by Roseanna White | Jul 11, 2011 | Word of the Week
‘Tis the season for cookouts and barbecues, and I’ll use that as my excuse for talking about ketchup, LOL. Really, it’s because I recently discovered its history, and it’s just too bizarre to our modern minds not to share. =)
When we Americans think of ketchup, we think of tomato ketchup. I’d really never even heard of any other kind, until reading a book about the Revolution, wherein was mentioned mushroom ketchup. The very thought of this made my nose wrinkle up–I’m not a fan of mushrooms. And for that matter, it made my mother’s nose wrinkle up, probably because she imagine it in with tomato ketchup, LOL.
But the original definition of ketchup was “a kind of pickle, made of mushrooms,” which was used solely as a sauce for fish. The word itself comes from the Chinese word for “brine of fish.” Variants also included walnuts, cucumbers, and oysters.
Let’s all thank those American seaman for introducing the tomato to it, leaving out the other stuff, and so introducing a new staple to the world!
On another note, my series on Grammar is wrapping up over at
Go Teen Writers today, so swing by for some chatting about capitalization, quotations, etc.
by Roseanna White | Jul 4, 2011 | Word of the Week
I love being an American. I’m proud of my country, I admire our roots, and I truly believe in the ideals on which we were founded. I will sing “God Bless America” from the top of my lungs! I don’t think my country’s perfect by any means–but it’s mine. I’m a patriot.
But patriot wasn’t always a good thing! It’s an old word, tracing its roots bake to the Greek “patriotes,” which means “fellow-countryman,” which of course comes from “patrios”–of one’s father, and “patris”–fatherland. In the early 1600s, patriot had gained the meaning of “one who is a loyal supporter of one’s country.” But in the mid-18th century, it became a term of derision–it had come to be applied to those whose passion led to divisiveness and disturbance of the government.
So when Americans were branded as Patriots, it sure wasn’t a compliment. But in true Yankee fashion, we took what was meant as an insult and turned it into a badge of honor. Though the word still retains negative connotations in other parts of the English-speaking world, Americans wave the flag of patriotism with truly old-fashioned delight.
Now–for a truly amazing online celebration of Independence Day, hie thee over to the
Colonial Quills! Many of us will be showing up in character to talk about what the day means to us. I’ll be there as Lark Benton from
Love Finds You in Annapolis, Maryland, so to get a sneak peek of my upcoming heroine, come on over!
by Roseanna White | Jun 27, 2011 | Word of the Week
It’s officially summer–a time to get out and do. Right? Blue skies, warm sun, green leaves, and a whole world awaiting.
My kids have been seizing the summer, and it makes me grin. Rowyn’s often found digging in the dirt, adopting worms as pets. Xoe’s latest thing is trying to catch a bunny (good luck with that, Girl-o-Mine), though when that fails she’ll settle for playing fairy princess under the weeping cherry tree-castle. Yep. Summer = adventure waiting to happen.
So let’s take a look at the word adventure.
Back in the 13th century, auenture meant “that which happens by chance.” Hmm. I had no idea that’s where the word got its start. It comes from the Old French aventure, which meant “chance, accident, occurrence, event” etc. This was all thanks to the Latin adventurus, which is the future participle of “to come to, reach.”
By the 14th century, it had gotten closer to what we think of today, absorbing an element of danger–think “taking one’s chances.” So it was a perilous undertaking, a gauntlet of one’s chances. By 1560, this had evolved to mean “an exciting incident.”
And so, as a side note, in the 15th century “adventurer” meant “one who plays at games of chance”–a gambler. And by 1660s was the more familiar “one who seeks adventures.” (Oh, and the ‘d’ got put back in somewhere in the 15th-16th centuries.)
A fun way to start your week. =) Now let’s go seek some adventure!
by Roseanna White | Jun 20, 2011 | Word of the Week
There are times when I use a word, when I remember distinctly seeing it in older books, but when it isn’t until I look up its etymology that I remember the subtle differences that have evolved in said word over time.
Ecstatic is one of those.
I remember learning this word back in the day and just loving it because it perfectly captured that excitement of good things. No one bothered telling me that it wasn’t always that way.
Ecstatic has been around since the 1590s, but at that point in time it meant “mystically absorbed, stupefied.” So one was ecstatic in relation to things beyond one’s ken. Over the next 70 years it became “characterized by deep emotion.” This is certainly closer to what we know, but there was at that point no connotation of the pleasant.
This is how I’ve seen it used in older works of literature. And isn’t it funny how realizing that difference can change your understanding of something? If we read an old book, and a distressed character is described as “ecstatic” in her upset, we might be a little confused. And think, “Waaaaiiiiiiiit a minute. If she’s upset, how is she ecstatic?”
Well, now we know. She’s just deeply upset, very emotional.
Personally, I’d rather be the modern kind, LOL. And on a personal note, I just spend an amazing weekend in Niagara Falls celebrating my 10th anniversary with my hubby. I’ll probably share some of our fun experiences on Thursday, along with some pictures. And on Wednesday I’ll likely be sharing the arrival of a very fun item that was waiting for me in the mail when we got home. =)
Have a great week everybody! And if you’re inclined, say a prayer for me today. I have some major changes on the horizon of my writing career and need the Lord’s guidance before any decisions are made.
by Roseanna White | Jun 13, 2011 | Word of the Week
Yesterday was my honey’s birthday, so I thought I’d take a look-see at the word and see if it’s as old as I assume it is.
The answer? Mostly. 😉 The Old English form byrddæg meant an annual celebration of one’s birth, but was used mostly for saints and kings. It wasn’t extended to the general populace’s birthdays until the late 16th century.
More interesting, is that “birthday suit” has been used as a way of saying someone has no clothes on since since the 1730s for sure, and probably earlier. Who knew? I always thought that was a modern convention, but I guess not.
Also fascinating is record of “birthnight” instead of “birthday,” appearing in the early 1600s. Which is, I suppose, what my daughter would have, as she was born at 9 p.m. 😉 I never would have thought to make the distinction.
And there we have it, all in honor of my fabulous hubby, whose birthday yesterday was a ton of fun. Have a great week, everybody!
by Roseanna White | Jun 6, 2011 | Word of the Week
Passport – it’s pretty literal. “The authorization to pass through a port.” Not surprising, right? What surprises me is that the word (and hence the concept of a noun to embody it) is from around 1500. I had no idea it was that old!
(The one in the picture is French, from 1684)
Now, this is interesting to me because for the book I’m researching, time and again it comes up that people need passes. They need passes to go freely around a city held by one military. They need passes to get from one side of the lines to the other. They need passes to move freely through enemy-held land.
More amazing? You could get those passes, LOL. Which is to say, I find it funny that you can get a pass to travel through enemy territory. But then, it was usually because you were a normal, everyday person about normal, everyday business, with nothing to do with the conflict.
This is also on my mind because this week I’m getting a passport for the first time in my life. =) Heading to Niagara Falls for our anniversary trip, but also now thinking of all the other places we can go without stopping to realize, “Oh, but we’d need a passport.” Not that we necessarily will travel more, but it’s a freedom I love to savor. =)
I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend!
Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary.