Time

A few will be aware I have been known to speak on various subjects over the years. Fundamentally these all revolve around my favourite subject of etymology. Have always enjoyed bringing this fascinating subject to others. It’s not for me to say whether the audiences have, although many have asked me to return.

Thought it might be worthwhile sharing a snippet or two from these etymological presentations, continuing with Time. It is found woven into our language and yet why do we use multiples of twelve for various time periods? Why have we not produced a metric clock? Learn the fascinating answers to these and other questions and discover why punctuality and the humble timepieces of yesterday and today have created more than a few funny stories. There is a PowerPoint presentation to accompany this talk if required.

Physicists will tell you time is relative – which basically means time is irrelevant other than to the immediate area. To see this we need to look at time on a universal scale. We hear of how this star and those galaxies are so many light years away, a light year is how far light travels in a year (fascinating, I hear you say.

But think of it. We see the Sun every day (well most days) but it is so far away we actually see it as it was 8 minutes ago, the nearest star is Proxima Centauri seen as it was four years ago (note they see us in 2022 and are thus still have no notion of Donald Trump’s second term). If either star vanished it would take 8 minutes (or four years depending on one’s relative position) for the lights to go out. Hence time is relative to the location of the individual.

And for the etymologist I must mention minute – and also minute (ie very small). These may be pronounced differently but the origins and indeed meanings are identical. A minute (sixty seconds) is a minute (small) part of an hour and comes from the Latin prima minuta ‘the first small part’

If you think you know someone who would like to hear me speak on this subject, drop me a line.

Day Idioms

Several words have become part of the language in being used in phrases. Last time we looked at ‘night’ and now look at ‘day’.

Day-to-day, meaning ‘daily’, has been known since early Saxon times, although today we would use day-by-day and we have since the late 14th century.

All day meaning ‘all the time’ dates from the 14th century.

Nobody described a day from work as ‘a day off’ until 1883.

The Beatles may have released Day Tripper in 1966, but the term had been used since 1897.

Nowadays may be perceived as a fairly modern term, and yet it has been recorded for at least eight centuries.

All in a day’s work dates from around 1820.

While it may seem to be as much a list of song titles, these are idioms, and next is Those Were the Days, first seen in 1907 and a Paul McCartney song recorded by Mary Hopkin in 1969.

Buddy Holly recorded That’ll be the Day as Buddy Holly and the Three Tunes in 1956, and as Buddy Holly and the Crickets the following year. This is not long after the first record of the phrase, in 1941.

Nobody called it a day until 1919, although earlier we had been calling it a half day since 1838.

One of These Days, a 1971 track from Pink Floyd, dates from the late 15th century.

Nobody had one of those days for the first time in 1936. And in 2002 Whitney Houston recorded One of Those Days

Daydreams have been recorded since the 1680s.

Daymares, ie nightmares while awake, have been written about since 1737.

May Day has been celebrated throughout Europe to mark the opening of the season of flowers and fruit. May Day is marked on the First of May, another song, this released in 1969 by the Bee Gees.

No child was put in daycare until 1943.

Boxing Day is the first weekday after Christmas (you can’t have Boxing Day on a Sunday) is first spoken of in 1809, although the custom giving its name is certainly much older.

Quarter Days – Lady Day on March 25th; Midsummer Day on June 24th, Michaelmas Day on September 29th, and Christmas Day on December 25th – mark the four dates when contracts and leases begin or expire in England. Scotland marks the same days as the pre-Christian calendar of Candlemas, Whitsunday, Lammas, and Martinmas.

The present day has been spoken of since 18970.

Play days, now associated with children, has been said to be a day exempt from work since around 1600.

Latterday is a term dating from 1842, this taken directly from the Jesus Christ Church of Latterday Saints in 1830.

Night Idioms

Several words have become part of the language in being used in phrases. Last time we looked at ‘pins’ and now look at ‘night’.

While we think of ‘night’ as the last hours at the end of the day, historically the night preceded the day. Thus Monday night began when the sun went down on Sunday – and we still use the phrase ‘at the end of the day’. This was true for all European cultures except for the Greeks, who ignore the night and started their days at sunrise.

