as a child can help slow down the decline associated with aging and can help keep the mind young. Adults who learned a second language as a child and grew up bilingual had quicker minds.
A bilingual brain develops more densely and helps build an advantage in various abilities. Researchers recruited 25 people who spoke only one language, 25 people who learned a second European language before age five, and 33 people who became bilingual between the ages of ten and fifteen. All of these people spoke English as their native language. Brain imaging showed that those who were bilingual had denser grey matter (grey matter in the brain is what is associated with language, memory, and attention). This was most obvious in those who became bilingual around the age of five.
Other studies have shown that bilingual people were faster test takers and faster reaction times for cognitive abilities.
These studies being done are showing that learning a second language can alter the development of your brain and your brain structure. Some research has even shown that bilingual people tend to score higher on IQ tests than monolingual people. Bilingual people also tend to have higher self-esteems.
As an added plus, being bilingual may slow down dementia-- one study showed that dementia took four to five years longer to set in people who spoke more than one language.
Sources:
http://www.webmd.com/parenting/news/20041013/being-bilingual-boosts-brain-power
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/benefits-of-being-bilingual.html
http://www.npr.org/2011/04/04/135043787/being-bilingual-may-boost-your-brain-power
Being Bilingual May Keep Your Mind Young (expired link)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5209379/
Apparently, learning a second language as a child can help slow down the decline associated with aging and can help keep the mind young. Adults who learned a second language as a child and grew up bilingual had quicker minds.
A bilingual brain develops more densely and helps build an advantage in various abilities. Researchers recruited 25 people who spoke only one language, 25 people who learned a second European language before age five, and 33 people who became bilingual between the ages of ten and fifteen. All of these people spoke English as their native language. Brain imaging showed that those who were bilingual had denser grey matter (grey matter in the brain is what is associated with language, memory, and attention). This was most obvious in those who became bilingual around the age of five.
Other studies have shown that bilingual people were faster test takers and faster reaction times for cognitive abilities.
These studies being done are showing that learning a second language can alter the development of your brain and your brain structure. Some research has even shown that bilingual people tend to score higher on IQ tests than monolingual people. Bilingual people also tend to have higher self-esteems.
As an added plus, being bilingual may slow down dementia-- one study showed that dementia took four to five years longer to set in people who spoke more than one language.
Sources:
http://www.webmd.com/parenting/news/20041013/being-bilingual-boosts-brain-power
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/benefits-of-being-bilingual.html
http://www.npr.org/2011/04/04/135043787/being-bilingual-may-boost-your-brain-power
Being Bilingual May Keep Your Mind Young (expired link)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5209379/
70, 71, 72. Shakespeare, in a pickle
We all know that Shakespeare was an amazing and influential writer. We all study his works in school and can recite some of his more famous lines when prompted. Basically, anyone who does not know Shakespeare or at least one of his works must be an incredibly sheltered person.
But exactly how influential were Shakespeare's writings? A quick look at the book Brush Up Your Shakespeare would show us a surprising amount of simple, everyday words and phrases we use. Some of these phrases include full circle, the makings of, seen better days, and a sorry sight. However, as popular as these phrases are, a good portion of the ones we use every day have slightly altered meanings than they originally did when taken out of context from Shakespeare's works. For example, while sweets for my sweet has amorous undertones, the phrase had an entirely different meaning in Hamlet; they were originally funeral flowers.
One of my favorite phrases to use is in a pickle. I always found it a humorous phrase to use (why would being in a difficult position mean I'm inside a pickle?!) When I was little, I always thought it should be in a pickle jar because of how hard to open those things are. To be "in a pickle" means you are in a "quandary or difficult position." A long time ago, a pickle was a spicy sauce made to go with meats. In the 16th century, pickle was also used to name a preservative that was made from a mixture of spiced, salt vinegar. Eventually, in the 17th century, we began to call the vegetables that were being preserved in this sauce (cucumbers or gherkins) pickles. So to say that you are in a pickle does not mean that you are inside the vegetable, but rather you are inside the mix-- you are as mixed up and disoriented as the veggies that make up the pickle. Shakespeare first used this phrase in The Tempest, from 1610.
Sources:
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/phrases-sayings-shakespeare.html
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/in-a-pickle.html
But exactly how influential were Shakespeare's writings? A quick look at the book Brush Up Your Shakespeare would show us a surprising amount of simple, everyday words and phrases we use. Some of these phrases include full circle, the makings of, seen better days, and a sorry sight. However, as popular as these phrases are, a good portion of the ones we use every day have slightly altered meanings than they originally did when taken out of context from Shakespeare's works. For example, while sweets for my sweet has amorous undertones, the phrase had an entirely different meaning in Hamlet; they were originally funeral flowers.
One of my favorite phrases to use is in a pickle. I always found it a humorous phrase to use (why would being in a difficult position mean I'm inside a pickle?!) When I was little, I always thought it should be in a pickle jar because of how hard to open those things are. To be "in a pickle" means you are in a "quandary or difficult position." A long time ago, a pickle was a spicy sauce made to go with meats. In the 16th century, pickle was also used to name a preservative that was made from a mixture of spiced, salt vinegar. Eventually, in the 17th century, we began to call the vegetables that were being preserved in this sauce (cucumbers or gherkins) pickles. So to say that you are in a pickle does not mean that you are inside the vegetable, but rather you are inside the mix-- you are as mixed up and disoriented as the veggies that make up the pickle. Shakespeare first used this phrase in The Tempest, from 1610.
Sources:
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/phrases-sayings-shakespeare.html
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/in-a-pickle.html
Vernon, Jennifer. "Shakespeare's Coined Words Now Common Currency." National Geographic News. National Geographic., 22 Apr, 2004. Web. 26 Apr 2011.
69. Cobalt/Kobold
My friend Kyle was just telling me something he learned in class the other day.
The word cobalt comes from the German word for evil spirit or goblin. This word was kobold.
Kobold apparently tricked miners by placing fake silver in mines that was much less valuable, and it even made the miners sick. This fake silver was then called cobalt, after Kobold. The sickness was most likely caused by the arsenic and sulphur it was found with.
Kobolds appear in several of the nerdy pastimes I partake in, such as World of Warcraft and Dungeons and Dragons. They apparently appear in a lot of German folklore and many like to live in mines and mess with the miners. This led to the story of kobold tricking the miners with poisoned fake silver, and now we have the word cobalt.
Sources:
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=cobalt
http://www.chemicalelements.com/elements/co.html
The word cobalt comes from the German word for evil spirit or goblin. This word was kobold.
Kobold apparently tricked miners by placing fake silver in mines that was much less valuable, and it even made the miners sick. This fake silver was then called cobalt, after Kobold. The sickness was most likely caused by the arsenic and sulphur it was found with.
Kobolds appear in several of the nerdy pastimes I partake in, such as World of Warcraft and Dungeons and Dragons. They apparently appear in a lot of German folklore and many like to live in mines and mess with the miners. This led to the story of kobold tricking the miners with poisoned fake silver, and now we have the word cobalt.
Sources:
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=cobalt
http://www.chemicalelements.com/elements/co.html
Thursday
66, 67, 68. Pop Culture Terms/Slang in the Dictionary
Did you know that supersize is in the dictionary? I sure didn't.
Definition of 'supersize'
Apparently, if you are the corporation that is McDonald's, you can make up words that will become real words.
