Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Word For The Day, Friday, 10/18/02
The Verbivores | 10/18/02 | Teacher

Posted on 10/18/2002 4:53:56 AM PDT by 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....


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



TOPICS: Education; Humor; Word For The Day
KEYWORDS: 101802; friday; students; wordfortheday
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100 ... 121-135 next last
To: TheGrimReaper
Not Conceited, Grimmy, Convinced.
61 posted on 10/18/2002 7:28:54 AM PDT by hobbes1
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 58 | View Replies]

To: xsmommy
make'em roll right to the back of your head, I will.... ; )
62 posted on 10/18/2002 7:29:20 AM PDT by hobbes1
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 59 | View Replies]

To: hobbes1
Weren't those folks part of the Federation?
63 posted on 10/18/2002 7:30:15 AM PDT by anniegetyourgun
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 44 | View Replies]

To: RikaStrom
Oh! The word was Vulgar? I thought you said it was Clinton.

they'e so easy to confuse...

64 posted on 10/18/2002 7:30:50 AM PDT by theDentist
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: anniegetyourgun
LOL....I certainly hope not. Though SJL, is definitely not of this world.
65 posted on 10/18/2002 7:31:07 AM PDT by hobbes1
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 63 | View Replies]

To: xsmommy
What's this? Flirting with Mr. Hobbes? I guess I should re-think my decision to move Virginny-way.

Nah, I'll go anyhow.

66 posted on 10/18/2002 7:35:56 AM PDT by theDentist
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 59 | View Replies]

To: theDentist; hobbes1
flirting? that is my patented eye roll! so when ya moving? waiting til they catch the sniper first?
67 posted on 10/18/2002 7:37:13 AM PDT by xsmommy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 66 | View Replies]

To: RikaStrom
I admit, I'm overwhelmed. One scarcely knows where to stop using this word to describe the news of the day.

I'll settle for bringing forth this column, which illustrates how two of our most vulgar presidents managed to screw things up in North Korea but good.

68 posted on 10/18/2002 7:43:39 AM PDT by white rose
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: xsmommy
I expect to be moving there somewhere around Thanksgiving. But no firm dates yet.

As to the sniper, I'm not letting terrorism of any sort prevent me from living my life. That is controlled only by my own psychological trappings! 8-P

You'll have to provide me with a list of radio programs local to VA once I arrive. (I already have Rush and Hanity's station listings)

69 posted on 10/18/2002 7:49:43 AM PDT by theDentist
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 67 | View Replies]

To: RikaStrom; Slip18; xsmommy; Constitution Day; Gabz; Enterprise; one_particular_harbour; hobbes1; ...
Good Morning All,
A bright sunny fall morning on the Jersey Shore.

Al Gore is the left's new pointman
While George cleans up after Saddam
No more Lewinskys
More like Stravinsky's
Swan song of the vulgar goatman.

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)

70 posted on 10/18/2002 7:52:02 AM PDT by LonePalm
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: theDentist; maxwell
hey max, theD is moving down your way come November. he will want radio station listings, phone #s of hot babes and names of bars with good martinis, if i am not mistaken, take care of him wouldja?
71 posted on 10/18/2002 7:52:55 AM PDT by xsmommy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 69 | View Replies]

To: LonePalm
This guy has lost his head, can someone lend him a hand?
72 posted on 10/18/2002 8:01:14 AM PDT by xsmommy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 70 | View Replies]

To: RikaStrom
The left has become a vulgar source
If your looking for some clear discourse
They have done no wrong
"Stupid Bush," is their song
And for the nineties they have no remorse.

I was going to just cite one of the stupid bits that Sullivan points out of the libs mewlings, but I couldn't decide. They were all so low, meally-mouthed and stupid.

73 posted on 10/18/2002 8:06:02 AM PDT by doubled
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: LonePalm; xsmommy; hobbes1
One in every 10 new voter registrations are under investigation in South Dakota county.
Damned Dimocrats trying to steal another election.
74 posted on 10/18/2002 8:08:07 AM PDT by TheGrimReaper
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 70 | View Replies]

To: TheGrimReaper
The Powers that be should just mandate Photo ID for all voters.
75 posted on 10/18/2002 8:09:25 AM PDT by hobbes1
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 74 | View Replies]

To: hobbes1
Seems like a no-brainer, eh?
76 posted on 10/18/2002 8:11:45 AM PDT by TheGrimReaper
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 75 | View Replies]

To: TheGrimReaper
wonder of wonders, though, the Libertarian candidate dropped out, throwing support to Thune, the pub. hopefully giving him the edge. in contradistinction to the libertarian i read about yesterday that said she was throwing her support to the Dem, and said she was doing it OUT OF SPITE!
77 posted on 10/18/2002 8:13:10 AM PDT by xsmommy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 74 | View Replies]

To: TheGrimReaper
Yup, and the Dims can;t even howl, bc it is entirely their registration drive producing the problem.

You would think if they had brain cell one, that they would fake a number of republican registers as well....

78 posted on 10/18/2002 8:13:45 AM PDT by hobbes1
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 76 | View Replies]

To: RikaStrom
it's been more years than I care to count since I lived...

AHA!!

79 posted on 10/18/2002 8:21:14 AM PDT by Argh
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: Argh; RikaStrom; hobbes1; Slip18
we need to plan the tyke's bday party. dub's bday is on monday.... shhhhhhh!
80 posted on 10/18/2002 8:33:17 AM PDT by xsmommy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 79 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100 ... 121-135 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson