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!)
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
Did you see my update yesterday about my donor boy? He's doing well. They're weaning him off the steroids.
LOL
Speaking of vulgar, I've been trying to find some good radio stations to listen to here in FL. There is only one I've found that carries Rush Limbaugh, so I tune in. He comes on at mid-day, but before him are two loser locals scums who aren't funny, but think they are. You know the types - real crass and lecherous and all their lewd jokes fall flat. But they apparently amuse themselves.
After Rush is this extreme vulgate, Randi Rhodes. I've been spared this witch (with a b) back home, but they have her on here spewing her vitriol and paranoia. Talk about a potty-mouthed guttersnipe.
Ah well, finding good talk radio in Rush's backyard is apparently not possible. What a shame. But hey, at least the orange juice is good here.....
A+
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