The Brief Etymology of the Word Humor - 726 Words

Imagine for a moment the vast history of the languages of the world. The base sounds that over time formed into words, words that eventually evolved into language, language that branched and developed into different languages. Modern languages adopted words from ancient languages, and adapted the definitions to meet the requisites of the civilizations for which they served. This development in language is due to the fundamental need for the human race to communicate effectively with one another. Therefore, it is not surprising that many words have dual meanings. For instance the word, humor, has expanded from its original definition to encompass the interpretation available in modern English. The following is a brief view of the complex etymology of the word humor. Presently, people use the word, humor, to describe an event or person that one finds comical. According to The American Heritage Dictionary, one definition is, â€Å"The quality that makes something laughable or amusing. † (The American Heritage Dictionary). However, in ancient times the word humor had a completely different meaning. Amazingly, the word, humor, traces its origins back to the ancient Romans, whose spoken and written language was Latin in approximately 900 AD. According to Dictionary.com, the word humor developed from the Latin word umor, which means moisture. It was during the 13th century in old Northern French language that the word humor was developed. The Online Etymology Dictionary defines humorShow MoreRelatedA Commentary on Luckys Monologue in Waiting for Godot1559 Words   |  7 PagesWorld Literature Assignment #2 Title: A Commentary on Luckys Monologue in _Waiting for Godot_ Word Count: 1006 LUCKY: Given the existence at uttered forth in the public works of Puncher and Wattmann of a personal God quaquaquaqua with white beard quaquaquaqua outside time without extension who from the heights of divine apathia divine athambia divine aphasia loves us dearly with some exceptions for reasons unknown but time will tell and suffers like the divine Miranda with those who for reasonsRead More Dysfunctional Family Essay1722 Words   |  7 Pagesof such families, along with its consequences in today’s society. According to the Dictionary of Contemporary English, a family is a group of people affiliated by consanguinity, formed by a father, a mother and children. On the other hand, its etymology recognizes the Roman Empire to be the first one to define a Family. Ironically, the Romans defined it as a group of people linked, not necessarily by blood or affection. Instead the main link that united the ancient Roman families was labor. AccordingRead MoreBorrowings from Russian in English7420 Words   |  30 PagesList of English words of Russian origin Many languages, including English, contain words most likely borrowed from the Russian language. Not all of the words are truly fluent Russian or Slavic origin. Some of them co-exist in other Slavic languages and it is difficult to decide whether they made English from Russian or, say, from Polish. Some other words are borrowed or constructed from the classical ancient languages, such as Latin or Greek. Still others are themselves borrowed from indigenous peoplesRead MoreMetz Film Language a Semiotics of the Cinema PDF100902 Words   |  316 Pagesunfamiliar with the concepts and terms of semiotics. Excepting the inadequate translation of a few words which either cannot be translated into English or only approximately translated, few semantic and stylistic improvements are needed and the translation does justice to Metz s text. In some instances, usage did not adopt Michael Taylor s solution. The most glaring example of his innovative translation is the word significate now usually translated by signified (signifià © in French)—which is used throughout