The first use of the word was apparently in 1994. It was a feature at McDonald's if you wanted way more disgusting fast food than you were already being served. Then came the documentary Supersize Me, which only perpetuated the use of this word. Eventually this term became so popular that now it is used for things other than McDonald's food. For example, you can supersize your efforts, or you can supersize your stomach if you continue to supersize your meals.
Another word that I was surprised to find in the dictionary is bootylicious. This slang term was made popular in 1998, probably by Beyonce/Destiny Child's song Bootylicious. This diva is known for using this term to describe herself, and I can remember a time when everybody used this term (it's a slang word that I am more than glad has gone out of vogue for the most part).
I heard a rumor that muggle made it to the dictionary, and as a nod to my previous entry about Harry Potter, I thought I'd look it up. There were several definitions for muggle, one being that it is slang for marijuana. The definition that caught my attention, however, was the slang from the 1920s meaning a person without skill or a common person. This reminded me very much of how the word is used in the Harry Potter stories and sure enough, there was an added definition from the year 1996: a person without magical powers.
I think it is pretty crazy that these words I have heard as slang terms growing up are starting to be considered real words. These words have stupid or unintelligent connotations (except muggle, anything JK Rowling says is pure genius), so it's difficult for me to comprehend them as having real definitions or uses outside of what they were created for (i.e., supersize outside of McDonald's or bootylicious outside of referring to Beyonce). Maybe some day Fergalicious will replace bootylicious, and Beiber Fever will be an actual medical term.
Definition of 'supersize'
Apparently, if you are the corporation that is McDonald's, you can make up words that will become real words.
The first use of the word was apparently in 1994. It was a feature at McDonald's if you wanted way more disgusting fast food than you were already being served. Then came the documentary Supersize Me, which only perpetuated the use of this word. Eventually this term became so popular that now it is used for things other than McDonald's food. For example, you can supersize your efforts, or you can supersize your stomach if you continue to supersize your meals.
Another word that I was surprised to find in the dictionary is bootylicious. This slang term was made popular in 1998, probably by Beyonce/Destiny Child's song Bootylicious. This diva is known for using this term to describe herself, and I can remember a time when everybody used this term (it's a slang word that I am more than glad has gone out of vogue for the most part).
I heard a rumor that muggle made it to the dictionary, and as a nod to my previous entry about Harry Potter, I thought I'd look it up. There were several definitions for muggle, one being that it is slang for marijuana. The definition that caught my attention, however, was the slang from the 1920s meaning a person without skill or a common person. This reminded me very much of how the word is used in the Harry Potter stories and sure enough, there was an added definition from the year 1996: a person without magical powers.
I think it is pretty crazy that these words I have heard as slang terms growing up are starting to be considered real words. These words have stupid or unintelligent connotations (except muggle, anything JK Rowling says is pure genius), so it's difficult for me to comprehend them as having real definitions or uses outside of what they were created for (i.e., supersize outside of McDonald's or bootylicious outside of referring to Beyonce). Maybe some day Fergalicious will replace bootylicious, and Beiber Fever will be an actual medical term.
64, 65. Friend as a Verb
How 'Friend' Became a Verb by Orson Scott Card
This article is a very interesting read, written by the author of the awesome book Ender's Game. In it he mentions how his father, a historian, once complained about the telephone because letters that people wrote to each other proved to be the best sources of information about the past. However, the internet came about not too long after this conversation. At first, there was not much to do on the internet. With email, though, we were writing letters again-- this time with almost instant responses. Most emails are saved (not always intentionally), and some day historians will use this as a source. It didn't take long though for the internet to "blow up" and soon we started doing all of our shopping and communicating online. Because of social networking sites and forums, people are meeting and building relationships in new ways.
This is how friend became a verb.
According to dictionary.com, the history of the word is as follows:
So apparently as old as the word friend is, it got an update. Around 2005, the definition was updated to include friend as a verb because of the rise in popularity of social networking sites like Facebook or Myspace. We often hear people say "Friend me" when they want to be added to their Facebook friends, or "Some weird guy tried to friend me last night." My favorite is hearing it in past tense-- "Yeah, I friended you yesterday!"
I wonder what words will get updated in the dictionary or added to it because of the internet and social networking sites.
This article is a very interesting read, written by the author of the awesome book Ender's Game. In it he mentions how his father, a historian, once complained about the telephone because letters that people wrote to each other proved to be the best sources of information about the past. However, the internet came about not too long after this conversation. At first, there was not much to do on the internet. With email, though, we were writing letters again-- this time with almost instant responses. Most emails are saved (not always intentionally), and some day historians will use this as a source. It didn't take long though for the internet to "blow up" and soon we started doing all of our shopping and communicating online. Because of social networking sites and forums, people are meeting and building relationships in new ways.
This is how friend became a verb.
According to dictionary.com, the history of the word is as follows:
friend O.E. freond , prp. of freogan "to love, to favor," from P.Gmc.*frijojanan "to love" (cf. O.N. frændi , O.Fris. friund , M.H.G. friunt ,Ger. Freund , Goth. frijonds "friend," all alike from prp. forms).Related to O.E. freo "free." Meaning "a Quaker" (a member of theSociety of Friends ) is from 1670s. Feond ("fiend," originally"enemy") and freond often were paired alliteratively in O.E.; bothare masculine agent nouns derived from prp. of verbs, but are notdirectly related to one another. Related: Friends . As a verb, in theFacebook sense, attested from 2005.
So apparently as old as the word friend is, it got an update. Around 2005, the definition was updated to include friend as a verb because of the rise in popularity of social networking sites like Facebook or Myspace. We often hear people say "Friend me" when they want to be added to their Facebook friends, or "Some weird guy tried to friend me last night." My favorite is hearing it in past tense-- "Yeah, I friended you yesterday!"
I wonder what words will get updated in the dictionary or added to it because of the internet and social networking sites.
55-63. Birds
While I was working on my entry about dogs, I kept being reminded of videos of Alex the parrot, an African Grey Parrot who was studied for thirty years.
Both of these videos display his intelligence very well, I think. What I find most impressive is when he asks to go back when he did not answer something as quickly as he had wanted to. Another moment I really liked was when he was eating corn and asked his trainer to pick it up after he dropped some. These moments made him seem so human. It really goes to show the differences between these birds and dogs. Dogs only mimic the sounds and tones their owners are making while birds are actually learning shapes, sizes, colors, words, and how to communicate with us. When a dog is hungry, he won't say "It's time for dinner" like Alex did. What I think is so heartbreaking about his child-like intelligence, though, is what is last words were. As Dr. Pepperburg was leaving, Alex told her he would see her tomorrow, told her to be good, and that he loved her.
Alex was said to have the intelligence of a three or four-year-old child. He knew over one hundred words, and could tell you the colors and shapes of certain items, as well as what they are made up of. He knew numbers and could recognize quantities of up to five. Alex was also able to communicate what he wanted, and expressed emotion towards his trainer. Whenever he incorrectly identified something, he was told "no." Alex eventually learned what "no" meant and began to use it against his trainers when he didn't feel like working. He would also say no while tossing an unwanted toy back at his trainer! Eventually Alex began linking phrases together (saying "blue peg wood" instead of "blue peg, wood peg"), which is a major criterion in determining true language.
While Alex's intelligence was perhaps a bit higher than most, he was also constantly worked with for thirty years, and it is safe to say that most African Grey Parrots possess these capabilities. Most parrots are said to have the intelligence of a three-year-old child (much like Rico the border collie from my previous entry).
