How Did French Enter the English Language? What’s This “Frenglish?”

One of my fun, lighter summer reads is a fascinating history of the English language by Laurie J. White with the title King Alfred’s English: A History of the Language We Speak and Why We Should Be Glad We Do (The Shorter Word Press, 2009). Designed to be a “light course” book for “students grades 7-12 and curious adults,” King Alfred’s English is truly a fun and fascinating read. I am learning and re-learning much about my native tongue, including why there are so many other language influences on English.

One such influence is that of the French (wonder why we ask for pie a la mode?) – and that part of the English language story is quite amazing. Trace it back to the great battle of Hastings in 1066! Here is that part of White’s narrative and the answer to the question of how French worked its way so strongly into our tongue:

Nevertheless, on October 14 in the year 1066 at the Battle of Hastings, the French-speaking Duke of Normandy [northern France] overwhelmed Harold and his Anglo-Saxon forces [the Earl of Wessex who was vying for control of England]. Harold was killed, William won the English crown that day, and, along with the title of king of England, he became known as William the Conqueror who conquered England.

…A new invasion of the English language had begun and the effect would be enormous, and the impact would be from French.

After the Battle of Hastings, William brought a whole entourage of French speaking aristocrats into England to be his royal court and to fill any and all important positions of the government and the church. In other words, anyone who was anybody was French. A few of those Norman French learned English as a second language, but not many — there was no real need. French alone was spoken in all the schools and in the homes of the upper class, in all government proceedings and courtroom business. The only exception was the use of Latin in the religious sector. The English language was considered crass and vulgar. The word vulgar here means common, not nasty. However, the French almost put English in the nasty category.

Just as most of us would be, the defeated English people were eager to impress those above them on the social ladder, and the top rungs of this ladder were now solidly French. People began throwing in French phrases and words, mixing them with regular English. Everyone wanted to sound and look as French as possible. One historian jokingly suggested that we call the English spoken during this period ‘Frenglish’ because it was such a complete mixture of French and English.

Believe it or not, all this foolishness got carried on for a very long time, centuries in fact. One can see the remnants of these things even today. A small, down-home restaurant might offer the soup of the day; whereas a restaurant aiming at more sophisticated customer would call it soupe du jour. That little bit of un-translated French adds cultural spice to the menu. The same things applies to a la carte and a la mode. If you think about it, the whole industry of fashion is saturated with words en Francais, from coiffure for hairstyle, to lingerie for undergarments.  French design equals style, and as most people know, Paris has been seen as the cultural center for trend-setting for decades. But what people don’t know is that it’s really been centuries. In fact, the cultural compass that points to France for sophistication was calibrated at the Battle of Hastings back in 1066 AD!

As Paul Harvey used to say, “Now you know the rest of the story!”

Have You Ever Heard These 25 Obscure English Words?

As we have started a new month and have not had a “Word Wednesday” in a while, let’s make use of this one from GrammarBook.com, which came into my email box back in January. Instead of one word, however, you will get to consider 25! And, yes, these are truly obscure, and maybe a tad strange – I only knew a few – but look at the vocabulary you will add to your speech! Well, maybe not.

I include the introduction and the first part of the list – enjoy!

There’s something so satisfying about pulling out a $15 word—the kind that you hardly ever get to use, but fits the situation perfectly. On the other hand, that feeling when you can’t quite find the right word for what you’re trying to express is incredibly aggravating. Well, we’re here to help. Here are 25 weird, obscure, and downright cool words hidden in the English language.

For the rest, visit the link below.

Source: Have You Ever Heard These 25 Obscure English Words? |

●	Epeolatry: The worship of words. What better piece of vocabulary to kick off this list with?
●	Aglet: The little piece of plastic on the end of your shoelaces. (Crossword puzzle fans know this one.)
●	Grawlix: You know when cartoonists substitute a bunch of punctuation marks for curse words? They’re using grawlix.
●	Borborygmus: A rumbling in your stomach. Time for lunch!
●	Accubation: While you quell your borborygmus, you might engage in accubation—the act of comfortably reclining, often during a meal.
●	Jillick: To skip a stone across a surface of water.
●	Nibling: Here’s a handy word you might just now realize you were missing. Nibling is a gender-neutral term for a niece or nephew.
●	Tatterdemalion: Some words just sound like their meaning. A tatterdemalion is somebody wearing tattered clothing. It can also be used as an adjective meaning tattered or ragged in appearance.
●	Tittle: The word tittle has got just one tittle in it, but this sentence has six—no, seven—more. It’s the little dot above a lowercase j or i.
●	Pogonotrophy: You probably know someone who engages in pogonotrophy, the act of growing a beard, even if they don’t call it that.
●	Pilgarlic: On the opposite end of the spectrum, a pilgarlic is a bald-headed person—usually one you’re mocking or feeling sorry for.