Night soil - excrement to you and me – is first recorded around 1770.

Night train - ie a service timetabled to run only after dark – appears as early as 1838, not that long after the first train services were running.

Night school is referred to as early as 1520.

Night life, meaning ‘habitual nocturnal carousing’, is seen from 1852.

Goodnight has been wished since 1896, while what is seen today as the more childish ‘nighty-night’ is recorded earlier, in 1876.

Nightwatchmen have been described since around 1200.

Nightlights have been employed since 1851 in the modern sense, but the term has been seen since the 1640s when it referred to any faint light in the night sky.

People have worked the nightshift since 1839, but the term had been used since 1710 when it referred to a garment worn by women when in bed.

Nighthawk has been used since 1610, a reference to any bird abroad at night but especially the nightjar; not until 1818 was it used to refer to one active at night.

Night-work has been seen since the 1590s, but this represented a return for the Saxons wrote about those jobs done during the hours of darkness as nihtweorc.

Fly-by-night has been used to describe someone who leaves a job or task rather hastily; but earlier, and since 1796, it was a slang term for a woman deemed to be a witch.

Nobody stayed anywhere overnight before 1959, although the term had been used to mean simply ‘one night’ since the early 14th century.

Tonight has only been one word since the early 20th century, for two hundred years it had been hyphenated as to-night, and from the 14th century had always been two words.

Nightshade, that deadly plant, has been known as such since around 1500.

Midnight oil has been burned since the 1630s.

Nightingales have been known as such since the Saxons arrived on English shores.

Dutch nightingale is not a bird but a frog.

Nightingale floor has been used since 1796 by the Japanese to describe creaking floorboards.

Nobody had a nightcap until 1818, prior to that it had been worn on the head in bed.

Fortnight has been used for around 1,500 years.

Nightmares have been around since 1300, although originally it referred to an evil female spirit afflicting men and horses in their sleep by making them feel as if they were being suffocated. The sense of ‘bad dream’ is seen from 1829, and two years later was being used to refer to any bad experience.

Nightgowns have been around since the early 15th century.

The first nightclubs opened in 1894.

Allnighters were known from 1870, but referred to anything taking up the whole night, while from 1930 it had the modern sense of referring specifically to a person staying up all night.

And my personal favourite, which should certainly be making a comeback, for while we all refer to yesterday in the modern era, a thousand years ago we also referred to yesternight.

Homonyms, Etymologically Speaking: D

Many words have two meanings, sometimes more, which are often very different. Such words have identical spelling and pronunciation, they are known as homonyms. Here I continue an A to Z list of such words and look at how that word came to have two different meanings.

D is for date, not only a part of the calendar but also a fruit. Taking the calendar term first, it came to English from French date with the modern meaning, and no surprise to find this coming from Latin data meaning 'to give', and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European do also 'to give'. Meanwhile the fruit can be traced to Old French date, Old Provencal datil, Latin dactylus, Greek daktylos, all of which are easy to recognise as being related to the words for the hand. Whether this refers to the resemblance of the fruit to fingers/thumbs, or whether the leaf of the date palm resembles the palm of the hand is still being argued.

Unlucky 13

With advent calendar doors opening daily to enjoy a chocolate for breakfast - in my formative years it was simply a picture - I overheard the question wondering why the clock has not been decilmalised. As someone who can remember pounds sterling changing overnight from 240 pennies to the pound down to 100 leading to utter bewilderment for many, a metric clock would prove quite entertaining for a decaday or two.

Any attempt to bring about any metric clock is doomed to failure whilst we are still marooned on Sol 3. Star Trek 's stardate, seemingly a futuristic dating system, is in reality quite arbitrary and created so the audience would find it difficult to understand exactly what date it equated to on the Julian Calendar and write it pointing out endless continuity errors or giving opinions on whether the toilet would be obsolete on the Enterprise (having never seen one I assume they simply beam waste products away, a much easier method) or innumerable other scenarios deemed impossible by that century or this.

