ETYMOLOGY
101
The origin of: abracadabra
The word abracadabra is commonly used as an amateurish magical
incantation to summon bunnies from hats, but its origins indicate
that the word was once a powerful countercurse for warding
off fevers. The number of explanations for this word’s
origin are boggling, but I will present two of the most interesting.
First: the word was first mentioned in the 2nd century by
Serenus Sammonicus, a physician to the Roman emperor Caracalla.
In his poem Præcepta de Medicina,
he gave instructions for arranging the letters of the word
in a triangle. The letters were to be written on paper, folded
into a cross, and worn for nine days suspended from the neck.
Before sunrise on the ninth day, the cross was to be cast
behind the wearer into an eastward running stream.
The word may come from the Aramaic Avrah KaDabra,
which means “I will create as I speak.” It has
also been said that the word is derived from the Hebrew phrase
abreq ad habra, meaning “hurl
your thunderbolt even unto death.”
Second: the word may be a derivation of the Gnostic word for
God, Abraxas. Supposedly, the Greek letters for Abraxas add
up to 365 when using numerology (the study of numbers and
their mystical relationship with physical things). “Gnostic”
is a catch-all phrase for mystical religious sects that were
around in the few centuries after Christ, so you get the idea
that this word had a lot to do with esoteric, numinous things.
The amulet, when written as shown below, pushes ill fortune
away; when inverted, it draws good fortune to the wearer.
A B R A C A D A B R A
A B R A C A D A B R
A B R A C A D A B
A B R A C A D A
A B R A C A D
A B R A C A
A B R A C
A B R A
A B R
A B
A
The
origin of: hocus pocus
The etymology of this phrase is much more straightforward
and less open to endless interpretation. Most sources agree
the word was born in the mid 17th century, when a traveling
juggler used the incantation Hocus pocus, tontus
tabantus, vade celeriter jubeo before doing
a trick, so that his audience would be distracted by the words
and less likely to observe any sleight of hand. The words
“hocus pocus” are likely a corruption of the Latin
hoc est enim corpus meum (for this
is my body), or the shorter hoc est corpus.
This phrase was uttered by priests before Communion, when
a wafer of bread and cup of wine were transformed into the
body and blood of Christ by transubstantiation.
Sources: wikipedia.org,
straightdope.com,
ccg.org. |
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William
I (detail)
by George Vertue
(continued from
page 1) Harold Godwinson (or Godwine), head
of the most powerful noble family in England. Harold’s
succession was approved by the Witenagemot—an
assembly of England’s most important and powerful people—and
he became Harold II of England on January 5, 1066.
Naturally, William disputed this succession, and decided to
settle the matter with an invasion. Harold II already had
his hands full with a rival claimant from Norway, Harald III,
who joined forces with Harold’s brother Tostig. Harald
landed a force of some 5,000 men in Northern England, forcing
Harold to leave the English Channel unprotected. Harold led
an army north in record speed to defeat Harald and Tostig
at the Battle of Stamford Bridge (a decisive defeat for the
Scandinavian army that effectively ended Viking raids into
England). Three days later, William landed in Pevensey. The
Norman Invasion had begun.
— Witenagemot is Old English
for “meeting of the wise,” from
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