Checking In on Worn-Out Words and Phrases: First Quarter 2019 |

It has been a while since we posted a GrammarBook.com item, so on this “Word Wednesday” let’s do this one that focuses on good grammar through good word usage.

This particular article adds to GrammarBook.com‘s ongoing lists of “worn out words and phrases.” This one covers the first quarter of this new year. And, as you will see from this list, these are indeed some that need to be put away and replaced with better words and phrases – which they also suggest here.

Read the introduction below, review the list, compare it with your own vocabulary in speech and writing, and see what changes you can to make to bring clarity and precision to your English.

“Nature abhors a vacuum,” Aristotle once said, and the same holds true for language. If we detect an empty lexical space because we feel existing words no longer occupy it well, we will look to fill it, often with something that seems or sounds fresh within our current culture and era. For a time, we might embrace those updates to communication: They can make us feel original, cool, connected to the zeitgeist. Often, current language style will reduce formality of writing and speech through abbreviation, fusion, or invention of words. We assign labels for many as well: catch phrase, buzz word, lingo, parlance. As we’re all aware, however, whether in fashion, music, cars, or language, trends come and go. Those with enough substance and utility might hang on; the others will simply complete their life cycles and then perhaps straggle a bit before fading into obscurity. With you, we form a community that is focused on an optimal use of English. We therefore find it fitting to monitor words and phrases that have grown old or stale or may do so soon. For a review of the worn-out words and phrases we’ve compiled to date, you can visit any of our four preceding articles from 2017 and 2018: Worn-Out Words and Phrases Worn-Out Words and Phrases (Follow-up) Worn-Out Words and Phrases: Resolving to Keep Writing Fresh in 2018 Still on the Stakeout for Worn-Out Words & Phrases The following table includes our latest additions to words and phrases on our radar of overuse or untenability so far in 2019. In some cases, you might still consider some of them useful or relevant when writing or speaking. If however you’re particular about articulation that will endure rather than just conform to current style, you might consider alternatives that have maintained their lasting positions in English.

 

Worn-Out Word/Phrase Contemporary Meaning Alternatives in Careful Writing in the wheelhouse (prep. phrase) identifying something or someone as being in a position of strength or skill skill, strength, specialization (use nouns instead of the phrase) in the books (prep. phrase) noted, completed noted, done, completed, finished wrap one’s head around (verb phrase) contemplate, understand consider, reflect, contemplate, ponder, mull over, understand thought leader (noun) subject expert whose ideas and opinions influence other people, especially in business leader, influencer, subject expert, specialist ghost (verb) disappear or abandon, especially as it applies to leaving a relationship leave, disappear, abandon, flee epic (adj.) impressive, very good memorable, impressive, exceptional, outstanding so ye-ah/ya-uh (interj.) “well, okay,” “alrightee then” (strike as unnecessary) I can’t even (interj.) I am losing patience, at a loss for words, annoyed about something (strike as unnecessary) for real (interj.) serious, legitimate, really true, good, great(!) It’s lit (idiomatic clause) something exciting is happening and you’ll want to be there (strike as unnecessary) woke (adj.) aware of current affairs, enlightened aware, current, heard about it, enlightened killing it (verb phrase) excelling at something achieving, excelling, doing great suh, sup (interj.) what’s up? how are you, what are you doing cray (adj.) crazy crazy, strange, silly, wacky troll (verb) follow others online, especially on social media, to criticize them or otherwise smear their image or opinion (noun) one who does so (verb) hassle, heckle, hound, pester, disrupt (noun) heckler, hound, pest, antagonist said no one ever (idiomatic clause [sarcasm]) negation of almost any statement— e.g., I love shoveling heavy snow…said no one ever. don’t, do not as to whether (conj.) (unnecessarily wordy expression of whether) whether necessitate (verb) bloated word for require call for, entail, require on account of (prep. phrase) because of because of, due to, owing to with all due respect (prep. phrase) polite set-up for I disagree (strike as unnecessary—what follows is often not an expression of respect) It’s not brain surgery (idiomatic clause) the item at hand is not difficult it’s simple, easy, not challenging get your ducks in a row (idiomatic clause) complete preparations, become efficient and well organized plan, prepare, organize, get organized play hardball (verb phrase) be serious or aggressive in response resist, push back, not cooperate

Source: Checking In on Worn-Out Words and Phrases: First Quarter 2019 |

Word Wednesday: Misspoken and Mispronounced Words and Phrases

This “part 1” of a recent GrammarBook.com post (June 2018) is a worthwhile reminder to speak accurately when using common words and expressions. How quickly the most ordinary expressions can become twisted – and we speakers look like uneducated bumpkins!

