"WORDS."

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIII, Issue 142, 14 June 1909, Page 2

"WORDS."

* LECTURE BY MR'JUSTICE • COOPER. ] Continued. "Chivalry" .is another . word which carries .us back to those times when it was the privilege as well as the duty of every true knight to protect even with his heart's blood the weaker sex. It is from chevalier, a horseman, and denoted the character of those knights-errant who were- always ready to succour any distressed damsel. ' It meant bravery, honour, true respect for woman. It reminds us of Arthur and Sir Galahad, of Saladm and Richard Cceur de Lion, of Sir Philip Sidney and Sir Richard -Urenville, of the times of Queen MizaI>cth. According to Lord Mountmorris, who has recently written an article on chivalry, it is.dead, strangled by the emancipation of woman, of her assumption of with man, and by her demand for the suffrage. I venture to think that he is wrong, and that there still exists among most of us that chivalrous regard for woman which is indeed a man's privilege and a woman's right. There are two other words in common use which, when etymologically examined, disclose an interesting origin. "Fanatic," the present meaning of which is well known to you, is from the Latin "fanatieus." A "fanatieus" was originally one who was devoted to the "fana" or temples of the gods. In the observance of the religious ceremonies the "fanatici" worked themselves oftentimes into a frenzy of religious passion, and frequently cub themselves with knives, as' Ihe priests of Baal wera wont to do. "And they cried aloud O Baal, hear us, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lances till the blood gushed out upon them (Kings xviii., v. 26-23). Hence the meaning which the term now bears. , , ,i "Assassin" takes xis back to the time of.the Crusades. In Syria there was a tribe who were controlled by a terrible sheikh called the "Old Man of the Mountains." This tribe was addicted to the use of "hashish," m intoxicating drug prepared from hemp, and still in use in the East. They wound themselves up to perform at all risks the orders of the "Old Man of the Mountains," and were called "Haschischin." These orders were usually the murder of their Lord's enemies, and many Crusaders were waylaid and killed by these "Haschischin." The Arabic word was incorporated into our language euphonised into "assassin," and the class of murder committed by these men gave rise to the term "assasination," a term which strictly means the murder pf a person by one who has been hired to secretly perform the crime. But I must hasten on, and leaving a mine of historical wealth in words still unexplored, I proceed to the next branch of my subject. Man is a social animal. There was first the family, then the tribe, then the community, and then the state or nation. Marriage is from a Norman word. When the Normans conquered England they iinaosed a system of law upon the Saxons and introduced a Norman terminology. I

"Marriage" was one of these terms, and it means the getting of a mari— a man—as a husband. But the old Saxon words "wed," "wedding" and "wedded" are still in universal use. They are from the root "wed," a pledge or covenant, and thus indicate the mutual bond which constitutes the married tie. The two parties become "husband" and "wife." How significant these words in their true meaning are? "Husband," the Saxon "house-bxmd," the good man of the house; the very word signifies that his interests are thenceforin bound up in his household, that his place is at home, keeping his house. The word breathes "domesticity" and "home-life." So also is there not poetry and wisdom in the word "wife," the Saxon "wif" from the Terb "wefan," to weave. The word indicates the industrious, virtuous liouse-wife, whose care it is to care for her family and perform her household duties, whose character is pourtrayed in the 31st chapter of Proverbs: "The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life. She seeketh wool and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands. She riseth early and giveth meat to her household. She layeth her hands to the spindle, and * her hands hold the distaff. She is not afraid of the snow for her household, for all her household are clothed. She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her." ~ Akin to _the word wife is the term "spinster." A principal occupation of the Saxon unmarried women was "spinning," and the females of the house were called the "spinale side." The "house" is also a Saxon word signifying the place of shelter, the home. In every house a true housewife wishes to have a "parlour. ' This word indicates, however, an advance in civilisation. It literally means the room in which the lady of the house meets her friends and enjoys the luxury tJf an afternoon gossip. Our lady friends now call it the "drawing-room," a contraction for the withdrawing room. The social side of our nature requires companionship, and comradeship. The literal meaning of "companion" is one with whom we are accustomed to "eat bread," a relationship closer than that with a mere acquaintance, but not so intimate as that with a "comrade" ; for "com.rade" is the Anglicised form of the French word "camerade" and the Italian "camerata" and the root word is the Latin "camera" a chamber. A comrade is therefore primarily one who is so close a friend that he shares with ns our own chamber.