A study done at the University of California at San Diego showed that songbirds might be capable of learning basic grammar. The study was done as an effort to refute Noam Chomsky's theory that "recursive grammar" was something only humans could use and was key in learning language. A test with a similar goal was once performed on tamarin monkeys, but they failed. The birds were trained to press a button that played a birdsong (some had inserted clauses and some didn't), and they had to push it again if it followed a certain pattern. They let it play if it didn't. Nine out of eleven birds got it right 90% of the time. This shows that animal and language cognition is more complicated than was once believed.
More "generic" birds seem to communicate through a language more like dogs do in the fact that they use a series of sounds. Of course Alex and his fellow parrots still do this, but they possess abilities that other birds do not. The calls of birds represent how a bird is feeling in that particular moment more than it is a thought. However, much like the different warning barks and growls of a dog, birds also have their own warning chirps and cries (such as "airborne enemy approaching" and "ground enemy approaching").
Interestingly enough, bird "songs" and "calls" are two different categories. Songs are usually sung during breeding season and usually only by males. Songs are usually very loud, repetitive, and complex. They are normally made as either a territorial defense or a hope of attracting a mate. Songs are a way of making known their presence and nocturnal birds rely heavily on this (this is why the owl has such a distinct song). Calls are made any time of the year and by both sexes. These sounds are shorter and briefer than songs.
Ever notice how birds are most vocal early in the morning? This is not a lovely "Wake up and greet the day" tune for us to enjoy; this is the time of day when birds seeking territory are most active, so these are cries of challengers and defenders. Imagine if humans functioned this way-- we would all be waking up early to get to the nearest open house and scream in each other's faces until one of us gave up and flew away.
Birds are named for the sounds they make. For example, a whip-poor-will makes a sound that says just that. But when we are hearing a series of chirps and whistles, fellow birds are hearing something entirely different.
Like I said earlier, birds have songs, and they also have calls. Each species of birds has a different number of calls that all mean different things. The chaffinch, for example, has nine calls. They are the flight call, social call, aggressive call, injury call, and three different courtship calls as well as three different alarm calls. The only one I would like to point out is the flight call-- this call lets other birds know that it is about to take flight, and they can join it if they'd so like. This is also the call they use to coordinate flocks and flock formations (so imagine when you see a flock of birds flying-- they all seem to know when to turn at exactly the same time as each other, as if they were one entity).
While researching bird communication, I stumbled upon something else mentioned in my entry about dogs. Different dogs from different regions had different "accents." This is also very true with birds. Watch the videos of Alex the Parrot that I provided, then listen to Sparkie Williams, a world famous British budgerigar. Then compare the "voices" of the two birds.
Both of these videos display his intelligence very well, I think. What I find most impressive is when he asks to go back when he did not answer something as quickly as he had wanted to. Another moment I really liked was when he was eating corn and asked his trainer to pick it up after he dropped some. These moments made him seem so human. It really goes to show the differences between these birds and dogs. Dogs only mimic the sounds and tones their owners are making while birds are actually learning shapes, sizes, colors, words, and how to communicate with us. When a dog is hungry, he won't say "It's time for dinner" like Alex did. What I think is so heartbreaking about his child-like intelligence, though, is what is last words were. As Dr. Pepperburg was leaving, Alex told her he would see her tomorrow, told her to be good, and that he loved her.
Alex was said to have the intelligence of a three or four-year-old child. He knew over one hundred words, and could tell you the colors and shapes of certain items, as well as what they are made up of. He knew numbers and could recognize quantities of up to five. Alex was also able to communicate what he wanted, and expressed emotion towards his trainer. Whenever he incorrectly identified something, he was told "no." Alex eventually learned what "no" meant and began to use it against his trainers when he didn't feel like working. He would also say no while tossing an unwanted toy back at his trainer! Eventually Alex began linking phrases together (saying "blue peg wood" instead of "blue peg, wood peg"), which is a major criterion in determining true language.
While Alex's intelligence was perhaps a bit higher than most, he was also constantly worked with for thirty years, and it is safe to say that most African Grey Parrots possess these capabilities. Most parrots are said to have the intelligence of a three-year-old child (much like Rico the border collie from my previous entry).
A study done at the University of California at San Diego showed that songbirds might be capable of learning basic grammar. The study was done as an effort to refute Noam Chomsky's theory that "recursive grammar" was something only humans could use and was key in learning language. A test with a similar goal was once performed on tamarin monkeys, but they failed. The birds were trained to press a button that played a birdsong (some had inserted clauses and some didn't), and they had to push it again if it followed a certain pattern. They let it play if it didn't. Nine out of eleven birds got it right 90% of the time. This shows that animal and language cognition is more complicated than was once believed.
More "generic" birds seem to communicate through a language more like dogs do in the fact that they use a series of sounds. Of course Alex and his fellow parrots still do this, but they possess abilities that other birds do not. The calls of birds represent how a bird is feeling in that particular moment more than it is a thought. However, much like the different warning barks and growls of a dog, birds also have their own warning chirps and cries (such as "airborne enemy approaching" and "ground enemy approaching").
Interestingly enough, bird "songs" and "calls" are two different categories. Songs are usually sung during breeding season and usually only by males. Songs are usually very loud, repetitive, and complex. They are normally made as either a territorial defense or a hope of attracting a mate. Songs are a way of making known their presence and nocturnal birds rely heavily on this (this is why the owl has such a distinct song). Calls are made any time of the year and by both sexes. These sounds are shorter and briefer than songs.
Ever notice how birds are most vocal early in the morning? This is not a lovely "Wake up and greet the day" tune for us to enjoy; this is the time of day when birds seeking territory are most active, so these are cries of challengers and defenders. Imagine if humans functioned this way-- we would all be waking up early to get to the nearest open house and scream in each other's faces until one of us gave up and flew away.
Birds are named for the sounds they make. For example, a whip-poor-will makes a sound that says just that. But when we are hearing a series of chirps and whistles, fellow birds are hearing something entirely different.
when a typical songbird, say a chaffinch, is singing, he is saying "I am a chaffinch", "I am a cock chaffinch", "I am a particular cock chaffinch","I am here", "I am in my territory", "I am ready to posture at and drive off other cock chaffinches" and if unmated "I am ready to take a mate". Each time a cock chaffinch sings "chip, chip, chip; cherry-erry-erry; fissychooee-o!" it takes him about 2.5 seconds, in 12 hours he says that phrase 3,300 times.
Like I said earlier, birds have songs, and they also have calls. Each species of birds has a different number of calls that all mean different things. The chaffinch, for example, has nine calls. They are the flight call, social call, aggressive call, injury call, and three different courtship calls as well as three different alarm calls. The only one I would like to point out is the flight call-- this call lets other birds know that it is about to take flight, and they can join it if they'd so like. This is also the call they use to coordinate flocks and flock formations (so imagine when you see a flock of birds flying-- they all seem to know when to turn at exactly the same time as each other, as if they were one entity).
While researching bird communication, I stumbled upon something else mentioned in my entry about dogs. Different dogs from different regions had different "accents." This is also very true with birds. Watch the videos of Alex the Parrot that I provided, then listen to Sparkie Williams, a world famous British budgerigar. Then compare the "voices" of the two birds.