Pay attention to this “Word Wednesday” feature and grammar lesson, taking nothing for granite. But if it takes you a bit to get all this, don’t chomp at the bit; we won’t send in the Calvary just yet. Did I just misspeak and mispronounce some things? Read on and find out! 🙂

Writing serves us well in communication by providing us with a framework for arranging words into clear and thoughtful statements, including opportunities for eloquence. Applying ourselves to concise writing can also reinforce articulate speech. We are often moved or impressed by those who express themselves with precision and power. Think of the historic public addresses by Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Conversely, misspeaking and mispronouncing words and phrases can quickly sabotage and discredit our intellectual or persuasive standing with another person. Plus, beyond sounding wrong, these verbal glitches can contaminate our writing. If our mind’s ear hears or spells a word a certain way, we might wind up writing it as such as well. For this reason, we’ve compiled some words and phrases to watch out for. Maybe some of us have tripped over a few, and perhaps a few have caused us all to fall. Some of the entries might surprise even the most well spoken among us.

 

Word or Phrase (Glitch: S=misspoken, P=mispronounced) Correct Treatment affidavit (to mean written statement sworn before an official) (P) (af-i-DEY-vit), not (af-i-DEY-vid) all the sudden (S) all of a sudden Antarctic (P), Arctic (P) (ant-AHRK-tik, AHRK-tik), not (ant-AHR-tik, AHR-tik) Calvary (to mean military service that fights on horseback) (S) cavalry (KAV-uhl-ree) chomp at the bit (S) champ at the bit et cetera (to mean “and the rest”) (P) (et SET-er-uh), not (ex-ET-er-uh, ek-SET-er-uh) escape (P) (ih-SKEYP), not (ex-KEYP) espresso (P) (e-SPRES-oh), not (ex-PRES-oh) for all intensive purposes (S) for all intents and purposes forte (to mean strength or talent) (P) (fort), not (for-TAY) genome (to mean full set of chromosomes) (P) (JEE-nohm), not (geh-NOHM) jaguar (P) (JAG-wahr, -yoo-ahr), not (JAG-wire) larynx (P) (LAR-ingks), not (LAR-niks) mayonnaise (P) (mey-uh-NEYZ; MEY-uh-neyz), not (MAN-eyz) meme (to mean cultural item transmitted by repetition) (P) (meem), not (mehm) niche (to mean suitable position; distinct market segment) (P) (nich), not (neesh) nuclear (P) (NOO-klee-er), not (NOO-kyuh-ler, NOO-kyoo-ler) prescription (P) (pri-SKRIP-shuhn), not (per-SKRIP-shuhn) probably (P) (PROB-uh-blee), not (PROB-lee) realtor (P) (REE-uhl-ter), not (REEL-uh-ter) take for granite (S) take for granted veteran (P) (VET-er-uhn), not (VEH-truhn) veterinary (P) (VET-er-uh-ner-ee), not (VEH-truh-ner-ee) voilà (to mean “here it is”) (P) (vwah-LAH), not (wah-LAH)

You can find more often mispronounced words in our entry “You Lost Me After ‘Feb’ .” When we open our mouths, our minds are on parade. By devoting attention to proper phrasing and pronunciation, we can make sure what marches out sounds and lines up as it should.

The Word Nerd: Six Pitfalls Writers (and Others) Should Avoid

This great post at GrammarBook.com appeared back in May (cf. link below) but I saved it for an open blog post, and with a view to a “Word Wednesday” feature tomorrow I post it here tonight.

Yes, I also count myself a bit of “word nerd,” but I say so without shame. Words are not just interesting, even fun (especially origins); they are the way we communicate to one another. And, I trust, none of wants to be sloppy or lazy about how we communicate to each other. Words matter. They matter to God, because words are the means He chose to speak to us. So they should matter to us.

Precision in speech and writing is important, as these examples show. Nerdy? No, just correct. And correct is cool. 🙂 Let’s continue to learn together so that we communicate properly and precisely.