Now what are the requisites of a good "companion" or "comrade." First; he must be "sincere." In ancient times there were, as there are now, furniture-makers. Some were honest tradesmen, some were not. The dishonest worker concealed the defects in his work by filling up the flaws ■with wax. The honest man scorned such deceit, and his workmanship was "sinecera"—without wax. Therefore, a "sincere" person is one who is honest, true, and candid. By the way, "candour" and "candid" signify ."whiteness" "purity"; and the primary meaning of a "candid" man is a man who walks in whiteness, poetically be who possesses "the white flower of a blameless life." Our friend must not be too serious—"sine ristis"—without laughter. He must ■not be "apathetic," which literally means "without feeling." He must possess "tact"; that is delicacy -of touch, of feeling. He must not be addicted to "scandal" ; that is his conversation must not bo a "trapspring"—for that is the primary meaning of the word—liable to injure

other people. We like him to be "circumspect," accustomed mentally to "look around," and, when, we seek his advice, we desire it to be "deliberately" given, that is, weighed well in the balances by him before at is uttered. We desire him to be ol sound mind, and not a "nincompoop"—non compos mentis. If we are fortunate enough to have a companion or a comrade fulfilling these requisites we shall indeed possess a true friend. Have you noticed how mythology is evidenced in many of our words? Take, for instance, words describing the dispositions of different men. We say of one man that he is saturnine, of another that he is martial, of a third that he is mercurial, some we call jovial, others, unfortunately, are bacchanalian and so on. The days of the week perpetuate the old-time worship of the sun and the moon, of Tuisco, of Woden, Thor, Freya, and of Saturn. So, also, with the months of the year. January was the month in which Janus the god of light, and the sun was worshipped. February commemorates, the Februa (from Februam a purgation) the Roman festival of purification and expiation, the Lupeicalia devoted to the worship of Juno held on the 15th day of the month, hence the month itself was called Februarius and Juno was snrnamed Februata. March, was the martins mensis, the month of Mars, the god of war and also of husbandry ; April is from the Latin Aprites, the month in which the earth "opens" for the growth of plants, fromaperio, to open. May is in honour of Maia, the daughter of Atlas and Pleione, and the mother of Mercury and the goddess of growth and increase. June is in memory of Jnnius Brutus, who abolished the .regal power of Rome. July was named in honour of Julius Cffisar, who was born in this month, and by whom the calendar was reformed; and August -after Octavius Ca?sar, who was the first to assume the name of Augustus, and who is generally called in history Augustus Cassar. While September, October, November and December denote the seventh, eight, ninth and tenth months of the Roman year. We still use the term Esculapian to denote the science of medicine, and thus perpetuate the memory of iEsculapius, the son of Apollo, and who was deified because of his great knowledge of the art of healing. And, in anatomy, the Achilles _ tendon at once brings to. our recollection the one vulnerable part of the body of Achilles, and the legend relating how he. was held by his mother Thetis by the heel in the water of immortality, but how, unfortunately for him his heel was not submerged. "Easter" is said to be a corruption of Astarte, the Phoenician goddess of the moon. Perhaps, the more satisfactory derievation, and which' is akin to it, is the Saxon Eastre or Eostre, the goddess of light and the spring in honour of whom a festival was celebrated in April, whence this month was called by the Saxons Eastermonath. The old. time belief in the influence of the stars is apparent in many words. The word "influence," itself indicates the supposed power of the celestral bodies upon the affairs of men. "Canst thoubind the sweet influences of the Pleiades or loose the bands of Orion?" Job 38, v 31. The common complaint "influenza," owes its name to an old idea that this class of disease, among other ills which affect man, was due to the baleful influence of the stars. Do we not still say of one man that he is ill-starred, of another that he was born under a good star, of a third that he has met with disaster. We often have to "consider" a matter. Was not that originally to take counsel with the stars. "Con" or "'cum" "sidera." Many philologists are of opinion that this is the true derivation. "Considero," "to look carefully at," having been an augural term derived from the observation of the stars. The illustrations I have given indicate how much of history, philosophy, mj^hology, and poetry is concealed in words. May I add a few more. Who has not suffered from night-mare. The term comes from "Mara" an invisible mischievous northern sprite who was accustomed to persecute poor human boings during their sleep. For the chronicles of the things of Norway it is related that a King became drowsy and went to sleep. When he had slept a little while Mara troubled him, and he cried out that Mara was treading on him. His attendants took hold of his head, but Mara trod upon his legs; and when they took hold of his legs, she pressed upon his head, and it was his death. He, truly, had a fatal attack of "night-mare." It is not so very long ago that people believed in the "evil eye." A witch Avas thought to have the power to "overlook" a man or his cattle, and cause an infinite amount of injury. _ We still say that one person "fascinates" another. How few of us recollect that this word recalls the terror of the evil eye. We speak of the Halcyon days, but do we recognise the poetry of the word. The Halcyon days were the general period of. fourteen days of calm weather in the winter solstice in the Grecian seas during which the Alknon—the sea-conceiving bird—our kingfisher built her nest and laid her eggs in the rocks near the sea.

