Hi all,
I have a great passion for analysising and discovering the etymology of
words that I have chance to meet and use, both in English and my native
language, VietNamese. It's really an interesting task. It help me understand
exactly the meaning of each word, because you know the modern words nowadays
might far different in meaning from those of hundreds of years ago. Take
"culture" for example. All of us know that it is something that relates to
the habits, traditions and beliefs of a society but do you know why it does
mean that? I have a printed dictionary in which it explains the meaning of
words' elements separately (prefix, roots, surfix). For all of you, prefix
and suffix sound quite familiar, yet I think not many of you know much about
Latin and Greek roots ^_^ The root "cult" in Latin refers to plough, grow,
cultivate (prepare for planting). It was the base for growing of all plants.
According to the conception of our ancestors, the way people did agriculture
played a very important role and was their top concern in the agricultural
age. Through the time it now means, as we know, something relating to
habits, traditions and beliefs. It sounds quite relevantly, doesn't it? ^_^
Besides, I want to tell you in secrete that I'm trying to edit a Roots &
Affixes Dictionary runing Babylon environment (avery famous dictionary
software today). I've edited about 2.700 words till now. If you use Babylon
dictionary and want to try it, I would be very please to give you here.
Check the attached file. (note: some words are explained in my language,
Vietnamese).
Returning to the X-Mas, as far as I know, it's the abbreviation of
Christmas. But why it is X-max, not the C-max (as the abbreviation of a word
is often its first letter). X here stands for Christ because this word looks
like the symbol "+" (the cross - which refers to Christ, as The Christ was
hang on a cross). What about the rest of the word? what does "mas" mean?
Accoring to the Merriam-Webster Collegiate dictionary, the element "mas"
stands for "mass" (which means ceremony).
"Etymology: Middle English Christemasse, from Old English Cristes
mæsse, literally, Christ's mass"
This is not a clear explaination, however I hope it can make you become more
curious about the words history, and therefore make your study a little more
relaxing and funnier.
Once again, Wish you a merry X-mas!!!
Nam,
----- Original Message -----
From: "Pablo" <[email protected]>
To: "ESL Podcast" <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, December 21, 2008 10:05 PM
Subject: [ESL Podcast] Christmas versus Xmas
>
> Hi friends,
>
> This is taken from:
>
> http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Xmas
>
> "Despite evidence of a Greek precedent, the term Christmas being
> abbreviated as "Xmas" or "X-mas" was uncommon before the mid-to-late
> 1900s. Many Christians now take offense at this abbreviation, viewing
> it as a symbol of commercialism, while trivializing the most important
> event of the season, the prophesied birth of Jesus, the Christ."
>
> For me it's just something new. It's a cultural note. I got aware of
> this because I receive a newsletter from "The Grammar Girl" (http://
> grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/). It's nothing else. If you want to
> read more about it:
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xmas
>
> Best holiday wishes,
>
> Pablo
>
>
> >
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