Whoa! A new post and....word!

So, needless to say it's bee a WHILE since I last posted. Phew. I've been pretty busy with the non-web based media (i.e. reading a ton of books). But I have decided to break back into it, and what better than to bring back Wednesday's word?

Today, while reading one of the new books, The Elegance of the Hedgehog, I purchased yesterday at Queen Anne Books (Love that place!), I found several words I didn't know. Now, generally I feel that I'm a fairly loquacious person. However, I have been reading more than my fair share of young adult books lately, and they don't require a lot of overt literary knowledge. As fun as they may be, and boy, do I love them! One word I found particularly interesting was "incunabulum." It was a word I had never heard until I stumbled through its over abundance of vowels on the page. What did it mean, I wondered? Needless to say, I was very happy with the definition I found.

According to the web, Incunabulum is actually a plural version of incunable. It means: a printed work, usually hand written, printed before 1501. It can also refer to old art of that period. Its derivative is Latin, and oddly, the Latin word does not refer to a book...


I felt pretty silly to not know this word, given the amount of attention I give to old books and the like. I most certainly, however, have not been lucky enough to get an incunable in my hands, but it will most definitely be my next book endeavor. I am curious to know how many are out there? I can't imagine there are many books still in solid condition floating around that were printed before 1501. Can you imagine how long it would take to print books by hand, pre printing press?! It's daunting just to think about. How many of you have seen a book this old in the flesh?

Until next time,
C

image from 32rarebooks.com

Wednesday's Word: Candle

I just got the best new lilac-scented candle, and I got to thinking about where that word came from. It doesn't seem to have any relation to light, or fire (at least that my plain, English eye can spot) -- so I thought I would do a little poking around and find out where the word candle comes from. Here's what I found:

Definition: can·dle (kndl) n.

1.

a. A solid, usually cylindrical mass of tallow, wax, or other fatty substance with an axially embedded wick that is burned to provide light.

b. Something resembling this object in shape or use.

2. Physics

a. Abbr. c An obsolete unit of luminous intensity, originally defined in terms of a wax candle with standard composition and equal to 1.02 candelas. Also called international candle.

(definition from The Free Dictionary.)

The word is from the base "candare", which means to shine.

Candle use dates back to as early at the 4th century B.C. (wow!), but use of the modern "wicked" candle seems to be credited to the ancient Romans.

"The earliest people credited with developing the "wicked" candle are the ancient Romans, before 3,000 B.C. They used rolled papyrus and dipped it repeatedly in melted tallow (cattle or sheep fat) or beeswax," according to Devlyn Candles.

Fun fact: birthday candles started as a German tradition.

Alles Gute zum Geburtstag (Happy Birthday)!

So now you know! Don't burn the candle at both ends! :)

What is your favorite kind of candle?

Wednesday's Word: Namaste

(This beautiful garden post comes from Shining Sun Garden Works)

As a casual yoga lover, the words used to describe breath, movement and the sense of being in yoga practice have always been of much interest to me. In class, I often feel that the words represent a person or other living thing. They often carry so much character.

On word in particular has really made me wonder about its origin, Namaste.

It is a word (as anyone who has ever been to a yoga class knows) that you, and your instructor, say at the end of every class. When I first heard the word, I expected it meant something like "Thank You," but I have found out that it is so much more. It is a word that we should use in every practice of every day.

Definition: This Hindu salutation says "the divine in me honors the divine in you." The expression is used on meeting or parting and usually is accompanied by the gesture of holding the palms together in front of the bosom. Pronounced NUM-ah-stay, according to Yoga Movement.
Orijen: Sanskrit

It is an acknowledgment of the others "self," and when I began thinking of it that way, it took on a much greater meaning in my life. We can acknowledge, like this, the life in everything, not just other people. Other animals, possessions, land....It seems the list goes on and on.

So this week, I hope to use this word in my day-to-day life, and honor all of the beautiful life around me. You can practice yoga, and namaste, with this free 20-minute video at Yoga Journal's great website.

What you want to want to honor in your life?

Namaste -
C