Friday, June 04, 2004

That's quite a throw. In tracking down uses of the expression "God is a verb" (which I got onto while tracking down use of the term panta rhei "all is change"), I came across an interesting page ("In the Beginning Was a Verb") that made the etymological connection between symbol ("throw together") and devil ("throw apart"). Given my recent entry on dialectic, which concerns the ability to join together (sunagoge) and split apart (diariresis), (See WHY PROMETHEUS SUFFERS: TECHNOLOGY AND THE ECOLOGICAL CRISIS for an interesting discussion of Phaedrus.) I found the symbol/devil variation fascinating. Its easy to see why the antithesis phase of dialectic (using modern thesis, antithesis, synthesis nomenclature) would be associated with the devil, since it is viewed as the destruction of or the opposition of the thesis phase. Of course I had to go off and find other words from the same root: ballein "to throw". So here they are. Its amazing to see the branches that have grown from this root. throw up: anabolic throw apart: diablo throw in: emblem throw beyond: hyperbole throw over: metabolic throw alongside: parable throw forward: problem throw together: symbol anabolic - "pertaining to the process of building up (especially in metabolism)," 1876, from Gk. anabole "that  which is thrown up, mound," from ana "up, upward" + ballein "to throw."  http://www.etymonline.com/a5etym.htm devil - O.E. deofol "evil spirit," from L.L. diabolus, from Gk. diabolos "accuser, slanderer" (scriptural loan- translation of Heb. satan), from diaballein "to slander, attack," lit. "throw across," from dia- "across,  through" + ballein "to throw." Jerome re-introduced Satan in L. bibles, and Eng. translators have used both in  different measures. In Vulgate, as in Gk., diabolus and dæmon (see demon) were distinct, but they have merged in  Eng. and other Gmc. languages. Playful use for "clever rogue" is from 1601. Meaning "sand spout, dust storm" is  from 1835. Devilry is from 1375; deviltry (1788) is a corrupt formation from it. Devilled "grilled with hot  condiments" is from 1800. The Tasmanian devil so called since at least 1829, from its propensity for killing  young lambs (other voracious fish or animals have also been named devil). Phrase a devil way (c.1290) was  originally an emphatic form of away, but taken by late 14c. as an expression of irritation. Devil's advocate ( 1760) is L. advocatus diaboli, one whose job it is to urge against the canonization of a candidate for sainthood.  Devil-may-care is attested from 1837. Devil's books "playing cards" is from 1729, but the cited quote says  they've been called that "time out of mind" (the four of clubs is the devil's bedposts); devil's coach-horse is  from 1840, the large rove-beetle, which is defiant when disturbed. "Talk of the Devil, and he's presently at your  elbow" [1666]. http://www.etymonline.com/d3etym.htm emblem - c.1430, from Fr. embleme "symbol," from L. emblema "inlaid ornamental work," from Gk. emblema (gen.  emblematos) "embossed ornament," lit. "insertion," from emballein "to insert," lit. "to throw in," from em- "in"  + ballein "to throw."  http://www.etymonline.com/e2etym.htm hyperbole - 1529, from L. hyperbole, from Gk. hyperbole "exaggeration, extravagance," from hyperballein "to throw  over or beyond," from hyper- "beyond" + bol-, nom. stem of ballein "to throw." Rhetorical sense is found in  Aristotle and Isocrates.  http://www.etymonline.com/h6etym.htm metabolism - in physiology sense, 1878, from Fr. métabolisme, from Gk. metabole "change," from metaballein "to  change," from meta- "over" + ballein "to throw." Metabolic is first attested 1845 in this sense, from Ger.  metabolisch (1839). The word is attested from 1743 with the lit. sense of "involving change."  http://www.etymonline.com/m5etym.htm parable - c.1325, "saying or story in which something is expressed in terms of something else," from O.Fr.  parable, from L. parabola "comparison," from Gk. parabole "a comparison, parable," lit. "a throwing beside," from  para- "alongside" + bole "a throwing, casting," related to ballein "to throw." Replaced O.E. bispell.  http://www.etymonline.com/p2etym.htm problem - 1382, "a difficult question proposed for solution," from O.Fr. problème (14c.), from L. problema, from  Gk. problema "a problem, a question," lit. "thing put forward," from proballein "propose," from pro "forward" +  ballein "to throw" (see ballistics). Problem child first recorded 1920. http://www.etymonline.com/p10etym.htm symbol - c.1434, "creed, summary, religious belief," from L. symbolum "creed, token, mark," from Gk. symbolon " token, watchword" (applied by Cyprian of Carthage to the Apostles' Creed, 3c.), from syn- "together" + stem of  ballein "to throw." The sense evolution is from "throwing things together" to "contrasting" to "comparing" to " token used in comparisons to determine if something is genuine." Hence, "outward sign" of something. The meaning  "something which stands for something else" first recorded 1590. Symbolism is 1892 as a movement in Fr.  literature that aimed at representing ideas and emotions by indirect suggestion rather than direct expression; it  attached symbolic meaning to certain objects, words, etc. http://www.etymonline.com/s15etym.htm Here is the Indo-European root information: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.  Appendix I Indo-European Roots  ENTRY: gwel-  DEFINITION: Also gwel-. To throw, reach, with further meaning to pierce. Oldest form *gwel1-, with metathesized  variant *gwle1-, contracted to *gwl-. Derivatives include devil, emblem, metabolism, parliament, problem, symbol, ballet, and kill1. I. Words denoting to throw, reach. Variant *gwl-, contracted from *gwle-. 1. Suffixed zero-grade form *gw-n--.  a. ballista; amphibole, arbalest, astrobleme, bolide, devil, diabolic, embolism, emboly, epiboly, hyperbola,  hyperbole, metabolism, palaver, parable, parabola, parley, parliament, parlor, parol, parole, problem, symbol,  from Greek ballein, to throw (with o-grade *bol- and variant *bl-); b. ball2, ballad, ballet, bayadere, from  Greek ballizein, to dance. 2. Suffixed o-grade form *gwol()--. bolometer, from Greek bol, beam, ray. 3. Possible  suffixed o-grade form *gwol()-s-. boule1, abulia, from Greek boul, determination, will (< "throwing forward of  the mind"), council. 4. Suffixed full-grade form *gwel-mno-. belemnite, from Greek belemnon, dart, javelin. II. Words denoting to pierce. 1. Suffixed o-grade form *gwol-eyo-. a. quell, from Old English cwellan, to  kill, destroy; b. quail2, from Middle Dutch quelen, to be ill, suffer. Both a and b from Germanic *kwaljan. 2.  Suffixed zero-grade form *gw-yo-. kill1, from Middle English killen, to kill, perhaps from Old English *cyllan,  to kill, from Germanic *kuljan. 3. Full-grade form *gwel-. belonephobia, from Greek belon, needle. (Pokorny 2.  gel- 471, 1. gel- 470.)  http://www.bartleby.com/61/roots/IE181.html But see: http://www.finucane.de/archive.htm, which claims ballein is not indo-european. 5:01:40 AM    comment []  trackback []