Not that Earth time has prevented the creation of any number of metric systems, aside from the many created by fiction authors - Battlestar Galactica writers created the 'centon', equal to roughly one minute - while mathematicians and scientists have created the decasecond (which is 10 seconds), the hectosecond (two hectoseconds to boil an egg), the megasecond (around 11.1/2 days), the gigasecond (equating to more than 31 years and meaning few of us will ever see a lifetime of three gigaseconds), the myriasecond (just short of three hours), and the marvellously named hectocoulomb per milliampere, which may sound like an eternity but is actually only a little under 28 hours.

There have also been attempts to change days, weeks and months. Possibly best known is the French Revolutionary Calendar which relied more on the cycle of the Moon, thus giving thirteen months in a year. Thirteen is considered unlucky - Friday 13th is the unluckiest day of all but any month with such must also begin with Sunday 1st, seen as the luckiest day so one balances the other out - which may have been one factor in not adopting the French idea. Another would be how they reflect northern hemisphere seasons, although the main reason would be down solely to reluctance to change. Despite decimalisation in the United Kingdom happening more than 40 years ago, those who remember shillings, coloquially known as a 'bob', may still refer to good fractions of the pound as 'a few bob'.

The thirteen French months were coined quite recently, hence the origins are fairly self-explanatory but still worthwhile examining from an etymological point of view. However before we start, some mention should be made of the start of the year which begins on either 22nd, 23rd or 24th September. The Julian calendar began in March, taking the spring equinox as when the longer day than night sees the beginning of the growing season, while the Gregorian calendar looks more at the closest from the shortest hours of daylight, thereafter opting for the start of the following month around 10 days later. Note both are relevant only in the northern hemisphere, as we have already noted also applies to the French suggestion.

Vendemiaire is from the Occitan language, a Romance language named from the Occitan valley of Italy but not confined to that region, and translates as 'grape harvester'. It begins on either 22nd, 23rd or 24th September but the confusion does not stop there, for each month had thirty days, each of three decades (metric weeks) of ten days which saw the metric week of Primidi, Duodi, Tridi, Quartidi, Sextidi, Septidi, Octidi, Nonidi, Decadi or 'first, second, third', etc,. Further confusion comes from the thirty days each having a second name. The majority in Vendemiaire named after plants, with the 5th (Quintidi) taking the name of a domesticated animal and the 10th (Decadi) the name of an agricultural tool. This results in Raisin 'grape' Safran 'saffron', Chataignes 'chestnut', Colchique 'autumn crocus', Cheval 'horse', Balsamine 'yellow balsam', Carottes 'carrots', Amarantine 'amaranth', Panais 'parsnip', Cuve 'tub', Pommes de terre 'potatoes', Immortelle 'strawflower', Potiron 'giant pumpkin', Reseda 'mignonette', Ane 'donkey', Belle de nuit 'marvel of Peru', Citrouille 'summer pumpkin', Sarrazin 'buckwheat', Tournesol 'sunflower', Pressoir 'wine-press', Chanvre 'hemp', Peches 'peaches', Navets 'turnip', Amarillis 'amaryllis', Boeuf 'cattle', Aubergine 'aubergine', Piment 'chile pepper', Tomate 'tomato', Orge 'barley', Tonneau 'barrel'.

Brumaire is from the French word for 'fog', as this month is the most likely to see fog. It begins on either 22nd, 23rd or 24th October. While the metric weeks retain the ten-day names, different names are given for each of the thirty days but retain the idea of plants, with the addition of 5th (Quintidi) taking the name of a domesticated animal and the 10th (Decadi) the name of an agricultural tool. Pomme 'apple', Celeri 'celery', Poire 'pear', Bettarave 'beetroot', Oye 'goose', Heliotrope 'European turnsole', Figue 'fig', Scorsonere 'black salsify', Alisier 'chequer tree', Charrue 'plough', Salsifis 'salsify', Macre 'water chestnut', Topinambour 'Jerusalem artichoke', Endive 'endive', Dindon 'turkey', Chervi 'skirret', Cresson 'watercress', Dentelaire 'leadwort', Grenade 'pomegranate', Herse 'harrow', Bacchante 'wild ginger', Azerole 'Crete hawthorn', Garence 'madder', Orange 'orange', Faisan 'pheasant', Pistache 'pistachio', Macjonc 'sweetpea', Coing 'quince', Cormier 'service tree', Rouleau 'roller'.

