Across the Curriculum.
re Language Change (the Syllables of Time)
from Fromkin Chap 11.
Linguistic Lust
LUST initially meant mere pleasure, and
carried no sexy stigma.
originally a holy day, not any day officially
free from work. Silly meant happy during
Shakespeare’s time; and my favorite:
NICE
initially and originally meant IGNORANT
(ne + scire: = “not knowing,” :no science”),
very nicely indeed and maybe the nicest thing
we take away from our studies and scholar ship:
how “nice” we are, how unknowing, how aware
of our ignorance. Right there: stunned stupid,
the etymological root image for STUDY &
STUDENT: our collective nice-ness—pre-
requisite for Liberal Art, yes?
I would rather be NICE than nasty and always
school makes me realize how NICE I am---a
fool with words, sentences, etymologies: loving
the play of language especially among players:
language users/abusers, addicts: criminal
discriminators & rip-off artists, sampling &
specimen-izing, always diminishing the WHOLE
with our natural selections: reductions, injustice-
doings—overstating & understating, carrying
ongoing burdens of guilt for our nice distinctions
&discrete indiscretions.
Confession of NICE is redemptive—
let it be known how ignorant I am as my
hero Socrates said (having advised his
buddies: KNOW THY SELF)
I know that I do not know.
But admission don’t eliminate the NICE-ness.
Guilt is ongoing and makes good sense. How
could I not be NICE? Ever? Contrite, maybe.
But still nice.
xxxooo, Presbyter
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