© 2002 Tom Bacig
Let us explore then etymologicallly.
I know its pedantic but what is pedantry if not a caution that we should learn to creep before we walk or fly.
ped. ant \' ped-*nt\ \p*-' dant-ik\ \ -i-k(*-)le-\ n [MF, fr. It pedante] 1:
a schoolmaster esp. in a petty school 2a: one who parades his learning 2b: one
who is unimaginative or who unduly emphasizes minutiae in the presentation or
use of knowledge 2c: a formalist or precisionist in teaching - pe. dan.tic aj
paed- or paedo- or ped- or pedo- cf prefix [Gk paid-, paido-, fr. paid- pais
child, boy - more at F]EW : child { pediatric} : childhood { paedogenesis}
In the beginning are the words.
Ferini inhumani praedant in nos
Brutal barbarians prey on us
Preda brutale dei barbarians su noi
Proie brutale de barbares sur nous
Barbarae bestiae praedant in nos
Barbarian brutes prey on us
Preda barbarian degli animali su noi
Proie barbare de brutes sur nous
Noxialis paterna praedant in nos
Noxious natives prey on us
Preda nociva dei nativi su noi
Proie nocive d'indigènes sur nous
Nefrandi primordi praedant in nos
Abominable abos prey on us
Preda abominable di abos su noi
Proie abominable d'abos sur nous
Silvi feri praedant in nos
Silvan savages prey on us
Preda dei selvaggi di Silvan su noi
Proie de sauvages de silvan sur nous
Primordii pagani praedant in nos
Primitive peasants prey on us
Preda primitiva dei contadini su noi
Proie primitive de paysans sur nous
We primitive pagans
Prey on them,
Until we learn to join
By saying
In local lingo
Ora pro nobis
Asking our brothers
And sisters to make us
One with them by
Praying for us to the one,
True sky God, who
Whatever his name,
Will surely approve
All of us preying on
The next set of pagans,
Who worship the earth God,
Whatever local name
Her people give Her.
paysan - peasant(n); farmer (n); rustic (aj); countryman (n)
paysannerie - peasantry (n); farmers (n)
paysage - landscape (n); scenery
pays - country (n); region (n); village (n); land (n)
sauvage - savage (aj & n); wild (aj); unsociable (aj); unfair (aj); unofficial
(aj); brute (n)
sauvagement - savagely (av); wildly (av); brutally (av)
sauvagerie - savagery (n); savageness (n); brutality (n); unsociability (n)
brut - crude (aj); uncut (aj); rough (aj); raw (aj); unrefined (aj); untreated
(aj)
brutal - brutal (aj); rough (aj); violent (aj); blunt (aj); plain (aj)
brutalament - brutally (av); roughly (av); violently (av); plainly (av); suddenly
(av)
brutaliser - brutalize (v); manhandle (v)
brutalité - brutality (n);
brute - brute (n); animal (n); beast (n)
habitant - inhabitant (n); reside (v)
habitante du nord - northerner
habitants - resident (n): reside (v)
habitat - habitat (n)
habitation - habitation (n)
habiter - reside (v)
bois brule - burnt wood
chicote - burnt stumps
métis (m), métisse (f) - half-caste; half-breed
mestizo - [Sp., like OF mestis (F. métis), from LL. misticius, mixticius,
fr L. mixtus mixed past participle of miscere, to mix.
See MIX; cf. MESTEE, MÉTIF, MÉTIS, MUSTEE]Esp. in Spanish America
and the Philippines, a person of mixed blood; esp. the offspring of a European
or a person of European stock and an (East) Indian, Negro, Malay, or other person
of dark, non-European stock; often specif., Phil. I., a person of Chinese and
native blood; hence loosely any half-breed.
mes.ti.zo \-(.)zo-\ n [Sp, fr. mestizo mixed, fr. LL mixticius, fr. L mixtus, pp. o]f misce-re to mix -more at MIX : a person of mixed blood; specif : a person of mixed European and American Indian ancestry
mixed blood
1. blood \'bl*d\ n [ME, fr. OE blo-d; akin to OHG bluot blood] often attrib
1a: the fluid that circulates in the heart, arteries, capillaries, and veins
of a vertebrate animal carrying nourishment and oxygen to and bringing away
waste products from all parts of the body 1b: a comparable fluid of an invertebrate
1c: a fluid resembling blood 2a: LIFEBLOOD; broadly : LIFE 2b: human stock or
lineage; esp : royal lineage {a prince of the ~} 2c: relationship by descent
from a common ancestor : KINSHIP 2d: persons related through common descent
: KINDRED 2e1: honorable or high birth or descent 2e2: descent from parents
of recognized breed or pedigree 3: the shedding of blood; also : the taking
of life 4a: blood regarded as the seat of the emotions : TEMPER obs 4b: LUST
4c: a gay showy foppish man : RAKE 5: PERSONNEL
2. blood vt 1: to stain or wet with blood 2a: to expose (a hunting dog) to sight, scent, or taste of the blood of its prey 2b: to give experience to mixed \' mikst\ aj [ME mixte] 1: combining characteristics of more than one kind; specif : combining features of two or more systems of government {a ~ constitution} 2: made up of or involving individuals or items of more than one kind : as 2a: made up of or involving persons differing in race, national origin, religion, or class 2b: made up of or involving individuals of both sexes {~ company ~ chorus} 3: including or accompanied by inconsistent or incompatible elements 4: deriving from two or more races or breeds
1. mix \' miks\ \' mik-s*-b*l\ vb [ME mixen back- formation fr. mixte mixed, fr. MF, fr. L mixtusX, pp. of misce-re to mix; akin to Gk mignynai to mix 1a1: to combine or blend into one mass 1a2: to combine with another 1b: to bring into close association 2: to form by mixing components 3: CONFUSE 1a: to become mixed 1b: to be capable of mixing 2: to enter into relations : ASSOCIATE 3: CROSSBREED 4: to become involved : PARTICIPATE, AMALGAMATE, FUSE: MIX may or may not imply loss of each element's identity; MINGLE usu. suggests that the elements are still somewhat distinguishable or separately active; COMMINGLE implies a closer or more thorough mingling; BLEND implies that the elements as such disappear in enhancing the resulting mixture; MERGE suggests a combining in which one or more elements are lost in the whole; COALESCE implies an affinity in the merging elements and usu. a resulting organic unity; AMALGAMATE implies the forming of a close union without complete loss of individual identities; FUSE stresses oneness and indissolubility of the resulting product - mix. able aj SYN syn MINGLE, COMMINGLE, BLEND, MERGE, COALESCE 2. mix n 1: an act or process of mixing 2: a product of mixing : MIXTURE; specif : a commercially prepared mixture of food ingredients
mestee - [from MESTIZO] A mustee.
métif - mustee - from MESTIZO] Strictly, an octoroon; loosely, any half-breed. West Indies and India
There. You see. I was wrong. Pedantry isn't about walking at all. Its Greek not Latin. Its paed, child, boy, prefix. And if I click on each word in WWW's Webster, I'll learn even more about the way this language and all languages work. It's one of the real guides to cultures you know. Its about the child becoming the man, or hung in minutae, staying the child forever; innocent, unknowing forever. There's the rub. To know, you have to lose innocence. Like the ape coming out from under the trees, onto the savanna, looking ahead to something better? At least different. (Maybe it is about walking) Like Adam and Eve eating of the tree of knowledge, discovering the difference between good and evil, making themselves over in God's image. (Yes its definitely about eating.) Yes its about child-like precision.