Frimaire is the French word for 'frost'. It begins on either 21st, 22nd or 23rd November. While the metric weeks retain the ten-day names, different names are given for each of the thirty days but retain the idea of plants, with the addition of 5th (Quintidi) taking the name of a domesticated animal and the 10th (Decadi) the name of an agricultural tool. Raiponce 'rampion', Terneps 'turnips', Chicoree 'chicory', Nefle 'medlar', Cochon 'pig', Mache 'corn salad', Cho-fleur 'cauliflower', Miel 'honey', Genievre 'juniper', Pioche 'pick', Cire 'wax', Raifort 'horseradish', Cedre 'cedar', Sapin 'fir', Chevreuil 'roe', Ajonc 'gorse', Cypres 'cypress', :ierre 'ivy', Sabine 'savin juniper', Hoyau 'axe', Erable sucre 'silver maple', Bruyere 'heather', Roseau 'reed', Oseille 'sorrel', Grillon 'cricket', Pignon 'pinenut', Liege 'cork oak', Truffe 'truffle', Olive 'olive', Pelle 'shovel'.

Novose is from the Latin for 'snow'. It begins on the 21st, 22nd or 23rd of December. While the metric weeks retain the ten-day names, different names are given for each of the thirty days and is different in using minerals and animal substances instead of plants, again with the addition of 5th (Quintidi) taking the name of a domesticated animal and the 10th (Decadi) the name of an agricultural tool. Tourbe 'peat', Houille 'coal', Bitume 'asphalt', Soufre 'sulphur', Chien 'dog', Lave 'lava', Terre vegetale 'humus', Fumier 'manure', Salpetre 'nitrate', Fleau 'flail', Granit 'granite', Argile 'clay', Ardoise 'slate', Gres 'sandstone', Lapin 'rabbit', Silex 'flint', Marne 'marl', Pierre a chaux 'limestone', Marbre 'marble', Van 'winnowing basket', Pierre a platre 'gypsum', Sel 'salt', Fer 'iron', Culvre 'copper', Chat 'cat', Etain 'tin', Plomb 'lead', Zinc 'zinc', Mercure 'mercury', Crible 'sieve'.

Pluviose is from the Latin for 'rainy'. It begins on 20th, 21st or 22nd of January. While the metric weeks retain the ten-day names, different names are given for each of the thirty days but retain the idea of plants, with the addition of 5th (Quintidi) taking the name of a domesticated animal and the 10th (Decadi) the name of an agricultural tool. Laureole 'spurge laurel', Mousse 'moss', Fragon 'buther's broom', Perce Neige 'snowdrop', Taureau 'bull', Laurier Thym 'bay thyme', Amadouvier 'tinder fungus', Mezereon 'February daphne' (ironically in January), Peuplier 'poplar', Coignee 'hatchet', Ellebore 'hellebore', Broccoli 'broccoli', Laurier 'laurel', Avelinier 'cobnut', Buis 'boxwood', Lichen 'Iceland moss', If 'yew', Pulmonaire 'lungwort', Sepette 'pruning knife', Thlaspi 'pennycross', Thimele 'rose daphne', Chiendent 'couchgrass', Trainasse 'knotweed', Lievre 'hare', Guedre 'dyer's woad', Voisetier 'hazelnut', Cyclamen 'sowbread', Chelidoine 'celandine', Traineau 'sleigh'.

