The history of a word from its origin to its present use is called its etymology. Speakers of English borrow words from other languages. The bold word in the following paragraph from the novel has an interesting etymology:
"He tried to use the flagging power of his memory to recreate meals, and managed brief, tantalizing fragments: banquets with huge roasted meats; birthday parties with thick-frosted cakes..." (p. 172)
In Greek mythology, Tantalus was a wicked king who, as punishment for his crimes, was forced to stand in deep water with grapes growing overhead. The water receded (moved away from his reach) when he was thirsty, and the grapes receded when he was hungry.
The following is a definition of tantalize from the Random House Dictionary:
to torment with...the sight of something desired but out of reach
How does knowing the history of the word enrich the meaning of this paragraph?
How might being aware of etymology help you as a reader?
No comments:
Post a Comment