Adventure, according to the OED is both noun and verb. Etymologically speaking, both the noun and the verb come from an Old French word, auenture, based on the Latin adventura, a thing about to happen to anyone.
The thing I love most about this definition is that last bit -- the notion that originally an adventure could happen to anyone -- and further more was ABOUT to happen to anyone. So much of today's applications of this word are wrapped up in impossible situations, danger, incredible risk, and the kinds of coincidences that most of us who avoid such things for insurance purposes (never mind plain old fear of death or bodily injury or looking stupid on television) would never do, let alone expect to simply "happen" to us.
Consider these two sample definitions:
5. a. A hazardous or perilous enterprise or performance; a daring feat; hence a prodigy, a marvel.
1617 Sir L. Cranfeilde in Fortesc. Pap. 42 My many and dangerous adventures in his Majesties service.
Anyone else think this is the 17th century precursor to James Bond? Or perhaps Jack Aubrey?
8. The encountering of risks or participation in novel and exciting events; adventurous activity, enterprise.
This one I think desrves a quote or two from J.M. Barrie -- who better to define adventure in this sense than Peter Pan or Wendy?
0. Comb. adventure playground, a playground where children are provided with miscellaneous equipment, often waste material, from which they may contrive their own amusement (see quot. 19531); adventure-school, a school started and conducted as a private speculation.
This one was new to me; all of the quotes are from the 20th century, the age of recycling. I think I spent most of my childhood "contriving my own amusement."
And of course, for the adventure-as-verb fans:
3. refl. To risk oneself; to venture.
1440 Morte Arthure 360, I salle auntyre me anes hys egle to touche.
Who better than a knight of the Round Table to risk one's self? I wonder if Dumbledore's assertion about death being an adventure to the orgnanized mind will make it into the quotes of future editions of the OED.
And I wonder if JK Rowling knows that one of the old definitions of muggle is someone who smokes marijuana?
[the title of this post refers to the Scottish version of this word-- well, that, and I'm none too fond of haggis.)
Monday, September 19, 2005
Absolutement, je le sais bien
Absolute, according to the Oxford English Dictionary (version 2.0, CD Rom) was a past participle derived from the Old French absolut. It eventually was to come to its present use as an adjective (or with suffixes, an adverb) through the "latinizing" of asolu, "loosened, free, separate, acquitted, completed, etc." This makes sense when you consider the the adverb I used in this title, absolutement, which is still used in Modern French. Also of interest is that it used to have comparative forms, absoluter and absolutest.
The most accepted meaning is likely : II. Absolute in quality or degree; perfect. or III. Absolute or detached in position or relation; independent; there are also the metaphysical definitions, such as "Considered independently of its being subjective or objective" or "Existing without relation to any other being; self-existent; self-sufficing."
Absolute has a few now-obsolete meanings. Presently there are sixteen definitions listed and researched in the OED, my favorites of which (and a sampling of their accompanying quotes) are listed here below:
7. Of ownership, authority: Free from all external restraint or interference; unrestricted, unlimited, independent. absolute prize, one which becomes the absolute property of the winner, as distinguished from a challenge cup, etc. held till competed for anew.
1861 Times, 10 July, Lord Spencer offered an absolute prize cup worth 20l., to be competed for at 500 yards by the best shot of each of the three schools.
8. Hence, having absolute power, governing absolutely; unlimited by a constitution or the concurrent authority of a parliament; arbitrary, despotic.
1735–8 Bolingbroke Dissn. on Parties 160 Absolute Monarchy is Tyranny; but absolute Democracy is Tyranny and Anarchy both.
11.Of persons and things: Free from all doubt or uncertainty; positive, perfectly certain, decided. Sometimes adv. positively. Obs.
1603 Shakes. Meas. for M. iii. i. 5 Be absolute for death.
Let's try a few of them in a sentence and see what happens:
O, were I but absolute (definition 11) about the nature of our democracy, be it absolute (definition 8) or not, I should be the winner in some absolute (definition 7) election wherein I become the sole owner of my own opinion, absolutely. (e.g. unfettered, Obs. definition)
2005 Confess. Rand. Sesquip.
[to which R. Vaughn might reply, "Shake off that dream of personality, and you will see that good and evil are identical in the Absolute. "] (definition 15)
The most accepted meaning is likely : II. Absolute in quality or degree; perfect. or III. Absolute or detached in position or relation; independent; there are also the metaphysical definitions, such as "Considered independently of its being subjective or objective" or "Existing without relation to any other being; self-existent; self-sufficing."
Absolute has a few now-obsolete meanings. Presently there are sixteen definitions listed and researched in the OED, my favorites of which (and a sampling of their accompanying quotes) are listed here below:
7. Of ownership, authority: Free from all external restraint or interference; unrestricted, unlimited, independent. absolute prize, one which becomes the absolute property of the winner, as distinguished from a challenge cup, etc. held till competed for anew.
1861 Times, 10 July, Lord Spencer offered an absolute prize cup worth 20l., to be competed for at 500 yards by the best shot of each of the three schools.
8. Hence, having absolute power, governing absolutely; unlimited by a constitution or the concurrent authority of a parliament; arbitrary, despotic.
1735–8 Bolingbroke Dissn. on Parties 160 Absolute Monarchy is Tyranny; but absolute Democracy is Tyranny and Anarchy both.
11.Of persons and things: Free from all doubt or uncertainty; positive, perfectly certain, decided. Sometimes adv. positively. Obs.
1603 Shakes. Meas. for M. iii. i. 5 Be absolute for death.
Let's try a few of them in a sentence and see what happens:
O, were I but absolute (definition 11) about the nature of our democracy, be it absolute (definition 8) or not, I should be the winner in some absolute (definition 7) election wherein I become the sole owner of my own opinion, absolutely. (e.g. unfettered, Obs. definition)
2005 Confess. Rand. Sesquip.
[to which R. Vaughn might reply, "Shake off that dream of personality, and you will see that good and evil are identical in the Absolute. "] (definition 15)
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