PARNASSIAN SPRING. "Drink deep, or not at all." The Parnassian, or Castalian Spring, a term well known to the lovers of poetry, is derived from a nymph, called Castalia, who resided in Parnassus, and whom Apollo metamorphosed into a fountain; and those who drank of the waters were inspired with the Genius of Poetry. This term, or cognomen, as applied to medical men, is derived from the Heathen Mythology, which informs us, that "Esculapius was a son of Apollo, and the nymph Coronis; and that the care of his education was committed to Chiron, who taught him Physic, wherein he was said to be exceedingly skilful." ANACREON MOORE. This name, by which our delightful lyric poet (Moore) is denominated, or rather distinguished, is derived from "Anacreon, a famous lyric poet in times of yore," and was given to ours as a compliment to his genius. SECTION XVII. ETYMONS OF SEVERAL WORDS AND TERMS. ADORE. Is derived from adorare, and this from ad os, a respectful mode of salutation, by carrying the hand to the mouth. ALLODIAL. Allodial, or free lands, is derived from odhal, implying freeholds in Norway, the first being a transposition of the syllables of the latter; hence, fee-odh, feodum, feudal, denoting stipendiary property,―a fee being a stipend. AMAZON. The Amazons were a warlike women, and derived their name, says Heathen Mythology, from the Amazon river in Asia, which flowed through a territory they inhabited. They are said to have had bloody wars with their neighbours; but were at length almost destroyed by Hercules. ADIEU! Adieu, although admitted into the English vocabulary, is nevertheless a French word; of course signifying, farewell: it is from ad Deum te commendo, i, e. “I commend you to God." "An adieu should be heard in a sigh, If the tongue pours not on the ear: ALLIGATOR. Our dictionaries supply no materials towards the etymology of this word, which was probably introduced into the language by some of our own early voyagers, to the Spanish and Portuguese settlements in the newly discovered world. They would hear the Spaniards discoursing of the animal by the name of el lagarto, or, the lizard; Lat. lacerta; and on their return home, they would inform their countrymen, that this sort of crocodile was called an alligator. It would not be difficult to trace other corrupted words in a similar way. ANGEL. Angel in its primitive sense, signifies a messenger, and frequently signifies men, when from the common notion of the term, it is conceived to denote ministering spirits. Angels, as celestial intelligences, have been the objects of over-curious enquiry, and of worship. Paul says, "let no man beguile you of your reward, in a voluntary humility, and the worshipping of angels, intruding into those things he hath not seen."-Colossians 11, 17. ARAB. The Arabs trace their descent from Ishmael, the son of Abraham and Hagar. These children of the tent, have always preserved their ancient name, for the word Arab signifies a robber, and robbers the Arabians always were, and still remain so. ARTICHOKE. When this vegetable was first introduced into this country by Mr. John Calleron, he asked a party to dine, and giving one to a gentleman greatly skilled in the vegetable kingdom, to eat, he began to devour the leaves at the wrong end, which occasioned some of the company to laugh immoderately. The gentleman observing his mistake, said, "well, I am happy as long as the error has occasioned a hearty laugh." "Yes," replied Mr. Calleron, "and egad I think also, it has been a hearty joke!" Hence, it is said, this vegetable received the name of Artichoke. ALKALI. This term, so often made use of by chemists, is of Arabian origin, and is derived from kali, the name of a species of vegetable, from which soda is generally extracted. If we believe Albertus Magnus, the word signifies fax amaritudinis, the dregs of bitterness, the particle AL having, as he says, been added by the Arabs, with the design of expressing the superiority of the article obtained from that plant, over the plant itself." BANTAMS. The small fowl, designated by the name of Bantam, derives its appellation from Bantam, in the Isle of Java; and was first introduced into this country in 1683, when an embassy arrived in England from thence. BUMPER. Bumper is a corruption of bon pere, good father, i. e. the Pope, whose health was always drank by the monks, after dinner, in a full glass. BEVERAGE. "Drink, Stephano, 'tis a good beverage." This term, as applied to every-day potations, is derived from the Italian, bevere, to drink. BLOOD. The word blood, is derived from the Saxon, blot. The month of November, was called by the Saxons, blot-monath, because in this month, they killed great abundance of cattle for winter store; or, according to some, for purposes of sacrifices to their deities. BEEVER, OR BEEVOR. "He wore his Bevor up." The term Beever, or Bevor, as worn by the knights of old, says Dr. Meyrick, was so called in contra-distinction to the common vizor, and is derived from the Italian bevere, to drink. The knights, when thirsty, in the absence of a proper vessel, drank from their Bevor. BELLEROPHON. "Britania's bulwarks, are her wooden walls." As this vessel, or ship of war, will have a place in history, as being that which received "Le Grand Nation's" fallen emperor as a prisoner, when he surrendered to the British nation; it is thought, the derivation of the name may not be unacceptable. Bellerophon, son of Glaucus and Eurymedes, had the misfortune to kill his brother Pyrrhus as he was hunting, upon which, he took refuge with Proetus, king of Argos, whose wife, Stenobia, made him offers, which he