Ventose is from the Latin for 'windy'. It begins on 19th, 20th or 21st of February. While the metric weeks retain the ten-day names, different names are given for each of the thirty days but retain the idea of plants, with the addition of 5th (Quintidi) taking the name of a domesticated animal and the 10th (Decadi) the name of an agricultural tool. Tussilage 'coltsfoot', Cornouiller 'dogwood', Viollier 'stock', Troene 'privet', Bouc 'billy goat', Asaret 'wild ginger', Alaterne 'evergreen buckthorne', Violette 'violet', Marceau 'willow', Beche 'spade', Narcisse 'narcissus', Orme 'elm', Fumeterre 'fumitory', Velar 'hedge mustard', Chevre 'goat', Epinard 'spinach', Doronic 'leopard's bane', Mouron 'pimpernel', Cerfeuil 'chervil', Cordeau 'twine', Mandragore 'mandrake', Percil 'parsley', Cochleria 'scurvygrass', Paquerette 'daisy', Thon 'tuna', Pissenlit 'dandelion', Sylvie 'anemone', Capillaire 'maidenhead fern', Frene 'ash tree', Plantoir 'dibble'.

Germinal is from the Latin for 'germination', most often simply said to be 'seed'. It begins on either the 20th or 21st of March. While the metric weeks retain the ten-day names, different names are given for each of the thirty days but retain the idea of plants, with the addition of 5th (Quintidi) taking the name of a domesticated animal and the 10th (Decadi) the name of an agricultural tool. Primevere 'primrose', Platane 'plane tree', Asperge 'asparagus', Tulipe 'tulip', Poule 'hen', Blette 'beetroot', Bouleau 'birch', Jonquille 'jonquil', Aulne 'alder', Couvoir 'hatchery', Pervenche 'periwinkle', Charme 'hornbeam', Morille 'round morel', Hetre 'beech', Abeille 'bee', Laitue 'lettuce', Meleze 'larch', Cigue 'hemlock', Radis 'radish', Ruche 'beehive', Gainier 'Judas tree', Romaine 'cos lettuce', Maronnier 'horse chestnut', Roquette 'rocket', Pigeon 'pigeon', Anemone / Lilas 'anemone or lilac', Pensee 'pansy', Myrtil 'blueberry', Greffoir 'graft knife'.

Floreal comes from the Latin for 'flower'. It begins in either 20th or 21st of April. While the metric weeks retain the ten-day names, different names are given for each of the thirty days but retain the idea of plants, with the addition of 5th (Quintidi) taking the name of a domesticated animal and the 10th (Decadi) the name of an agricultural tool. Rose 'rose', Chene 'oak', Fougere 'fern', Aubepine 'hawthorn', Rossignol 'nightingale', Ancolie 'columbine', Muguet 'lily of the valley', Champignon 'mushroom', Hyacinthe 'hyacinth', Rateau 'rake', Rhubarbe 'rhubarb', Sain-foin 'sainfoin', Baton d'or 'wallflower', Chamerisier 'dwarf honeysuckle', Ver-a-sole 'silkworm', Consoude 'comfrey', Pimprenelle 'burnet', Corbeil d'or 'alison', Arroche 'orache', Sarcloir 'hoe', Statice 'sea lavender', Fritillaire 'fritillary', Bourrache 'borage', Valeriane 'valerian', Carpe 'carp', Fusian 'spindle tree', Civette 'chive', Buglose 'bugloss', Seneve 'charlock', Houlette 'shepherd's staff.

Prairal is from the French word for 'meadow'. It begins on either 20th or 21st of May. While the metric weeks retain the ten-day names, different names are given for each of the thirty days but retain the idea of plants, with the addition of 5th (Quintidi) taking the name of a domesticated animal and the 10th (Decadi) the name of an agricultural tool. Luserne 'lucerne', Hemerocalle 'daylily', Trefle 'clover', Angelique 'angelica', Canard 'duck', Melisse 'melissa', Fromental 'oat grass', Martagon 'martagon lily', Serpolet 'wild thyme', Faulx 'scythe', Fraise 'strawberry', Betoine 'betony', Pois 'pea', Acacia 'acacia', Caille 'quail', Oeillet 'pink', Sureau 'elder', Pavot 'poppy', Tilleul 'lime tree', Fourche 'pitchfork', Barbeau 'cornflower', Camomille 'chamomile', Chevrefeuille 'honeysuckle', Caille lait 'bedstraw', Tranche 'tench', Jasmin 'jasmine', Verveine 'vervain', Thym 'thyme', Pivoine 'peony', Chariot 'cart.

