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Comments by peritus

  • The divorce passage is in Matthew 1:19. It might not sound familiar to some by exactly that term, as the KJV translates the line as saying Joseph "was minded to put her away privily", while the NAS says he "desired to put her away secretly", the NRS says he "planned to dismiss her", etc. The NIV reads that "he had in mind to divorce her quietly." The Greek text reads: �?βουλήθη λάθ�?ᾳ ἀπολῦσαι α�?τήν. "ἀπολῦσαι" there is the infinitive of ἀπολύω, which, in classical Greek, had several meanings, from formally acquitting a someone of a charge in a legal sense, to releasing a person for ransom or even the disbanding of an army, but in the NT, it is used to mean divorce specifically in a few places (Mark 10:2, 4 and 11, for instance), including, apparently, in this passage. Hope that helps.

    February 10, 2008

  • A fight with balls. Can be said of fights with cannon and the like, but can also be said of many sports insofar as they are competitions: for instance, it would apply to golf, bowling, tennis, basketball, baseball, etc.

    February 10, 2008

  • From the Greek alectry- (cock) and machia (battle). This seems to have morphed in some English contexts into "alectoromachy", but alectryomachy retains the Greek form.

    February 10, 2008

  • From the Greek arkto- (bear) and machia (battle). A bear fight. See also cynarctomachy.

    February 10, 2008

  • From the Greek kun- (dog), arkto- (bear) and machia (battle).

    February 10, 2008

  • Specifically, the battle between the giants and the gods in Greek mythology; cf. titanomachy.

    February 10, 2008

  • Fighting over images or idols; specifically, the opposition to the use of such things in religious contexts.

    February 10, 2008

  • From the Greek osto- (bone) and machia (battle). Lit., a battle with bones. Actually an ancient Greek game played with fourteen pieces of bone that sounds very similar to modern tangrams.

    Ausonius wrote of it in a letter, saying:

    "ossicula ea sunt: ad summam quattuordecim figuras geometricas habent. sunt enim aeqauliter triquetra: uel obliquis: isocele ipsi uel isopleura uocant, orthogonia quoque et scalena. harum uerticularum uariis coagmentis simulantur species mille formarum: helephantus belwa aut aper bestia, anser uolans et mirmillo in armis, subsidens uenator et latrans canis, quin et turris et cantharus et alia huiusmodi innumerabilium figurarum, quae alius alio scientius uariegant. sed peritorum concinnatio miraculum est, imperitorum iunctura ridiculum." (Decimus Magnus Ausonius, Opuscula, Peoper recension, XII, Technopaegnion, XVII, "Cento nuptialis", 42-54, p. 208 (Teubner; 1886).)

    Or, roughly, "There they are little pieces of bone: having fourteen geometric figures in total. Some are equilateral triangles, or oblique, and also isosceles, scalene and right angles. By the joining of these together in various ways, they can be made to resemble all manner of things: a monstrous elephant or a bestial boar, a flying goose and an armed gladiator, a crouching hunter and a barking dog, even a tower and a tankard and innumerable other things of that kind, which vary according to the skill of this or that player. But while the compositions of the skilled are marvellous, the assemblings of the unskilled are laughable."

    February 10, 2008

  • The battle of the Titans against the gods in Greek mythology.

    February 10, 2008

  • From the Greek aella (storm, whirlwind) and machia (battle): a fight or struggle against a storm.

    February 10, 2008

  • A battle fought in the air.

    February 10, 2008

  • A battle bravely fought.

    February 10, 2008

  • From the Greek andros (man, person) and machia (battle): a fight with another person.

    February 10, 2008

  • From the Greek aöidos (enchanter, minstrel, songstress, bard, etc.) and machia (battle): a fighting or contending with verses; a battle of poets, writers or singers. Perhaps exchanges of buskers and filkers playfully (or not so much so) riffing off of one another for sport might be a modern example of aöidomachia.