I post the GrammarBook online article in full here:

That’s right, I admit it. I’m a word nerd. I pick, pick, pick at the way you express yourself.

Despite protests of apathy, people of all ages care about how well they express themselves. Deep down, everyone likes to be right about language, and you can even hear little kids teasing each other about talking funny. We word nerds have an advantage here, but we certainly don’t choose to be word nerds. It’s thrust upon us. Believe me, a lot of us would rather be star quarterbacks. No one ever got a date by discoursing on split infinitives.

I thought you might be interested in some of the current trends and tendencies in modern ignorance. It might be fun to watch with me the inexorable erosion of our language—and civilization—and we can gnash our teeth and wring our hands and feel secretly smug and superior. That’s what word nerds do for a good time. So let’s roll:

Fortuitous It most emphatically does not mean “lucky” or “fortunate”; it simply means “by chance,” a much less optimistic denotation, since you can win the lottery fortuitously or get flattened by a truck fortuitously.

Notoriety Another badly botched word these days, “notoriety” has somehow become a good thing: “Burgess gained notoriety with his wildly popular children’s books.” But can’t you hear the “notorious” in “notoriety”? There are all kinds of fame; “notoriety” is one of the bad kinds, just down the pike from “infamy.”

Impact “How does the proposition impact property taxes?” or “Greenhouse gas emissions negatively impact the environment.” This is pretentious twaddle. “To impact” means to pack tightly together, as in “an impacted tooth.” In sentences like the two examples above, simply use “affect” instead, and you’ll sleep the serene slumber of the saintly.

Literally “Literally” is supposed to mean “100 percent fact”—period. But not today, when “literally” now is commonly used figuratively! How sad that a no-nonsense word with such a strict meaning has been so hideously compromised. Any sentence with “literally” means what it literally says, and when we hear it, we are being asked to believe our ears, rather than interpret or infer. So if you tell me you “literally hit the ceiling,” I’d suggest you move to a place with higher ceilings.

I recently read about a couple whose dreams “literally collapsed” when, unfortunately, a fixer-upper they bought came down in a heap as they started working on it. Now, we know what the writer meant, but just don’t mess around with “literally,” OK? The house literally collapsed, not the dream. How could a dream, the very essence of all that is beyond materiality, literally collapse? It’s utter gibberish.

The simple solution? Just say “virtually.” “Virtually” allows you to enhance and embellish to your heart’s content, options you relinquish by using “literally.”

Comprise is the most misused and misunderstood two-syllable word in common English usage. It seems straightforward enough: it means to contain, consist of, take in, embrace. But when used on its own, it’s usually mangled. “Joey, Johnny, and Fritz comprise a group of daredevils.” Sorry, but the group comprises (contains, consists of) Joey, Johnny, and Fritz. Which brings us to…

Comprised of This ubiquitous phrase is wrong every time. It’s the result of confusing and incorrectly combining “comprise” and “composed of.” It’s both ignorant and pompous, a lethal combo. “Composed of” is so mundane and “comprised of” just sounds ever so much cleverer, doesn’t it? Too bad there’s no justification for it. Quick fix: simply replace it with “comprise.” Wrong: “The team is comprised of Chicagoans.” Right: “The team comprises Chicagoans.” Far better: The team is composed of Chicagoans.

This Tom Stern classic was originally published on January 28, 2013.

Source: The Word Nerd: Six Pitfalls Writers (and Others) Should Avoid – Grammar and Punctuation

Grammar Check! Churchill’s Speech, or Shall I or Will I Use the Right Auxiliary Verb?

Today’s Grammarbook.com email had an important quote and an important grammar lesson. The quote is from a famous speech of Winston Churchill (cf. box above and the article below), and the grammar lesson is on the proper use of “shall” and “will” as auxiliary verbs.

Here is the first part of the lesson; find the rest at the link below. As you will see, once again there has been a change in language use when it comes to these verbs too – and not always with increased clarity. Yet, while there is some flexibility according to the experts (and maybe some confusion!), we can still follow proper grammar in our use of “shall” and “will.”

Few will ever forget the words spoken by Winston Churchill in June 1940 under the thickening shadow of Nazi aggression:

“We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.”

In a moment of such immortal conviction, none would have thought to question whether Churchill was using the correct auxiliary verb to express his nation’s resolve. His words are as powerful and inspiring today as they were almost 80 years ago.

