Unusually prolix for someone so tired...

[alexpgp]

I've completed a translation-memory-aided 6,500 target words for the day (and are my arms tired!), which is enough.

While running my special "DateReplace" macro (a marvelous invention that takes various date formats and reverses the first two numbers, e.g., '10.3.10' becomes '03/10/10'), it occurred to me to wonder: When did they start calling the Renaissance "the Renaissance"?

The same question goes for the "Age of Enlightenment" and various other historical epochs whose names are familiar to us - some of us - today: When did it become apparent that something was happening, so much so that it received a name?

Recent history suggests that contemporary labels are, in effect, marketing slime concocted by intellectuals manufactured en masse to address the fashions of the time.

* * *Just two weeks left until the ATA conference!

Cheers...

Comments

[furzicle.livejournal.com]

I am fascinated by the results of the work that linguists do. They pore over old books,newspaper, and magazines and find the first occurrence of a particular word or phrase.

On the other hand, I could never possibly do that work myself. It's a tough job, but someone else has to do it!

[alexpgp.livejournal.com]

Your comment apparently shoved a couple of neurons together, reminding me that the OED specializes in the kind of information you speak of, and it turns out that "Renaissance" appears to have emerged into use in English around 1840-1850.

Apropos of which, you might be interested in reading a fascinating book, whose somewhat longish and titillating title is The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of The Oxford English Dictionary (http://www.amazon.com/Professor-Madman-Insanity-English-Dictionary/dp/006099486X). It addresses some of the issues you point out.

Cheers...

[furzicle.livejournal.com]

That book does sound interesting. I will seek it out right after I finish The Girl who kicked the hornet's nest, or whatever it's called. (With regard to that series of books by Stieg Larsson, I feel almost like I am reading them because I should; I have a few other authors that I prefer. But, you know, in the interest of being up on the current things one should be up on...)

Another topic I find of interest, though not sufficiently to provoke an active learning process, is learning to accurately read that pronunciation alphabet whereby linguists describe how people pronounce words. I'm sure it's got a name which I will kick myself later for not thinking of. Hopefully you know what I am speaking of.

I have spent many idle moments following leads on the different ways in which English is spoken around the world. If I re-find it, I will share a link with you that showed a map of Britain with with little icons. You clicked on them to hear how something was pronounced here and there. It totally defied my expectations.

It's late and I've had an overly long day. I just got home from "Back to school night" and my brain is a little fried. So pardon me if I seem to ramble!