Stephen Wright wanted to become more learned, so he read the dictionary. He figured with all the words inside, it contained every book ever written.
I actually do read the dictionary sometimes--a page here and there. I love etymology.
The other day, I stared at the word, "disease," in a piece I was reading. Disease, disease, disease. Say any word over and over again, and it no longer sounds like a real word. I don't know why I fixate on these things, but I do!
DISEASE. Root word being EASE.
The qualifying prefix, "did," is the most powerful part of this word. DIS, according to Dictionary dot com is "a Latin prefix meaning 'apart,' 'asunder,' 'away,' utterly,'or having a privative, negative, or reversing force. Not being familiar with "privative," I also looked it up: "consisting in or characterized by the taking away, loss, or lack of something."
So DISEASE is characterized by the TAKING AWAY OF or the splitting asunder of FREEDOM from labor, pain, comfort; freedom from concern, anxiety, or solicitude; freedom from difficulty or great effort; freedom from stiffness or constraint.
No lecture or hidden meaning intended. I simply find amazing the power of words when we stop and truly consider their meanings.
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I write about children's literature, writing in general, and life as it hits me in the face. I can't help but edit road signs and menus, and I sometimes post photos of them so readers can spot the errors.
By: Danette Haworth,
on 12/23/2015
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I write about children's literature, writing in general, and life as it hits me in the face. I can't help but edit road signs and menus, and I sometimes post photos of them so readers can spot the errors.
By: Danette Haworth,
on 12/23/2015
Blog: Summer Friend (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: dictionary, etymology, Stephen Wright, Add a tag
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