ETYMOLOGY
101
After flipping at random through my favorite online etymology
dictionary, I settled on a word not known in the English language
prior to World War II.
Everyone is familiar with the Japanese kamikaze pilots of
World War II, who flew their planes into American carriers
and ships in a desperate attempt to turn the tide of the war.
What most people don’t know is that the word literally
means “divine wind” (from the Japanese kami “god,
providence, divine” + kaze “wind”).
The word has its basis in the 13th century, when the great
and terrible Mongol emperor Kublai Kahn decided to invade
Japan. Kahn had already created a reputation as a formidable
opponent, and most people thought it best to surrender to
his large Mongol armies, rather than risk death and destruction.
Kahn set his sights on Japan in 1274, when (after being given
the written equivalent of the middle finger by the samurai)
he sent a fleet of 800 ships to crush all resistance there.
The samurai met the invaders on the shores and forced them
to retreat to their ships after the first day; a storm came
up the following day, and the fleet retreated to avoid being
smashed against the rocks.
Kublai Kahn was furious at his defeat, and ordered an even
greater fleet to be assembled—it is said the mountains
were stripped of their trees so enough timber could be gathered
for the estimated 3,500 ships that were built. The samurai
spent this time training, and were eager to meet their opponent
once more in battle.
Kahn’s second fleet departed in 1281, and once again
met furious resistance on the shores of Japan. After a few
weeks of intense fighting, a furious storm came up. The Mongols
tried to make it out to sea before their ships were smashed
against the rocks, but it was in vain. Those who did not drown
were cut to pieces by the merciless samurai, and Kublai Kahn
never again attempted to take the island.
The samurai, convinced that the storm was sent by the Gods
to save their island from invasion, named it “kamikaze,”
or “Divine Wind.” Sources: www.etymonline.com,
www.rickriordan.com.
Kublai Kahn (1215-1294)
|
 |
NEAT-O
THE ORIGIN OF THE 7 DAY WEEK
When you roll out of your driveway at 6 AM on a Monday morning,
you’re probably not thinking much about why we call
that dreaded day “Monday.” In fact, you’re
probably already looking ahead to “Frige’s Day.”
Let me explain.
A long time ago, people thought the earth was flat,
and ships would sail right over the edge if they went too far.
Back in those days, people thought of the sun, the moon, and
the five known planets as Gods, and believed each hour of the
day was ruled by one of them. The Egyptians—to whom we
owe most of this—believed that Saturn was the furthest
from the earth (then supposed to be at the center of the universe),
followed by Jupiter, Mars, the sun, Venus, Mercury, and the
moon. Since Saturn was the furthest, it got first dibs on the
first hour of the first day; Jupiter got the second hour, Mars
the third, and so on. After each seven-hour cycle, the cycle
would repeat, such that the 8th hour was Saturn’s, the
9th Jupiter’s, and so on.
The Egyptians also believed that whichever god ruled the first
hour ruled the entire day, and so gave the god’s name
to that day. Hence, Saturn took title to the first day of
the week, and the sun took title to the second.
But wait a minute—the sun is fourth in line on the list
of planets above, so why does it lay claim to the second day?
This little wrinkle can be explained by the fact that the
|
