Month: February 2021

signs

conjecture – First meant “the interpretation of omens or signs” or “divination,” and it literally means “to throw together,” that is, to produce a theory by putting together a number of facts. More…

diacritic – From Greek diakrinein, “distinguish from,” it denotes marks or signs that distinguish different values or sounds (pronunciations) of a letter. More…

semiopathy – A tendency to read humorously inappropriate meanings into signs. More…

sigla – The words for signs and abbreviations representing words. More…

Brunei National Day

Brunei is an independent sultanate on the island of Borneo in the Malay Archipelago; it is officially named Brunei Darussalam. It had been a British protectorate since 1888. The sultanate gained independence in 1984 and observes its National Day each year on February 23. Many people prepare months in advance to participate in colorful crowd formations, a favorite National Day event, and prayer services take place at mosques around the country. Discuss

Ephrem the Syrian

Sometimes known as the Harp of the Holy Spirit, Saint Ephrem the Syrian was a prolific hymnographer and theologian of the 4th century CE. According to some accounts, his father was a pagan priest. Ephrem, however, converted Syria to Christianity. He taught and composed at Nisibis and Edessa until his death in 373. His writings have been widely influential, and he is venerated by both the Eastern churches and Rome. He is also notable for conducting choirs that consisted entirely of whom? Discuss

vegetable

rareripe – Originally simply a fruit or vegetable that ripened early. More…

fruit, vegetable – Fruit is the name given to those plants that have an ovary used for food; vegetable is the name given to a large category of herbaceous plants with parts used for food. More…

sauerbraten, sauerkraut – In German, sauerbraten is literally “sour roast meat,” and sauerkraut is “sour cabbage or vegetable.” More…

sweet potato, yam – The sweet potatoes and yams sold in most stores are the same vegetable—sweet potatoes are inside every mislabeled yam can; true yams are not sold anywhere except a handful of specialty grocers. More…

The Tsavo Man-Eaters

Lions do not usually hunt humans. For nine months in 1898, however, two lions terrorized construction crews who were building a bridge over the Tsavo River in Kenya, repeatedly stalking, attacking, and eating the workers. Some victims were dragged from their tents at night. The workers fled and construction was halted until Lt. Col. John H. Patterson—who was in charge of the bridge project—tracked down the lions and shot them. By Patterson’s account, how many people had the lions killed? Discuss