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Monday, March 28, 2011

This boon is anathema aka You can take your favors and scram!

The first word is one of my favorites, and I really enjoy using it, and the second word is one that I heard the other day. One of the people in my class said it, and it struck me that my professor, who is French, might not have had any idea what that meant, and it's a less-than-common word, so I thought I'd share!

Let's ROCK!

First word!

BOON!

boon
noun \ˈbün\
Definition of BOON
1
: benefit, favor; especially : one that is given in answer to a request
2
: a timely benefit : blessing

Examples of BOON

1. "The couple's generous donation was a great boon to the charity's fund-raising campaign."
2. "He is a softhearted man who finds it hard to deny any boon, whether it be for friend or stranger."

Synonyms: advantage, aid, asset, benefit, help

Antonyms: disadvantage, drawback, encumbrance, hindrance, impediment, minus

Origin of BOON
Middle English bone prayer, request, the favor requested, from Old Norse bōn request; akin to Old English bēn prayer, bannan to summon — more at ban
First Known Use: 12th century

12th Century!


-1107—The Chinese engineer Wu Deren combines the mechanical compass vehicle of the South Pointing Chariot with the distance-measuring odometer device.
-1130–1138: Papal schism, Pope Innocent II vs. Antipope Anacletus II.
-1185-First record of windmills.

*What is going on here!? The Chinese do some fancy shmancy combinification** of instruments, and then Catholic Church is all confused about who the heck is going to be pope! I mean, they seriously even named one of them the Anti-Pope! I wonder if the return of the Anti-Pope will mark the beginning of the End of Church Days...teehee!

Whoever made windmills was really smart. Harnessing the wind was a major boon for the people of the 12th Century. Or maybe he/she was a doofus and just wanted to watch the mills go round and round all day. OH, HISTORY'S MYSTERIES!!*

Second Word!

ANATHEMA!

anath·e·ma
noun \ə-ˈna-thə-mə\
Definition of ANATHEMA
1
a : one that is cursed by ecclesiastical authority b : someone or something intensely disliked or loathed —usually used as a predicate nominative
2
a : a ban or curse solemnly pronounced by ecclesiastical authority and accompanied by excommunication
b : the denunciation of something as accursed
c : a vigorous denunciation : curse

Examples of ANATHEMA

1. That politician is anathema to conservatives.
2. Those ideas are an anathema to me.

The word is, as far as my experience is concerned, not used in as harsh a manner as the definition would suggest. It has always struck me as something that is simply opposite or totally unlike the mindset of someone, rather than a curse. I may be incorrect, however. Either way, you'll recognize what the person is trying to say if you ever encounter this word.

Synonyms: curse, ban, execration, imprecation, malediction, malison, winze [Scottish]
Antonyms: benediction, benison, blessing

Origin of ANATHEMA
Late Latin anathemat-, anathema, from Greek, thing devoted to evil, curse, from anatithenai to set up, dedicate, from ana- + tithenai to place, set — more at do
First Known Use: 1526

1526!

-The first official translation is made of the New Testament of the Bible into Swedish (cf. 1541).
-The first complete printed translation of the New Testament into English by William Tyndale arrives in England from Germany in the spring. It had been printed in Worms, Germany.
-Gunsmith Mastro Bartolomeo Beretta establishes the Beretta Gun Company, which is still in business today, making it one of the oldest corporations in the world.

*There is really not much to say except for the fact that it's hilarious that people felt the need to start producing guns after religion started spreading. After all, it wasn't the Church that did it, because violence and murder is completely anathema to Church ideology! Isn't that right!?

Right?

...right?...


*

Well, there's that! Hope you all feel a bit more educated and lighthearted. Have a fantastic day.

Later!

Words between the * are subject to heavy scrutiny.

**combinification is definitely NOT a word

14 comments:

  1. Nice blog. Learned something just now. You've got yourself a new follower!

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  2. informative and hilarious as always

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  3. thanks for these words of the day

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  4. lies, combinification is a word

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  5. always good information from you. thank you

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  6. your posts are always so funny & inspiring. thank you.

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  7. At first I was sure an anathema was casted down on my. But then I visited this blog and it was a boon!

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  8. reading this was a great boon to my intelligence

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  9. BOON (or BOONIE) is an Australian and Bogan cricket legend! His huge mustache (and gut) should accompany any definition :D

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