Notwithstanding, if English teachers of the day had reviewed Churchill’s speech before he gave it, they would have alerted the leader to the usage of shall versus will:

• To express a belief regarding a future action or state, use shall. To express determination or promise (as Churchill was), use will. As a further example, a man who slips from a roof with no one around and hangs on to it by his fingers will cry, “I shall fall!” A man who climbs to a roof in order to fall from it will cry, “I will fall!”

• To simply communicate the future tense (without emphasis on determination, promise, or belief) in formal writing, use shall for the first person (I, we) and will for the second and third persons (you, he, she, they): I shall go to the store tomorrow. They will go to the store tomorrow.

Such established grammatical strictures once made discerning shall from will easy for English users. Through the years, however, the words’ functions have blurred; in common writing and speech, they are often interchangeable and seldom precise.

Adding to the matter, style and grammar sources offer differing views on when to use shall or will. The Harbrace College Handbook asserts the auxiliaries are transposable for the first, second, andthird person. It also declares will is more common than shall; shall is used mainly in questions (Shall we eat?) and might also be used in emphatic statements (We shall overcome.).

It further upholds the teaching of Churchill’s day to use shall in the first person and will in the second and third to express the simple future tense or an expectation: I shall stay to eat. He will stay to chat with us.

To communicate determination or promise, however, it slightly departs from the Queen’s classic English. Rather than always use will, it flips its order for the future tense or an expectation (i.e., will in the first person; shall in the second and third). Grammatical form for those intent on falling from a roof would thus be “I will fall!” (first person) or “You shall fall!” (second person).

Source: Shall I or Will I Use the Right Auxiliary Verb? – Grammar and Punctuation

Word Wednesday: A Friendly One

Our featured word for our “Word Wednesday” post this month is a friendly one – amicus, friend, with a common base form of AMI.

In the Dictionary of Latin and Greek Origins: A Comprehensive Guide to the Classical Origins of English Words (Barnes & Noble, 2000 –  co-authored by Bob Moore and Maxine Moore) we find this entry (as given above), along with this description and explanation of the word:

We all know that an enemy is not a friend; what we may not know is that the literal meaning of the word is ‘not (a) friend’; en-, not + emy, friend.

…So it is with inimical, its literal meaning being ‘not friendly,’ hence harmful and unfavorable. …It also means hostile and unfriendly. ‘There was an inimical atmosphere about the castle, the source of which I could never pinpoint.’

At the other end of the field are the friendly folk. An AMIable chap is genial, warm, kind, and sociable. ‘Helen’s such a wonderful neighbor, so amiable and gracious.’ …That is generally true of AMIty as well, i.e, cooperation, friendship, good will, understanding, or brotherhood. ‘The Secretary General said he hoped the accord between the two governments would result in lasting amity.’

Some usage books also make the claim that in Spanish only a male friend is an AMIgo and a female is an AMIga, but recent studies reveal that the vast majority of senoritas have no objection to being called an amigo. The same is rumored to be true in France, although the rules state that it’s AMI for a male friend and AMIe for a female.

In court an AMIcus brief may be filed by a person or a party not involved in the case who wants to offer relevant advice; it is a called ‘Friend of the Court’ or, officially, amicus curiae.

You may remember this verse in Proverbs that relates to this Latin word: “A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” (Prov.18:24).

Now here it is in the Latin Vulgate: vir amicalis ad societatem magis amicus erit quam frater

Can you find the “friendly” words?:)

Constructive Conjunctions: “As”, “since”, and”because”

Today’s Wednesday email from GrammarBook.com contained a profitable lesson in the proper use of some familiar conjunctions – “as,” “since,” and “because” – showing the importance of stressing the reason for something and the result of something in our sentence structure.

Here’s today’s grammar lesson (our second this month!) – read and learn!

 

Tackling More Tricky Word Choices:
As, Because, and Since

American English is a rich, expressive language. At the same time, it includes words that sometimes appear to be alike but have slight distinctions. Without recognizing those subtleties, we might use one word when we mean another.

As, because, and since are three conjunctions that introduce subordinate clauses (those that cannot stand alone in sentences) connecting a result and a reason. A closer understanding of these words helps us write with greater clarity and emphasis in achieving this.

We use because when we want to focus more on the reason. We use as and since when we wish to center on the result.

Most commonly, the because clause emphasizing the reason ends the sentence; the as or since clause stressing the result starts the sentence. 

Examples 

Result: She got the promotion over four other candidates.
Reason: She knew the system best.

Sentence emphasizing the reason with because clause: She got the promotion over four other candidates because she knew the system best.

