Word For The Day, Friday, 10/18/02

The Verbivores | 10/18/02 | Teacher

[RikaStrom]

In order that we might all raise the level of discourse and expand our language abilities, here is the daily post of “word for the day”. Rules: Everyone must leave a post using the “word of the day”; in a sentence. The sentence must, in some way, relate to the news of the day. The Review threads are linked for your edification. ;-) Practice makes perfect.....post on....

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vulgar \vul-ger\, adjective:
vulgarly; adverb
vulgarness; noun
vulgarity;
vulgate; noun (Bonus Information!)

1. Crudely indecent.
2. Deficient in taste, delicacy, or refinement.
   1. Marked by a lack of good breeding; boorish. See Synonyms at common.
   2. Offensively excessive in self-display or expenditure; ostentatious: the huge vulgar houses and cars of the newly rich.
3. Spoken by or expressed in language spoken by the common people; vernacular: the technical and vulgar names for an animal species.
4. Of or associated with the great masses of people; common.
5. One of the common people; a vulgar person. [Obs.]
6. The vernacular, or common language. [Obs.]

Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar
--Shakespeare, Hamlet. Act 1, Scene 3

Word History: The word vulgar now brings to mind off-color jokes and offensive epithets, but it once had more neutral meanings. Vulgar is an example of pejoration, the process by which a word develops negative meanings over time. The ancestor of vulgar, the Latin word vulg ris (from vulgus, “the common people”), meant “of or belonging to the common people, everyday,” as well as “belonging to or associated with the lower orders.” Vulg ris also meant “ordinary,” “common (of vocabulary, for example),” and “shared by all.” An extension of this meaning was “sexually promiscuous,” a sense that could have led to the English sense of “indecent.” Our word, first recorded in a work composed in 1391, entered English during the Middle English period, and in Middle English and later English we find not only the senses of the Latin word mentioned above but also related senses. What is common may be seen as debased, and in the 17th century we begin to find instances of vulgar that make explicit what had been implicit. Vulgar then came to mean “deficient in taste, delicacy, or refinement.” From such uses vulgar has continued to go downhill, and at present “crudely indecent” is among the commonest senses of the word.

Note: The Vulgate was made by Jerome at the close of the 4th century. The Old Testament he translated mostly from the Hebrew and Chaldaic, and the New Testament he revised from an older Latin version. The Douay version, so called, is an English translation from the Vulgate.
As an interesting side note, the original Bibles with their Latin words were not understood by the layman, so images in the margins were drawn depicting what the words meant. These marginalia (notes/drawings in the margin) were usually …. Um… ehrrr.. graphic in their explanations of certain sins and wrong doings. That is also where the meaning of vulgar stems from.

Etymology: Middle English, from Latin vulgaris of the mob, vulgar, from volgus, vulgus mob, common people. Date: 14th century

[LonePalm]

More than enough to cause serious damage.

Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)

[xsmommy]

morning CJ. i am still obsessing over the sniper. that is my local news, y'know!

[CholeraJoe]

Ride the metro and wear kevlar.

[xsmommy]

i think it is odd that the Richmond area is closing the schools today out of parental concern. don't know what to make of that. had they done that in PG, or Montgomery or Fairfax, the kids would have to be held back an entire YEAR by now, with this going on almost a month now.

parents who get all hyped over this, are going to make the kids fearful. i got gas last evening with xsteen, and it occurred to me that it is a quick on/off from Rte 66 and there were lots of wooded areas around. i told xsteen to keep her eyes peeled, so that if anyone shot me she could give some decent info!

[CholeraJoe]

You're too small a target, xs. This guy's really not a very good marksman.

[xsmommy]

but CJ, you don't understand, this gas station is also directly across the street from a MICHAEL'S! all the stars were in alignment~!

i don't think he is up yet, but the stem cell is celebrating his BIRTH today.....

[Gabz]

Good morning all!!!!!

[xsmommy]

morning, gabz. how are you doing today?

[Gabz]

Just fine thanks.

Glad to hear you and yours are OK and being vigilant.

I can only hang out a little this morning. Jax has no school til Wednesday and I promised her we would go get apples and make applesauce today - OH Fun!!!!!!!

[xsmommy]

oh that does sound like fun! i do love applepicking at this time of year. My kids are off Thurs and Frid of this week for a diocesan Institute (teachers workday).

Friday is xsteen's 14th bday and xsboy will be 11 on Saturday. we have a busy week coming up here.

[Gabz]

It sure sounds like you'll be busy!!!

Tommorow we are going to make her halloween costume. bought the fabric for her dress yesterday - I even let her pick it out. I'm teaching her early - the fabric she picked out was on 88cents a yard!!!!

[xsmommy]

what is she going to be? xsbrownie is obsessed with American Girl dolls of late. The newest one is a Native American doll named Kaya. xsbrownie remembered that xsteen was Pocahontas some years back and we looked for the costume and found it. Voila! pocahontas is now Kaya. recycled is as good as cheap material! xsboy decided he is too old and wants to stay home with me to hand out candy. xsteen wants to be a ref. i have to find her a striped black and white shirt somewhere.

[xsmommy]

i guess you are sleeping in on your bday, but let me be the first to wish you happy b-day, stem cell!

[Gabz]

We're doing a Fairy Princess complete with wings

I was able to talkher out of Power Puff girls!!!

[xsmommy]

fairy princess sounds great! she'll make a beauty!