The Greek & Latin Roots of English (30 page)

Hermon of Thasus. His blindness was cured by Asclepius. But, since afterward he did not bring the thank-offerings, the god made him blind again. When he came back and slept again in the Temple, the god made him well
.

—inscription from the temple of Asclepius at Epidaurus, Greece

There are doctors who attempt to straighten us out or get us back on our feet:

There are doctors who specialize in the diseases of particular organs:

Take a Deep Breath

South Carolina's state motto is
dum spiro spero
. “As long as I am breathing, I have hope.”

Other doctors specialize in particular age groups or in a particular gender:

Hippocratic Oath

The oath that medical students take today has its origins in Greek medicine. Called the Hippocratic Oath, it is attributed to one of the most famous of ancient Greek healers, Hippocrates.

I swear by Apollo, the healer, by Asclepius, by Hygieia and Panacea and all the divinities of healing, and call to witness all the gods and goddesses that I may keep this oath and promise to the best of my ability and judgment … that I will use my power to help the sick to the best of my ability and judgment; that I will abstain from harming or wronging anyone by it…. If, therefore, I observe this oath and do not violate it, may I prosper both in my life and my art, gaining good repute among all men for all time. If I transgress and forswear this oath, may my lot be otherwise.

DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT

Take Two Pills and Call Me in the Morning

When you go to the pharmacy to fill a prescription, be very careful. The root of the word is pharmakos (φαρμακός) = poisoner.

TO SLEEP, PERCHANCE TO DREAM

Sometimes, all it takes is a good night's sleep to make us feel better …

Mosaic “skull,” representing the finality of death. It was uncovered in the dining room of a house in Pompeii, Italy. (Museo Archeo-logico Nazionale, Naples)

but it doesn't cure everything, for we are mortal …

Remember:
de mortuis, nil nisi bonum
: about the dead, (speak) nothing but good.

Perseus slaying the gorgon Medusa. Sixth century BCE (Selinunte, Sicily)

Dig in Your Heels …

Sometimes a word goes through so many changes of meaning that its original root is unnoticed.
Recalcitrant
, which now means unmanageable or stubborn, is derived from the Latin
calx, calcis
= heel of the foot. The verb
recalcitrare
originally meant to kick back one's heels, and was applied to horses.

Or Change Your Mind
!

Some words are nice to know just because they sound so interesting.
Tergiversate
means to change one's mind or opinion, but its literal meaning is derived from

tergum, tergi
(back)

verso-versare-versatum
(turn)

If you don't turn your back on an idea, you may turn your mind toward it in a critical way. Thus, we have the verb
animadvert
, which originally meant to take notice of, but which has now come to mean to criticize, or pay attention in a negative way.

Looks Can Wound, and Words Can Hurt!

A supercilious individual is contemptuous of others and demonstrates it by raising his eyebrows, and sarcastic words can seem to tear at our skin.