We talk about an ambrosial banquest or perfume, sometimes we speak of a person's ambrosial locks. We mean that the food, or fragrance, of a head of hair are fit for the gods, and are of immortal quality. The lovesick swain was, I do not know whether he still is, accustomed to serenade his lady love. Do wo | recognise in this word the serene Italian sky, the land in which this custom. originated ? We talk of an obsequious person. Do we recollect that this word carries us back to the time when the clients of the deceased Roman patron desirous of retaining the patronage of his successor Subserviently attended the obsequies of the deceased noble. We say that "calamity" has overtaken a district. What an expressive word calamity is. Lord Bacon says: "Another ill accident is drouth, at ■ tho spindling of the corn; which with us is rare; but in hotter countries common ; insomuch that the word calamitas was first derived from cala- j mus, when the corn could not get out of the stalk." We lament the death of those dear

to us. Wo have followed their remains to the cemetery. Are we comforted by the recollection that a "cemetery" is but the Greek word signifying a sleeping place; the house where the dead "sleep." May we not- well say with Ralph Waldo Sinerson "Language is a fo&sil poetry; The etymologist finds the deadest word to have been once a living picture. As the limestone of the continent consists of infinite masses of the shells of animalcuke, so lani guago is made up of images or tropes, ; which .now, in their secondary use, have long ceased to remind us of thenpoetic origin." , Our language is fairly rich in. words of contempt or abuse. But do wealI ways realise the full meaning of some of the words we use. We sometimes most disrespectfully call an okl man a "crone." But do we really intend to call her "a toothless old ewe." We speak of another, generally by the way a young woman, as a shrew. But do** wo always recollect that a "shrew" was so spiteful and venomous a little creature that its bite was supposed to be fatal. We say of another that she is a "vixen. Do we honestly intend to call her a shefox? Ought we not to bear in mind the apostolic warning that the tongue is an unruly member, if it is not controlled, and is it not our duty to learn the meanings of the words we use ? There are some words, the original meaning of which still appropriately govern their use. A man who is guilty of mean, treacherous, dishonest conduct we call a "rascal." A "rascal", originally meant such a lean illfavoured worthless deer that it ought to be driven away from the herd. We call another man a "scoundrel." Can there be a meaner or more cowardly man than the man who, on the eve of battle, absconds from roll call. We say of a faint-hearted man that he is a "coward" or a "craven." "Coward" is from an old English word "cower" not used now in its original' sense, but which meant to shiver or to shake. Craven simply means he who sooner than fight will crave his life from his enemy. There are some words now words or contempt, which have undergone a j complete revolution in meaning. We say of a violent passionate woman that she is a "beldam" or a "virago." Beldam—Bel dame originally meant a beautiful woman. Virago was not originally a term of reproach. It is a purely Latin word and meant a vigorous heroic maiden, a heroine. We say of an impertinent girl that she is a "hussy." But "hussy" is but the endearing diminutive of a housewife. We say of one man that he is a "savage" of another that he is a "barbarian/ of a third that he is a "villain" or a "knave." A savage is but a dweller in the woods, in the country districts. It exactly signifies in its originally meaning a dweller in the back blocks. A villain was orignally a peasant attached to a villa or farm. A "barbarian" was merely a man who preferred to wear his beard. Wo say of an uncouth person that he is a "boor." "Boor" is but the Dutch word for farmer. "Knave" ■originally meant an innocent boy, then secondarily a servant, and in one of the old translations of the Bible, there is an epistle commencing "Paul, a knave of Jesus Christ." We call another man a "churl." This is the old Saxon word "ceorl" and simply meant a man. We say of an irreligious man that he is a "Pagan"; a word by the way which has been recently used by an ecclesiastic as designating the condition of the children in our country