rejected. She, stung with indifference, accused him to her husband, of attempting her chastity, on account of which, he underwent numberless misfortunes. There is somewhat of an affecting coincidence between the mythological circumstance which gave a name to the ship, and the extraordinary man who became its inhabitant for a period; which cannot fail to strike the most indifferent reader; and especially those who were his ardent admirers. BOH! Fosbroke says, that this word, used to frighten children, was the name of Boh, a great general, the son of Odin, whose very appellation struck immediate panic in his enemies. "I throw myself on the generosity of the British nation." Napoleon's Letter to the Prince Regent. BOOK. The inhabitants of Denmark employed wood for writing their common letters, almanacks, and other things of minor importance, and as the beech was the most plentiful in that country, and used for that purpose, from the name of that wood, in their language, bog, they, and all the northern nations have derived the name, book. The Latin word liber has a similar origin. BENEVOLENCE AND BENEFICENCE. Benevolence and beneficence are ordinarily used as synonymous; a little attention, however, to the root, or rather roots, whence each has its rise, will serve to show, that the difference is great, and that it is highly improper to place the one instead of the other. Benevolence is compounded of bene volo, I wish well; beneficence of bene facio, I do well; and if therefore, wishing well, and doing well, are not one and the same act, the words benevolent and beneficent, are expressive of two different and distinct actions, one of the mind, the other of the body. BAYONET. The side arms used by infantry, and called Bayonets, are thus denominated, because they were first made at Bayonne, in France. BOTHER. "Don't bother me." or, do not annoy me at both ears; hence the corrupted word, bother. CLOACINA. Cloacina was a goddess, whose image Tatius, a king of the Sabines, found in the common shore, and he, on that called it, i. e. the common shore, the "Temple of Cloacina." CYGNET. The term cygnet, as applied to young swans, is derived from Cycnus, or Cygnus, the son of Mars, slain by Hercules, also a king of the Ligurians, who bewailing the death of Phaton, was metamorphosed into a swan. CAROL. We have our 66 Christmas Carols;" few, perhaps, know the derivation of the word. Bourne says, carol is derived from cantare, to sing, and rola an interjection of joy. CARAVAN. In Cairo's crowded streets The impatient merchant, wondering, waits in vain It is scarcely necessary to inform the reader, that a caravan in the eastern world, signifies a number of merchants travelling in company. This they do, in order to defend themselves against the Arab robbers, which they could not do singly, or in small parties; likewise, to render one another assistance, in passing the Great Desart, should they be overtaken by the overwhelming seas of sand; as well as to assist each other, in case of their beasts of burden being overcome by fatigue and thirst. The word Caravan is derived from Cairo and Van; or, a company from, or to Cairo. Van, i. e. forward in a body.* The whole convoy, or caravan, have oftentimes been overwhelmed, and never heard of more. A writer observes, when camels will no longer continue their journey through the desarts, all the efforts of their distressed owners prove but ineffectual to compel them; for instinct seems to inform those useful animals when any extraordinary convulsion of nature is impending; that it would be dangerous to proceed on their course. When this is the case, the Arabs, in despair, imbibe large quantities of brandy and opium, the effects of which, soon prove fatal to them, and they expire in misery by the side of their beasts. If after travelling for several days with a scarcity of water, a caravan approaches a well within the distance of a league or two, the camels apprise their masters of the joyful circumstance, by stretching out their necks and opening wide their parched mouths to inhale the welcome freshness; for the atmosphere is usually so insufferably overpowering, and the sands below, are of such a burning nature, that the freshness of a neighbouring well inspires both man and beast with greater exertions. COLDSTREAM GUARDS. Coldstream, a town of Scotland, in Berwickshire. Here general Monk first raised the Coldstream Regiment of Guards, with which he marched into England to restore Charles 2nd. It is seated on the Tweed, over which is a handsome bridge, 13 miles south-west of Berwick. COSSACK. "And 'mong the Cossacks had been bred Cossacks are a people that live near Poland; other tribes, of the Russian empire are also so denominated. This name was given them for their extraordinary nimbleness; for Cosa, or Kosa, in the Polish tongue, signifies a goat. He that would know more of them, may read "La Laboreur," and "Thuldenus." COACH. The word Coach is derived from the village of Kotzi, near Pres. burg, in Hungary, where those vehicles were first made. CRITIC. The word critic is of Greek derivation, and implies judgment. It is presumed from the labours of modern critics, that some who have not understood the original, and have seen the English translation of the primitive, have concluded that it meant judgment in the legal sense, in which it is frequently used as equivalent to condemnation, many of these might exclaim, A "Critiques I read on other men, Yet what is strange-I ne'er look in one." * We speak, and read of, the van-guard, or the forward-guard of a regiment. We also apply the term Van to a vehicle conveying mer. chandize.-Ed. |