Kristy's Etymology #21-25

A few others that have caught my attention throughout this course:

#21 maxim -

single-barreled, water-cooled machine gun, 1885, named for inventor, U.S.-born British engineer Sir Hiram S. Maxim (1840-1916).

maxim

"precept, principle," 1426, from M.Fr. maxime, from L.L. maxima, usually in maxima propositio "axiom," lit. "greatest premise," fem. of maximus"greatest" (see maximum).

Obviously the second one has to do with what we have been talking about in class.

#22 discourse

c.1374, alteration of L. discursus "a running about," in L.L. "conversation," from stem of discurrere "run about," from dis- "apart" + currere "to run." Sense of "formal speech or writing" is first recorded 1581.

David has mentioned that storytelling is a conversation. I was thinking about "a running about" and how we looked at Kim's storytelling performance and the goal that we always arrive back safely and go through the various emotions or actions. That somehow through the running around in the stories there is something that keeps it all connect.

#23 analysis -

1581, "resolution of anything complex into simple elements" (opposite of synthesis), from M.L. analysis, from Gk. analysis "a breaking up," from analyein"unloose," from ana- "up, throughout" + lysis "a loosening" (see lose). Psychological sense is from 1890. Phrase in the final (or last) analysis (1844), translates Fr. en dernière analyse.

Taking something complex and putting it into simple elements. I think that is what we do with stories as we get to know them piece by piece but also in their entirety.

#24 conversation -

1340, from O.Fr. conversation, from L. conversationem (nom. conversatio) "act of living with," prp. of conversari "to live with, keep company with," lit. "turn about with," from L. com- intens. prefix + vertare, freq. of vertere (see versus). Originally "having dealings with others," also "manner of conducting oneself in the world;" specific sense of "talk" is 1580. Used as a synonym for "sexual intercourse" from at least 1511, hence criminal conversation, legal term for adultery from late 18c.

#25 safe -

"chest for keeping valuables," c.1430, save, from M.Fr. en sauf "in safety," from sauf (see safe (adj.)). Spelling with -f- first recorded 1688, from infl. of safe (adj.).

safe (adj.)

c.1280, "uninjured, unharmed," from O.Fr. sauf, from L. salvus "uninjured, healthy, safe," related to salus "good health," saluber "healthful," all from PIE*solwos from base *sol- "whole" (cf. L. solidus "solid," Skt. sarvah "uninjured, intact, whole," Avestan haurva- "uninjured, intact," O.Pers. haruva-, Gk.holos "whole"). Meaning "not exposed to danger" is attested from 1387; of actions, etc., "free from risk," first recorded 1590. Safe-conduct (1297) is from O.Fr. sauf-conduit (13c.).

The first one jumped out at me. The stories we tell are valuable, the audiences we tell to are valuable and our job as storytellers is to keep them safe while taking them places through stories they wouldn't otherwise go