Sentence emphasizing the result with as clause: As she knew the system best, she got the promotion over four other candidates.

Sentence emphasizing the result with since clause: Since she knew the system best, she got the promotion over four other candidates.

The placement of the because, as, or since clause can be changed in the sentences above. Some writers might contend that only the shifted because clause maintains effective fluency while the repositioned as and since clauses sound more stilted. Moving the clauses will also change the emphasis by switching the order of the result and the reason.

Because she knew the system best, she got the promotion over four other candidates.

She got the promotion over four other candidates, as she knew the system best.

She got the promotion over four other candidates, since she knew the system best.

Because is more common than as or since in both writing and speaking, suggesting we typically emphasize reasons more than results. As and since also are considered more formal in usage.

Looking at the details of these conjunctions polishes another tool in our quest to be writers of precision and eloquence.

A Valentine Word Wednesday: Amare, to love

On this Valentine’s Day 2018, let’s use it for a “Word Wednesday” and consider the Latin word for love, amare, with its common base forms ama and amo.

In the Dictionary of Latin and Greek Origins: A Comprehensive Guide to the Classical Origins of English Words (Barnes & Noble, 2000 –  co-authored by Bob Moore and Maxine Moore) we find this entry, along with this description and explanation of the word:

An AMAteur is one who plays for the love of the game rather than for money. When something is said to be AMAteurish, however, it is considered not only unprofessional but inept, inexpert, and inadequate as well.

…An AMOrous person is one who tends to fall in love; amorous or AMAtory literature is concerned with love. An AMOur is a love affair; to be enAMOred is to be inflamed with love. “We were enamored of the the colorful countryside.”

An AMOretto is a cherub or cupid. An inAMOrata is a female lover. An inAMOrato is a male lover [that is, in licit relationships]; if it is an illicit affair, he or she is a parAMOur [from the Greek preposition meaning one “beside or along side of” your true love].

We remember, of course, that God has the first, the last, and the best word on love, as revealed in His holy Word. Because He IS love, and manifested His love for us in Jesus Christ. Dwell on this love.

“O love the LORD, all ye his saints: for the LORD preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer.” Ps.31:23

“He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.” Song of Songs 2:4

“Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned.” Song of Songs 8:6,7

“The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” Jer.31:3

“I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him.” Hos.14:4

“As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.” Jn.15:9

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Rom.5:8

“And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.’ Eph.5:2

“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;” Eph.5:25

“And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:” I Thess.3:12

“Let brotherly love continue.” Heb.13:1

“My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.” I Jn.3:18

“Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.” Jude 21

“As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.” Rev.3:19

 

Word Wednesday: “Annus, year”

I have already told you about my late 2017 word-book find – Dictionary of Latin and Greek Origins: A Comprehensive Guide to the Classical Origins of English Words (Barnes & Noble, 2000 –  co-authored by Bob Moore and Maxine Moore).

For our first “Word Wednesday” feature of 2018, we return to this dictionary, where we find this appropriate Latin root for the word “year” – annus, along with its common base forms – anni, annu, enni.

This is how the Dictionary lays it out:

An ANNUal event happens once a year, a semiANNUal report is published twice a year; a biENNIal plant such as parsley lives for two years, and a biennial meeting is scheduled to be held every second year. Anything that is perENNIal is supposed to be everlasting, continuous, ongoing, and enduring.

A biANNUal event occurs twice a year (or semiANNUally) or every two years is biENNially), depending on who makes up the schedule.

An ANNIversary is the annual return of the date of an event. A cent is a 100th part of a dollar; hence a centENNIal is a 100th anniversary.

Although a semicentENNIal is a 50th anniversary, a bicentENNIal occurs every two hundred years. The combining form sesqui means one and a half; therefore, a sesquicentENNIal is a 150th anniversary. The Columbus quincentENNIal was celebrated in 1992: 500 years had passed.

As a mill is a 1,000th part of a dollar, so a millENNIum is a period of one thousand years, although the word is often used to mean any lengthy period of time. “Your long absence has seemed like a millennium to me.”

An ANNUity is an annual payment, often made following one’s retirement. Annals are yearly records kept by an annalist or historian. A.D. stands for [you’d better know this one!] ANNO DOMINI, meaning ‘in the year of our Lord,’ and referring to all the years since the birth of Jesus Christ.

And so we have entered A.D. 2018. May our thought and talk, desires and decisions, plans and purposes, actions and anticipations show that we live consciously “in the year of our Lord.”