national schools. But a "pagan" was merely one .who_ lived in a hamlet. We say of a stupid school boy that he is a "dunce." Dunce is, however, merely a contraction of Duns Scotus, a brilliant medieval scholar. We call men who have lost their freedom "slaves." But it has been said that "slave" was the original "Slavonic" word for "glory." We designate a man's evil conduct as "Black" ; but black is said by some ph/iologists to have originally meant j blek or white, and that the root word of "bleach" to whiten and of black is the same. A "blackguard" was originally merely a scullery servant accustomed to carry coal. Among expressions which have lost their meaning are "0 dear me" and "dear me," so frequently used by all of us. Do we recollect that we are invoking the Deity. Dear me is merely "Deus mihi" my God. It has its exact equivalent in the French "Mon Dieu." One of the most offensive expressions used _ nowadays is but the adaptation of '"'by our lady." I need not mention the word. Let me also say for the information of our lady friends that when they say they are about to perform their toilet, they are using almost the exact term our first parents would have used, if the primeval language had been French, for dressing according to the fashion adopted by them upon their expulsion from the Garden of Eden. Wizard and witch are two other words which have lost their primary meaning, which was merely "a wise mau" and "a wise woman." There are many words signifiying mental and moral attributes, some of which I can but briefly refer to. The Avord "wrong" is really "wrung" wrung from the right, "llight" is straight. "Wrong" is I therefore a twisting away from, a distortation from the right. ' 'Rectitude is the ordered or directed path, the straight line of conduct. A "transgressor" is one who crosses over, or leaves or goes beyond this straight line. A "just" man is a man who obeys the commands of the moral law. Tho word is directly derived from jubere to command. "Attention" without which no mental exercise will be of benefit, is a stretching towards— from tlie Latin at-tentio. "Sedate" means a staid or settled disposition. A "fractious" man on

tho other hand ig one who is liable to "break" into fits of passion or peevishness. An "absurd" person is ono who is mentally deaf. It originally meant a physical deafness. An imbecile was ■originally a man who, from old age, was unable to walk without a stick, now it is more often applied to weakness of mind than of body. A man who "ponders" over a question weighs it, just as a man who deliberates balances one side against tho other. The "precipitate" man is the man who literally tumbles headforemost, this, accident may happen to him physically as well as mentally. "Pre-posterous" literally means having that before which ought to come after, putting the cart before the horse, which, indeed, is a grotesquely preposterous arrangement, "Sarcasm" is from tho Greek "sarkazo," to flay the skull or tear the flesh off. A sarcastic man often metaphorically then tortures his friends as well as his enemies. A "tractable" person is one who can be easily drawn or led. "Vanity" means simple "emptiness." "Tawdry," the moaning of which you all know, is a contraction for St. Audrey. A fair used to Jjq held annual on that Saint's

day, and much worthless frippery was often sold. When a person bought a glittering article which shortly lost its glitter, people were accustomed to say "You bought that at St. Audrey fair," and thus the word St. Audrey shortened into tawdry, came to be used with its present meaning. A "poltroon" was a person who,_ to, avoid military service, deprived himself of his thumb, "pollice truno-cus." Hence the term, which has now the same meaning as coward.. A "miser" is but a wretched man, whose vykhw life is "sordid." "Sordid" primarily meant filthy. Does not this remind us of the expression 'filthy lucre?" •But I have reached my limit of time. I have but touched the fringes of the subject. I trust that I have given you some insight into the mental amusement, the interest, and the knowledge you will obtain if you give a little time to stetymology, a science which' is thought by many to be of little .value, and extremely dry. 1 leave my subject with these words from the Cratylus of Plato: O Hermogenes, son of Hipponicus, there is an old proverb that beautiful things are sometimes hard to learn. Now the learning relating to words happens to be no small affair. I would not myself, Cratylus, confidently assert a single point of what 1 have said above. But I have considered, with Hermogones, in the way it seemed good to me, so that on this account, at least, speak boldly, as I am ready to receive it, if you have anything better to say than t^s. Nor shall I wonder if you have something to say better; for you seem to me to have considered things of this kind yourself, and to have learned them from others. Should you, then, say anything better, write me down as one of your disciples respecting the meaning of Words."