Friday, April 25, 2008

My Other Blog

I have this other blog (or two or ten) *points at sidebar links* that I write in pretty frequently, pulling much of my material from either the dictionary or other vocabulary book. Since it isn't really intended to be humor I don't have to think about what would be funny or amusing so it's a lot easier to come up with stuff to write. Once in awhile though, it wanders off into humor. I can't seem to help myself. Yesterday I was doing my Word of the Day post and I reckon I just had a momentary psychotic break or something cause I ended up with what to me reads like a humor post. I'll copy it here and y'all can be the judge of it.

Word of the Day

gravamen

noun
Plural gravamens or
gravamina

The part of a legal charge or an accusation that weighs most substantially against the accused.

[Medieval Latin
(as opposed to Old Latin, Middle Latin, or Pig Latin) gravamen injury, accusation, from Late Latin (anytime after 11PM), encumbrance, obligation, from Latin gravare, to burden, from gravis, heavy.]

Now I have to be honest, when I saw this word my thoughts wandered down dark paths. I visualized a caveman being whacked with a club and becoming a graveman. From there I made a connection in my mind to my niece's gecko that if it is carrying eggs is gravid therefore a gravamen would be a pregnant man like that Trans fellow that has been in the news and was it Arnold S. who made a movie where the man was implanted with a baby? Anyway, from there my imagination flow wandered off to the gravel pit where the gravel version of northern Europe's bog men has recently been discovered perfectly preserved by his submersion in gravel all these centuries. Then there are thoughts of having fits of mania associated with graves. Some words just won't quit.

Then I come to the Latin roots and gravis = heavy and indeed Latin with all its various forms would be a heavy burden to bear. I'm so glad my parents chose to be born in America where we just have English. Really, think about it. What if English was like Latin. OK so we'd have Plymouth Rock English, Early Colonial English, Late Colonial English, Revolution English, Early Expansionism English, Gold Rush English, Middle Expansionism English, Pre-Civil War English, Civil War English, Post Civil War English, (which would overlap with) Late Expansionism English, Dust Bowl English, Pre-Great War English, Post-Great War English, Pre-WW2 English, Post-Pearl Harbor English, Post-War English, Pre-Television English... I could go on (and on) (but then I think I already have). Each would be enough different to necessitate serious reeducation if you wished to read the works of say, Hawthorne or Longfellow. Shakespheare would undoubtedly be completely out of reach except to serious scholars. And people think it is hard to learn English now.

So it's another beautiful day and what do I have to be thankful for? I'm seriously thankful that English has evolved very very slowly.

2 comments:

TRD said...

Interesting post. I did have a good chuckle about the caveman turning into a graveman. That was awesome!

Word of the day...I bet your vocabulary far exceeds mine just by doing this daily exercise. Sounds like a good idea to keep the mind occupied.

I just fear that I may be to lazy for that. (Although that sounds like a personal problem, huh? =)

j said...

Took a peek-a-loo at your other links. I didn't spend a buch of time because we are about to head out the door to a ball game. THAT is my life these days - chasing kids around from ball park to ball park!

There is one that has a photo - is that you Wamblings? Whoever that chick is, she is gorgeous. Pretty blue eyes and to few wrinkles for the listed age. I've got FAR MORE than that!

Jennifer