Alex did not seem to have much of an accent, but little Sparkie had an unmistakable British accent. Alex was from Arizona while Sparkie lived in Newcastle. Sparkie, like Alex, was a very intelligent bird. He knew 550 words and could recite several nursery rhymes. He even starred in commercials.
So to conclude, most birds cannot speak in the way humans do. They rely on a series of chirps, songs, and calls to communicate. However, there are some species of parrots and other birds that are intelligent enough to learn phrases, shapes, and numbers (and they are actually learning language, not just mimicking what they hear us say!).
Animal language and communication truly is fascinating and something I'd like to learn more about.
Sources:
Wednesday
53, 54. "Arse Ropes"
My friend likes to read an online comic called "Dinosaur Comics." He shared this one with me today (click the image to view it):
So it would seem as though the wise-cracking dinosaurs are right. John Wycliffe seems to have invented those words, but I am unsure about the fate of "arse-ropes," as I have a difficult time believing that they made it to a bible. But I guess they did. encyclopedia.jrank.org says that "we find the graphic compound" in John Wycliffe's contemporary translation of the bible. It's just amazing to me that such a religious and sacred text would have such a gross and slightly humorous term. All I do know, however, is that I am sorely disappointed that arse-ropes is not an official medical term.
Sources:
http://books.google.com/books?id=3eerb4RTYF8C&printsec=frontcover&dq=the+secret+life+of+words&hl=en&ei=idq4TeGtLeHz0gGI_OGvCQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CEEQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=arse%20ropes&f=false
http://encyclopedia.jrank.org/articles/pages/522/Ass-Arse.html
Of course, I laughed at this. My friend doesn't know we've been studying Middle English so the timing was great. I also had no idea that words like "puberty" and "zeal" exist only because we needed English words, so some guy who decided to translate the bible came up with them. It's pretty interesting to think that words can come into existence like that. Obviously, since this is a comic about dinosaurs, I am hesitant to believe how true this might be. So I did a quick Google search for "arse ropes" (you can only imagine my fear of what I would find). I got several Google book results for a book called The Secret Life of Words, which I can only assume is a fascinating read. There is only a small preview, but it says:
"The language of the period seemed at times too volatile to convey the necessary authority, but Wyclif's translations reached a larger audience than any previous work in English. They contain some delightfully graphic terms such as arse-ropes (intestines), and Wyclif is the earliest recorded user of many alien items, among them behemoth, chimera, civility, zeal, and alleluia."
So it would seem as though the wise-cracking dinosaurs are right. John Wycliffe seems to have invented those words, but I am unsure about the fate of "arse-ropes," as I have a difficult time believing that they made it to a bible. But I guess they did. encyclopedia.jrank.org says that "we find the graphic compound" in John Wycliffe's contemporary translation of the bible. It's just amazing to me that such a religious and sacred text would have such a gross and slightly humorous term. All I do know, however, is that I am sorely disappointed that arse-ropes is not an official medical term.
Sources:
http://books.google.com/books?id=3eerb4RTYF8C&printsec=frontcover&dq=the+secret+life+of+words&hl=en&ei=idq4TeGtLeHz0gGI_OGvCQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CEEQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=arse%20ropes&f=false
http://encyclopedia.jrank.org/articles/pages/522/Ass-Arse.html
46-52. Dogs
My family and I are Animal Planet fiends, and one of our favorite shows is America's Cutest Dog. They have a section dedicated to "talking" dogs, so I thought I'd share it. Unfortunately I couldn't find a good quality upload so I thought I'd share a couple of other cute videos.
I apologize for the dumb laugh tracks. Here's a wonderful dog named Mishka:
I apologize for the dumb laugh tracks. Here's a wonderful dog named Mishka:
Of course almost everything Mishka "says" sounds almost identical, but I can definitely hear "I love you" and "thank you" more clearly than anything else. My favorite part, though, is when they ask her if she's stupid and she says "Noooooo!"
I do not believe that these dogs are actually talking or communicating. I do believe, however, that they are great at mimicking the sounds we make, especially if there is positive reinforcement involved (you can practically see Mishka and the other dogs staring at the treats that are being held off-camera).
In this terrible quality excerpt from America's Cutest Dogs, they briefly mention this. Dogs do have their own voices and different ways of making sounds and communicating (for example, whining, barking, and howling). All of these different sounds have different meanings. Not only do they make different sounds, but there are different intonations and such that can help show what a dog is trying to communicate. However, while it may sounds like Mishka is really telling us that she loves us, all she is doing is copying the sound she hears her owner make, and being conditioned through treats to keep mimicking him.
According to Gary Lucas, a psychology scholar at Indiana University Bloomington, dogs vocalize with each other to convey emotion. One way they do this is varying their tone. This makes dogs sensitive to the different tonal patterns in our speech, and this is why it is so easy for them to copy or mimic the sounds that we make.
Apparently scientists have actually been researching and studying why when dogs mimic or speech, it sounds so funny compared to the way we say it. This is because dogs do not use their tongue or lips very well, and so they have poor pronunciation and tend to completely botch consonants.
So while it looks like Fido is saying "I love you" or "Hello," all he's really saying is "Give me that treat, dammit!" What is really happening is the dog hears us make a sound, he repeats it, we give him a treat, and the cycle is continued until he knows how to say it without repeating.
However, even though dogs can't directly speak to us, they are able to communicate and understand what we are saying. They are a species that relies heavily on body language and can tell what we're feeling by studying our posture, how we move, or where we are pointing. They can also decipher things from the tone of our voice.
An article titled What Do Those Barks Mean? discusses the different meanings behind the different sounds that canines make. According to the article, dogs always bark for a reason, even if we humans can't see that reason. Howling, for example, is something evolved from wolves (who used howling as a way to communicate to other wolves that were far away, saying "Here I am!"). Barks, whimpers, and growls were obviously evolved from wolves as well, but the meanings changed. Wolves used them simply as warnings, either to their pack or to enemies.
With dogs, however, more meanings have evolved. Sure, there are the same basic primal barks. But now barks show different emotions such as loneliness, fear, distress, stress, and pleasure. Barks are also ways to alert other dogs (and their owners) to changing external circumstances.
There are also different types of barks. "Noisy" barks, for example, are used as defensive and offensive threats, to show physical distress, or even social insecurity. "Harmonic" barks, on the other hand, are more friendly barks and are used in situations like when the dog wants to play. They also have different barks when addressing different dogs (or even species of animals).
Like I said earlier, dogs rely heavily on body language and they can easily read ours. Their language is not just a series of sounds, but a combination of barks and different body signals (such as staring, raised haunches, the position of the tail, pinned-back ears, and defensive or submissive postures).
Additionally, dogs have an impressive ability to learn and understand human words. A border collie named Rico has learned the names of more than 200 objects. Rico even used learning techniques that small children used. When a new item was introduced to Rico, he learned what it was called by associating the unknown word with the unknown item. This puts Rico on par with a three-year-old. His ability also outranks the ability of chimpanzees, who can not do what Rico does.
Something else that I think is incredibly fascinating is that dogs tend to take on regional accents. The longer that dogs live with their owners (and the closer the bonds they have), the more likely they are to adopt their accent. According to a study, dogs who lived in Liverpool had a higher pitched voice than dogs from Scotland. The study had owners record their voices as well as their dogs. Then the pitch of their voices were compared, as well as the tone, volume, and length of the sounds.