Messidore is from Latin for 'harvest'. It begins on either 19th or 20th of June. While the metric weeks retain the ten-day names, different names are given for each of the thirty days but retain the idea of plants, with the addition of 5th (Quintidi) taking the name of a domesticated animal and the 10th (Decadi) the name of an agricultural tool. Seigle 'rye', Avoine 'oats', Oignon 'onion', Veronique 'speedwell', Mulet 'mule', Romarin 'rosemary', Concombre 'cucumber', Echalotte 'shallot', Absynthe 'wormwood', Faucille 'sickle', Coriandre 'coriander', Artichaut 'artichoke', Giroflee 'clove', Lavande 'lavender', Chamois 'chamois', Tabac 'tobacco', Groseille 'currant', Cesse 'vetchling', Cerise 'cherry', Parc 'fold', Menthe 'mint', Cumin 'caraway', Haricot 'bean', Orcanete 'alkanet', Pintade 'guinea fowl', Sauge 'sage', Ail 'garlic', Vesce 'vetch', Ble 'wheat', Chalemie 'shawm.

Thermidor is derived from the French 'heat', although some printed calendars give this as Fervidor or 'hot'. It begins on either 19th or 20th July. While the metric weeks retain the ten-day names, different names are given for each of the thirty days but retain the idea of plants, with the addition of 5th (Quintidi) taking the name of a domesticated animal and the 10th (Decadi) the name of an agricultural tool. Epeautre 'spelt', Bouillon blanc 'mullein', Melon 'melon', Ivraie 'ryegrass', Belier 'ram', Prele 'horsetail', Armoise 'mugwort', Carthame 'safflower', Mure 'mulberry', Arrosoir 'watering can', Panic 'eryngo', Salicor 'glasswort', Abricot 'apricot', Basilic 'basil', Brebis 'ewe', Guimauve 'marsh mallow', Lin 'flax', Amande 'almond', Genthiane 'gentian', Ecluse 'lock', Carline 'silver thistle', Caprier 'caper', Lentille 'lentil', Aunee 'elecampane', Loutre 'otter', Myrthe 'myrtle', Colza 'rapeseed', Lupin 'lupin', Coton 'cotton', Moulin 'mill'.

Fructidor comes from the Latin for 'fruit'. It begins on either August 18th or 19th. While the metric weeks retain the ten-day names, different names are given for each of the thirty days but retain the idea of plants, with the addition of 5th (Quintidi) taking the name of a domesticated animal and the 10th (Decadi) the name of an agricultural tool. Prune 'plum', Millet 'millet', Licoperde 'puffball', Escourgeon 'barleygrass', Saumon 'salmon', Tubereuse 'tuberose', Sucrion 'barleygrass', Apocyn 'dogbane', Reglisse 'licquorice', Echelle 'ladder', Pasteque 'watermelon', Fenouil 'fennel', Epine vinette 'barberry', Noix 'walnut', Truite 'trout', Citron 'lemon', Cardiere 'teasel', Nerprun 'buckthorn', Tagette 'African marigold', Hotte 'basket', Eglantier 'dog rose', Noisette 'hazelnut', Houblon 'hops', Sorgho 'soghum', Ecrevisse 'bitterorange', Verge d'or 'golden rod', Mais 'corn', Marron 'horse chestnut', Panier 'basket'.

Even for the French this calendar proved but unappealing and having implemented it in 1793 then abandoned the system just 12 years later. A short revival in 1871 similarly saw little support, actually the Paris Commune's use lasted just 12 days or a whole megasecond.

As this is being posted on December 11th 2016, as far as I can tell this, had the French proved popular, would mean today is: silver maple, first of the third decade of frost month.

Note the piece uses English spellings as it is written in English and speaking of which, one 19th-century British wit made a little fun of the new months by renaming them "Wheezy, Sneezy, Freezy, Slippy, Drippy, Nippy, Showery, Flowery, Bowery, Hoppy, Croppy, and Poppy.