Dogs really must be man's best friend. Not only are they incredibly faithful companions, but they also like to mimic us and sound like us. If that's not dedication, I don't know what is.
Sources:
43, 44, 45. Clippings, Coinage, and Morphological Misanaylsis
Not too long ago, we learned the origins of the term, "nickname." The term used to be "ekename," which was a compound word for "additional name." The misunderstanding of the phrase "an ekename" led to it becoming "a nekename." Now we simply know it as a nickname.
This totally blew my mind. I raised my hand and said that I always thought that it was called a nickname because you were "nicking" a part from your name. For example, my name is Samantha but I go by Sam. I thought my 'nickname' was Sam because I "nicked" it from Samantha. Doctor Howard reminded me that 'Sam' from 'Samantha' is an example of a clipping, and that my misunderstanding was a great example of a morphological misanalysis.
A clipping is exactly what it sounds like-- a shortening of a longer word into a smaller one. Like Sam from Samantha, or exam from examination. A morphological misanalysis, or false/folk etymology, is when a word or phrase is misheard or misanalyzed (like my misunderstanding of why we call it a 'nickname'). This happens a lot in songs; we mishear the lyrics and so we think the song says something entirely different (I get made fun of for this all the time). Other examples (provided in our course-pack) would be take it for granite instead of take it for granted, or chester drawers from chest of drawers (this was one I said when I was little, except I think I said cheshire-- ironically enough, I had a set of drawers that had Alice in Wonderland characters on it).
Thinking about all of this reminded me of my earlier entry about southern accents and the "pop versus soda" debate. I used to say coke instead of pop or soda, and I thought maybe this was a morphological misanalysis on my part when I was young. But I quickly realized that it was not this but another English word formation process-- coinage.
In North Carolina, every soft drink was called a coke, not just Coca-Cola. Just like we tend to call all tissue Kleenex, or instead of saying we're going to copy it, we are going to xerox it. This seems like the same thing to me.
It is really interesting (and oddly exciting) to discover a term for something I said in my childhood.
This totally blew my mind. I raised my hand and said that I always thought that it was called a nickname because you were "nicking" a part from your name. For example, my name is Samantha but I go by Sam. I thought my 'nickname' was Sam because I "nicked" it from Samantha. Doctor Howard reminded me that 'Sam' from 'Samantha' is an example of a clipping, and that my misunderstanding was a great example of a morphological misanalysis.
A clipping is exactly what it sounds like-- a shortening of a longer word into a smaller one. Like Sam from Samantha, or exam from examination. A morphological misanalysis, or false/folk etymology, is when a word or phrase is misheard or misanalyzed (like my misunderstanding of why we call it a 'nickname'). This happens a lot in songs; we mishear the lyrics and so we think the song says something entirely different (I get made fun of for this all the time). Other examples (provided in our course-pack) would be take it for granite instead of take it for granted, or chester drawers from chest of drawers (this was one I said when I was little, except I think I said cheshire-- ironically enough, I had a set of drawers that had Alice in Wonderland characters on it).
Thinking about all of this reminded me of my earlier entry about southern accents and the "pop versus soda" debate. I used to say coke instead of pop or soda, and I thought maybe this was a morphological misanalysis on my part when I was young. But I quickly realized that it was not this but another English word formation process-- coinage.
In North Carolina, every soft drink was called a coke, not just Coca-Cola. Just like we tend to call all tissue Kleenex, or instead of saying we're going to copy it, we are going to xerox it. This seems like the same thing to me.
It is really interesting (and oddly exciting) to discover a term for something I said in my childhood.
41, 42. Menus Describing Food
We all love good food, so we usually enjoy going out to eat at restaurants. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water. And, if you're in charge of writing the menus for these restaurants, that's exactly what you want your descriptions to do. There's one thing I realized very quickly while looking over Applebee's online menu; there are a few choice words used in order to paint a certain picture of their food, and cause a certain reaction in the reader. These are words like sizzling, juicy, or crispy. Words like juicy are used a lot for meaty foods such as steaks and burgers, and grilled foods tend to use sizzling (Applebees even has an entire page on their menu devoted to foods that sizzle). Descriptions of the steaks also say that they are succulent and tender, words that are perfect for invoking a reaction of drooling.
Desserts are always a favorite, and we tend to think of them as delightful treats that satisfy our sweet tooths. Words like creamy, savory, and moist just bring the image of a delicious brownie and ice cream sundae to my mind, so those words are doing their job.
The words in menus that are describing their foods aren't fancy by any means of the imagination; they are simple yet enticing, and wonderful little adjectives that force us to picture how delicious their food is. These words paint an image in our minds and make our stomachs grumble.
Desserts are always a favorite, and we tend to think of them as delightful treats that satisfy our sweet tooths. Words like creamy, savory, and moist just bring the image of a delicious brownie and ice cream sundae to my mind, so those words are doing their job.
The words in menus that are describing their foods aren't fancy by any means of the imagination; they are simple yet enticing, and wonderful little adjectives that force us to picture how delicious their food is. These words paint an image in our minds and make our stomachs grumble.
Sources:
32-40. The Internet
It is no surprise that technology and the internet are becoming a huge part of society. It seems as though you never meet someone who does not have a Facebook, or someone without a cell phone (or even a phone that surfs the web or can access websites and email). It is hard for a lot of people to go a day without checking their social networking sites or sending tons of text messages.
A lot of people feel that the internet has led to a decline in our language. We all know the concept of chatspeak and how people shorten words and come up with cute little acronyms, so I won't bother with trying to explain or define anything. However, I tend to blame text messaging for really kicking this horrible trend into overdrive. Of course this all started with the internet and instant messaging in order for people to shorten their thoughts and type faster, so I'll explain what I mean. When text messaging came about, the acronyms and shortenings became even MORE convenient than before. When you are typing up a text message, there is a limit to how many characters you can use (the limit is usually around 160 characters, give or take a few). This tends to force people to shorten what they want to say, using those cute little shortcuts that the internet taught them. Then when they get back on Facebook or Twitter, they're used to using this new cyber language they have become fluent in.
I obviously do not have much of a problem with the internet (I mean, I'm writing a blog). If people want to shorten their words or whatever, then they can go for it. However, the age groups of people joining the internet are getting younger and younger. This is what bothers me. Young people and children are joining Facebook and talking on the internet, learning these shortcuts and strange ways of talking. My ten-year-old sister joined Facebook over the summer (and you have to be thirteen to have one, so it's only a matter of time before her account gets shut down), and she talks with all of her friends who are between the ages of eight and eleven. You can be sure that they all use chatspeak and netspeak and that their conversations are riddled with "LOLs" and "JKs." They even literally speak this way in person. Just the other day, my sister said "lol" when I told her about something funny our dog did earlier. She even speaks in "lolcat," the "I can haz cheezburger" meme that shook the internet.
This is only merely annoying to hear since it is just flat-out an annoying way to speak. What gets to be a real problem, though, is when these kids start writing like this at school. My sister has failed several spelling tests because she spelled the words in netspeak. She has even used chatspeak in her assignments and stories for school. I always ask her why she does this in her assignments-- she said she does it because she can't remember how to spell or write with proper English grammar, and that it is just so much easier to write like that. This infuriated me, because at first I thought she was just being lazy. However, I realized that she honestly is just so used to speaking like this on the internet that she cannot remember how to do it the right way. Since she is so young and impressionable, she is being conditioned to always write and speak this way. This is becoming her language.
What makes speaking this way so much easier? Valerie Yule, in her article called International English Spelling and the Internet, says there are six common features that act as the Principles of Bad Spelling on the Internet. These features are: usually phonetic, dropped letters and double letter often dropped in emails, problems in spelling vowels, slurring (crobbirate instead of "corroborate"), slips (typos), and unintelligible spellings. So basically, people drop letters and make up their own spellings instead of bothering to look up the correct way to spell things.
Another aspect of talking on the internet that is stunting my sister's language development is the emoticon. Coincidentally enough, Eats, Shoots & Leaves (the book I had to read for my grammar class) had a section devoted to the emoticon, and perfectly explained why my sister has issues. With the emoticon, you send an idea or a concept. If you're in a good mood, or someone said something nice to you, you can simply respond with ":-)" and you don't have to formulate thoughts and words to express how you're feeling. You don't need to take the time to really think about how you are feeling or how you can best express yourself-- entire emotions have been captured for you through the odd combinations of colons and parentheses. If you asked my sister how she was feeling, she probably wouldn't tell you anything...but if you asked her the same question on Facebook chat, you'd probably receive ":-)" or ":-(" in response. She doesn't have to go through the emotional stress of thinking about how to tell us she is feeling sad, hurt, or like an outcast because she is being bullied in school. Instead, it is much simpler for her to realize that she just feels bad, so a simple frowney face will suffice.
Now, this is obviously not true to a lot of people and it isn't really something to be too entirely concerned about yet. However, what worries me is my sister's young age. Like I said before, because she's so young, she's very impressionable. She's still developing certain skills necessary to function as a member of society and her use of the internet is stunting this development. If she constantly relies on tools like emoticons to inform us of her ideas and feelings, she will never learn how to properly express herself in important and possibly stressful situations. She is already learning that it is faster and easier to speak in chatspeak, so who's to say that she won't have a difficult time with learning how to use the plethora of words in our language in a coherent and expressive way? She is being conditioned to say "lol" instead of "wow, that was hilarious!" or "jk" because we can't decipher tone over the internet and her friends never know when she is joking or not.
I have started a new policy with my sister. If she does not improve the way she speaks online, she won't be allowed to have a Facebook or email address anymore. She's been working very hard on typing all of the words out and forming complete, coherent sentences. She still says some of the dumb acronyms in everyday conversation, but it's exciting to see such improvement already.
Sources:
http://www.englishspellingsociety.org/journals/j23/internet.php
A lot of people feel that the internet has led to a decline in our language. We all know the concept of chatspeak and how people shorten words and come up with cute little acronyms, so I won't bother with trying to explain or define anything. However, I tend to blame text messaging for really kicking this horrible trend into overdrive. Of course this all started with the internet and instant messaging in order for people to shorten their thoughts and type faster, so I'll explain what I mean. When text messaging came about, the acronyms and shortenings became even MORE convenient than before. When you are typing up a text message, there is a limit to how many characters you can use (the limit is usually around 160 characters, give or take a few). This tends to force people to shorten what they want to say, using those cute little shortcuts that the internet taught them. Then when they get back on Facebook or Twitter, they're used to using this new cyber language they have become fluent in.
I obviously do not have much of a problem with the internet (I mean, I'm writing a blog). If people want to shorten their words or whatever, then they can go for it. However, the age groups of people joining the internet are getting younger and younger. This is what bothers me. Young people and children are joining Facebook and talking on the internet, learning these shortcuts and strange ways of talking. My ten-year-old sister joined Facebook over the summer (and you have to be thirteen to have one, so it's only a matter of time before her account gets shut down), and she talks with all of her friends who are between the ages of eight and eleven. You can be sure that they all use chatspeak and netspeak and that their conversations are riddled with "LOLs" and "JKs." They even literally speak this way in person. Just the other day, my sister said "lol" when I told her about something funny our dog did earlier. She even speaks in "lolcat," the "I can haz cheezburger" meme that shook the internet.
This is only merely annoying to hear since it is just flat-out an annoying way to speak. What gets to be a real problem, though, is when these kids start writing like this at school. My sister has failed several spelling tests because she spelled the words in netspeak. She has even used chatspeak in her assignments and stories for school. I always ask her why she does this in her assignments-- she said she does it because she can't remember how to spell or write with proper English grammar, and that it is just so much easier to write like that. This infuriated me, because at first I thought she was just being lazy. However, I realized that she honestly is just so used to speaking like this on the internet that she cannot remember how to do it the right way. Since she is so young and impressionable, she is being conditioned to always write and speak this way. This is becoming her language.
What makes speaking this way so much easier? Valerie Yule, in her article called International English Spelling and the Internet, says there are six common features that act as the Principles of Bad Spelling on the Internet. These features are: usually phonetic, dropped letters and double letter often dropped in emails, problems in spelling vowels, slurring (crobbirate instead of "corroborate"), slips (typos), and unintelligible spellings. So basically, people drop letters and make up their own spellings instead of bothering to look up the correct way to spell things.
Another aspect of talking on the internet that is stunting my sister's language development is the emoticon. Coincidentally enough, Eats, Shoots & Leaves (the book I had to read for my grammar class) had a section devoted to the emoticon, and perfectly explained why my sister has issues. With the emoticon, you send an idea or a concept. If you're in a good mood, or someone said something nice to you, you can simply respond with ":-)" and you don't have to formulate thoughts and words to express how you're feeling. You don't need to take the time to really think about how you are feeling or how you can best express yourself-- entire emotions have been captured for you through the odd combinations of colons and parentheses. If you asked my sister how she was feeling, she probably wouldn't tell you anything...but if you asked her the same question on Facebook chat, you'd probably receive ":-)" or ":-(" in response. She doesn't have to go through the emotional stress of thinking about how to tell us she is feeling sad, hurt, or like an outcast because she is being bullied in school. Instead, it is much simpler for her to realize that she just feels bad, so a simple frowney face will suffice.
Now, this is obviously not true to a lot of people and it isn't really something to be too entirely concerned about yet. However, what worries me is my sister's young age. Like I said before, because she's so young, she's very impressionable. She's still developing certain skills necessary to function as a member of society and her use of the internet is stunting this development. If she constantly relies on tools like emoticons to inform us of her ideas and feelings, she will never learn how to properly express herself in important and possibly stressful situations. She is already learning that it is faster and easier to speak in chatspeak, so who's to say that she won't have a difficult time with learning how to use the plethora of words in our language in a coherent and expressive way? She is being conditioned to say "lol" instead of "wow, that was hilarious!" or "jk" because we can't decipher tone over the internet and her friends never know when she is joking or not.
I have started a new policy with my sister. If she does not improve the way she speaks online, she won't be allowed to have a Facebook or email address anymore. She's been working very hard on typing all of the words out and forming complete, coherent sentences. She still says some of the dumb acronyms in everyday conversation, but it's exciting to see such improvement already.
Sources:
http://www.englishspellingsociety.org/journals/j23/internet.php
Friday
29, 30, 31. Days of the Week
While sitting in class the other day, my mind started to drift towards movies that I am excited to see. The adaptation of Thor is coming out very soon (which I am very excited for), so I thought a lot about that. Somehow, I remembered something I heard in high school-- that we get the name for Thursday from Thor (So, Thorsday), and Wednesday comes from Odin.
I decided to look more into this to make sure I was remembering correctly as well as learn the meanings of the other days of the week.
Sunday is just as it sounds, "Sun" day. The name comes from Latin "dies solis," meaning "sun's day," which is apparently a pagan roman holiday.
Monday is very similar, instead it means "moon day." This day is sacred to the goddess of the moon.
The rest of the days of the week start to get into what I was referring to earlier with the Norse gods. Tuesday is for the Norse god "Tyr."
Wednesday, like I said, is for Odin (or Woden). Thursday, like I previously stated, honors the Norse god of thunder, Thor.
Friday is also dedicated to a Norse god-- Freya. Freya is the goddess of love, beauty, and procreation. However, she is oftentimes confused with Frigga, the wife of Odin.
Saturday honors Saturn, the roman god of agriculture.
The Greeks used two days for the sun and moon, and the rest of the days were dedicated to some of their gods. These gods were Ares, Hermes, Zeus, Aphrodite, and Cronus. The Romans did the same thing with their equivalents (Mars, Mercury, Jove or Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn).
It would seem that Thursday is a day of lightning. Obviously we have Thor, and the Greeks and Romans also dedicated this day of the week to their gods of lightning-- Zeus and Jupiter/Jove.
Similarly, Tuesday is dedicated to various gods of war, and Wednesday pays tribute to different gods of commerce, cunning, and theft (and Odin, who is the chief Anglo-Saxon god). Friday seems to be a day of love. Maybe this is why we all love Fridays so much (it couldn't be the fact that Friday means the weekend)!
Sources: http://www.crowl.org/lawrence/time/days.html#seven
I decided to look more into this to make sure I was remembering correctly as well as learn the meanings of the other days of the week.
Sunday is just as it sounds, "Sun" day. The name comes from Latin "dies solis," meaning "sun's day," which is apparently a pagan roman holiday.
Monday is very similar, instead it means "moon day." This day is sacred to the goddess of the moon.
The rest of the days of the week start to get into what I was referring to earlier with the Norse gods. Tuesday is for the Norse god "Tyr."
Wednesday, like I said, is for Odin (or Woden). Thursday, like I previously stated, honors the Norse god of thunder, Thor.
Friday is also dedicated to a Norse god-- Freya. Freya is the goddess of love, beauty, and procreation. However, she is oftentimes confused with Frigga, the wife of Odin.
Saturday honors Saturn, the roman god of agriculture.
The Greeks used two days for the sun and moon, and the rest of the days were dedicated to some of their gods. These gods were Ares, Hermes, Zeus, Aphrodite, and Cronus. The Romans did the same thing with their equivalents (Mars, Mercury, Jove or Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn).
It would seem that Thursday is a day of lightning. Obviously we have Thor, and the Greeks and Romans also dedicated this day of the week to their gods of lightning-- Zeus and Jupiter/Jove.
Similarly, Tuesday is dedicated to various gods of war, and Wednesday pays tribute to different gods of commerce, cunning, and theft (and Odin, who is the chief Anglo-Saxon god). Friday seems to be a day of love. Maybe this is why we all love Fridays so much (it couldn't be the fact that Friday means the weekend)!
Sources: http://www.crowl.org/lawrence/time/days.html#seven
Thursday
19-28. Harry Potter names
Being a child of the nineties, I am a huge fan of the Harry Potter books (and movies, of course). I've always been amazed by the stories and characters and how intricate the plot is. J.K. Rowling really puts a lot of thought into every detail of the story. So I was excited to see that we would briefly discuss Harry Potter in class today. We discussed the names of the characters, and how they helped show which characters were "fancier." For example, the Malfoys (the rich, snotty bad guys) have a French name. "Mal foi" means "bad faith." Compare this to the last name Potter or Riddle. Furthermore, when Tom Riddle wanted to sound fancier and more intimidating, he changed his name to Voldemort.
We were also told that "Harry" is short for "Harold." King Harold II took an arrow to the eye (reminding me very much of the notorious lightning bolt scar above Harry's eye).
This all interested me so much that I decided to research the names of the other characters. Surely J.K. Rowling put a lot of thought into naming her characters (judging by how much thought she puts into every other aspect of her books). After only a few minutes of searching I found out that my suspicion was correct. Almost every character had some interesting meaning or reason for their name.
First, I'd like to mention Voldemort since he was already brought up. Originally named Tom Marvolo Riddle, we soon find out that this is an anagram for "I am Lord Voldemort." This brings a fun meaning to the last name "Riddle" since his name was indeed a riddle. I also looked up the meaning for Voldemort since I knew it was French. "Vol de mort" is apparently French for "flight from death," which is an incredibly appropriate and fitting name for the character since Voldemort has found ways to cheat death.
Next, I looked at the main trio of characters-- Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger. Unfortunately these characters didn't have exact meaning to their names. For example, Rowling got Hermione from a Shakespeare play that she liked and in interviews she has said that Harry is her favorite name for a boy (although the connection to King Harold and his unfortunate arrow to the eye can not be denied). Ron, however, means "ruler's counselor," which might refer to his relationship with Harry as his right hand man.
Now back to the Malfoys. It has already been stated that their last name means "bad faith," but what about their first names? Draco is Latin for "dragon," and Lucius is suspected to be a reference to Lucifer. Draco's mother, Narcissa, is a reference to the Narcissus flower (which is said to be what Narcissus was turned into after he fell in love with his reflection. The Malfoys are a very posh family that cares very much about appearances, so Narcissa seems to be a fitting name for the matriarch.
Albus Dumbledore is a great figure that is loved by many and I think his name has a wonderful and lovable meaning. "Albus" is Latin for "light" (and he is considered the leader of the "good guys," or the side of the light). "Dumbledore" is another word for bumblebee-- J.K. Rowling once said that she imagines the headmaster being a very musical person and that he would often hum to himself.
Hagrid, the trusted groundskeeper at Hogwarts, has a rather humorous name. Rowling said that to be called "hagrid" in old english meant that you had a rough night; she also said that the giant is also a big drinker.
Perhaps the two most obvious names are Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. Sirius is Harry's godfather, and has the ability to turn into a big, black dog. Sirius is the brightest star in the sky but it is also called the "Dog Star." The last name "Black" is simply because the dog he transforms into is black. Remus Lupin, on the other hand, is a werewolf. "Lupin" means "wolf-like" in Latin, and Remus refers to the story of Romulus and Remus, the two babies who were abandoned but then raised by a she-wolf.
When Harry was a baby, he was left on the porch-step of his aunt and uncle, Petunia and Vernon Dursley. Dursley is the name of a small town in Britain. Dudley, the pudgy and obnoxious cousin of Harry, is a play on the word "dud." Petunia was an angry and bitter woman who grew up jealous of her sister (and Harry's mother), Lily. The sisters were opposites in that while Petunia was angry and bitter, Lily was a light-hearted and loving individual. The sisters were both obviously named after flowers, but it is what these flowers symbolize that is so interesting. Lilies are thought to symbolize innocence and purity, whereas petunias represent anger and resentment.
Perhaps my favorite character is Severus Snape, the menacing potions master with a sketchy past and questionable motives. "Severus" is Latin for "stern" or "sharp," and the professor certainly is both of these things. A "snape" is a boggy patch of ground, but perhaps more appropriately, to "snape" someone means to rebuke or hurt them (and Severus is always full of ways to torture his students).
Another popular professor is Minerva McGonagall. She is portrayed as being a wise but strict woman. Minerva was the Roman goddess of wisdom and war (much like the Greek goddess Athena). Professor McGonagall also played a huge role in the final battle against Voldemort and his followers at Hogwarts in the final book.
Now I come to the birds (because I just love them so). Hedwig, the beautiful snow owl that serves as a faithful companion to the Boy Who Lived, is a reference to Saint Hedwig, who was considered a noble and pious saint. Pigwidgeon, the bumbling little owl that belonged to Ron, means "petty or small." And of course, there's Fawkes, the magnificent phoenix that provided loyal companionship to Dumbledore and helped Harry in a time of need. As you may know, phoenixes tend to burst into flames when they reach the end of their life cycles, but then they emerge anew from the ashes of their former selves. It only seems fitting that the creature's name is a direct reference to Guy Fawkes, the mastermind behind the plot to blow up Parliament.
Even the names of the Hogwarts houses have meanings but for the sake of time I'll only mention the two main ones. There's Slytherin, the house where the cunning and ambitious students go. This house is represented by an emerald snake. Slytherin is obviously a play on how snakes move-- they slither. This also paints a picture of how shady characters or even evil characters move or can be described. You could easily say that Draco slithered to his father's side, or Bellatrix slithered towards her next victim. Gryffindor is where the brave students go (and the main heroes of the story). This house bears the sigil of a golden lion. "Gryffin d'or" is French for "golden griffin." The griffin is a half-lion, half-eagle creature and is considered a divine symbol. The griffin also became the adversary of serpents (Gryffindors and Slytherins are notorious enemies and competitors).
I have to force myself to stop here or else I'll find myself listing every single character, spell, and curse used in the stories. It seems as though J.K. Rowling put a ton of thought into every character and spell, and this adds so much more depth and detail into what I already thought was a vibrant and detailed world.
Sources:
http://www.theninemuses.net/hp/4.html
http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/1/Ronald
We were also told that "Harry" is short for "Harold." King Harold II took an arrow to the eye (reminding me very much of the notorious lightning bolt scar above Harry's eye).
This all interested me so much that I decided to research the names of the other characters. Surely J.K. Rowling put a lot of thought into naming her characters (judging by how much thought she puts into every other aspect of her books). After only a few minutes of searching I found out that my suspicion was correct. Almost every character had some interesting meaning or reason for their name.
First, I'd like to mention Voldemort since he was already brought up. Originally named Tom Marvolo Riddle, we soon find out that this is an anagram for "I am Lord Voldemort." This brings a fun meaning to the last name "Riddle" since his name was indeed a riddle. I also looked up the meaning for Voldemort since I knew it was French. "Vol de mort" is apparently French for "flight from death," which is an incredibly appropriate and fitting name for the character since Voldemort has found ways to cheat death.
Next, I looked at the main trio of characters-- Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger. Unfortunately these characters didn't have exact meaning to their names. For example, Rowling got Hermione from a Shakespeare play that she liked and in interviews she has said that Harry is her favorite name for a boy (although the connection to King Harold and his unfortunate arrow to the eye can not be denied). Ron, however, means "ruler's counselor," which might refer to his relationship with Harry as his right hand man.
Now back to the Malfoys. It has already been stated that their last name means "bad faith," but what about their first names? Draco is Latin for "dragon," and Lucius is suspected to be a reference to Lucifer. Draco's mother, Narcissa, is a reference to the Narcissus flower (which is said to be what Narcissus was turned into after he fell in love with his reflection. The Malfoys are a very posh family that cares very much about appearances, so Narcissa seems to be a fitting name for the matriarch.
Albus Dumbledore is a great figure that is loved by many and I think his name has a wonderful and lovable meaning. "Albus" is Latin for "light" (and he is considered the leader of the "good guys," or the side of the light). "Dumbledore" is another word for bumblebee-- J.K. Rowling once said that she imagines the headmaster being a very musical person and that he would often hum to himself.
Hagrid, the trusted groundskeeper at Hogwarts, has a rather humorous name. Rowling said that to be called "hagrid" in old english meant that you had a rough night; she also said that the giant is also a big drinker.
Perhaps the two most obvious names are Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. Sirius is Harry's godfather, and has the ability to turn into a big, black dog. Sirius is the brightest star in the sky but it is also called the "Dog Star." The last name "Black" is simply because the dog he transforms into is black. Remus Lupin, on the other hand, is a werewolf. "Lupin" means "wolf-like" in Latin, and Remus refers to the story of Romulus and Remus, the two babies who were abandoned but then raised by a she-wolf.
When Harry was a baby, he was left on the porch-step of his aunt and uncle, Petunia and Vernon Dursley. Dursley is the name of a small town in Britain. Dudley, the pudgy and obnoxious cousin of Harry, is a play on the word "dud." Petunia was an angry and bitter woman who grew up jealous of her sister (and Harry's mother), Lily. The sisters were opposites in that while Petunia was angry and bitter, Lily was a light-hearted and loving individual. The sisters were both obviously named after flowers, but it is what these flowers symbolize that is so interesting. Lilies are thought to symbolize innocence and purity, whereas petunias represent anger and resentment.
Perhaps my favorite character is Severus Snape, the menacing potions master with a sketchy past and questionable motives. "Severus" is Latin for "stern" or "sharp," and the professor certainly is both of these things. A "snape" is a boggy patch of ground, but perhaps more appropriately, to "snape" someone means to rebuke or hurt them (and Severus is always full of ways to torture his students).
Another popular professor is Minerva McGonagall. She is portrayed as being a wise but strict woman. Minerva was the Roman goddess of wisdom and war (much like the Greek goddess Athena). Professor McGonagall also played a huge role in the final battle against Voldemort and his followers at Hogwarts in the final book.
Now I come to the birds (because I just love them so). Hedwig, the beautiful snow owl that serves as a faithful companion to the Boy Who Lived, is a reference to Saint Hedwig, who was considered a noble and pious saint. Pigwidgeon, the bumbling little owl that belonged to Ron, means "petty or small." And of course, there's Fawkes, the magnificent phoenix that provided loyal companionship to Dumbledore and helped Harry in a time of need. As you may know, phoenixes tend to burst into flames when they reach the end of their life cycles, but then they emerge anew from the ashes of their former selves. It only seems fitting that the creature's name is a direct reference to Guy Fawkes, the mastermind behind the plot to blow up Parliament.
Even the names of the Hogwarts houses have meanings but for the sake of time I'll only mention the two main ones. There's Slytherin, the house where the cunning and ambitious students go. This house is represented by an emerald snake. Slytherin is obviously a play on how snakes move-- they slither. This also paints a picture of how shady characters or even evil characters move or can be described. You could easily say that Draco slithered to his father's side, or Bellatrix slithered towards her next victim. Gryffindor is where the brave students go (and the main heroes of the story). This house bears the sigil of a golden lion. "Gryffin d'or" is French for "golden griffin." The griffin is a half-lion, half-eagle creature and is considered a divine symbol. The griffin also became the adversary of serpents (Gryffindors and Slytherins are notorious enemies and competitors).
I have to force myself to stop here or else I'll find myself listing every single character, spell, and curse used in the stories. It seems as though J.K. Rowling put a ton of thought into every character and spell, and this adds so much more depth and detail into what I already thought was a vibrant and detailed world.
Sources:
http://www.theninemuses.net/hp/4.html
http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/1/Ronald
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)