    February 10, 2008

  • From the Greek hapsis (contact) and machia (battle): a mild or small battle; a skirmish.

    February 10, 2008

  • From the Greek bia/biaeos (constrained, violent) and machia (battle); violent battle.

    February 10, 2008

  • Desiring, or eager for, battle.

    February 10, 2008

  • Capable of fighting an hundred men; from the Greek hecatonta- (a unit of 100) and machia (battle).

    February 10, 2008

  • A battle involving centaurs, a popular theme in Greek myth and art involving the same.

    February 10, 2008

  • From the Greek myo- (mouse) and machia (battle), a battle of mice. Cf. batrachomyomachia.

    February 10, 2008

  • A champion in battle; a defender

    February 10, 2008

  • From the Greek polo- (axis, axle) and machia (battle), fighting from a chariot (compare hippomachia, fighting from horseback).

    February 10, 2008

  • From the Greek pylae (pillars, gate posts) and machia (battle), a fight at the gates (of a city) or on the borders.

    February 10, 2008

  • From the Greek hoplon (tool, weapon) and machia (battle), meaning lit. a battle with heavy arms or the art of using the same. More generally, this term has been used for the art of war itself and tactics.

    February 10, 2008

  • From the Greek hippo- (horse) and machia (battle). This can be a fight between horses, but primarily is used to mean a battle involving cavalry or battle from horseback.

    February 10, 2008

  • One who is bold or strong in battle. Compare aristomachic.

    February 10, 2008

  • Lit., a chief or aristocrat of battle or war; thus, used for the best or most-skilled, most-valued in battle. Compare thrasymachic.

    February 10, 2008

  • From the Greek theo- (god) and machia (battle), a fight with or against a god, or a battle of the gods with one another. Some books of the Iliad were known by this title.

    February 10, 2008

  • From the Greek nyx- (night) and machia (battle), fighting by night.

    February 10, 2008

  • From the Greek neso- (island) and machia (battle), a conflict or battle taking place on or around an island or islands.

    February 10, 2008

  • Alas, not a battle by Pez-dispenser, but a battle by land, from the Greek pezo- (by foot, on land) and machia (battle).

    February 10, 2008

  • A military alliance for the purpose of either offense or defense. Compare epimachia, which can only be defensive.

    February 10, 2008

  • A military alliance for defensive purposes. Compare to symmachia, which can be for defensive or offensive purposes.

    February 10, 2008

  • From the Greek miso- (hate) and machia (battle), is hate for war or battle.

    February 10, 2008

  • From the Greek pyro- (fire) and machia (battle), fighting with fire.

    February 10, 2008

  • From the Greek gamo- (marriage) and machia (battle), a domestic fight; fighting with one's partner or spouse.

    February 10, 2008

  • Latin, "boxing", to fight with bare hands or with the cestus, a sort of Roman boxing-glove consisting of a leather strip tied to the hands and weighted with a piece of lead or iron.

    February 10, 2008

  • Boxing. From the Greek; shares the same root as pugilist, and its origin, the Latin pugilatus.

    February 10, 2008

  • From the Greek rhabdo- (staff) and machia (battle), a combat fought with staves, foils or long sticks.

    February 10, 2008

  • Form the Greek teicho- (walls) and machia (battle). Literally a battle of walls, it is used to refer to sieges. Historically, the 12th chapter of the Iliad was called by this title.

    February 10, 2008

  • From the Greek cypello- (cup) and machia (battle), a competition with cups---i.e., a drinking contest.

    February 10, 2008

  • From the Greek mono- (one) and machia (battle), thus a battle fought one to one or with single combatants. Compare anchemachia; contrast telemachia.

    February 10, 2008

  • From the Greek anche- (near, close) and machia (battle). Means fighting up-close, in close quarters; hand-to-hand fighting. Cf. monomachia; contrast, telemachia.

    February 10, 2008

  • From the Greek tele- (far, distant, at a distance) and machia (battle). This can mean either a battle fought at a distance in the sense that combatants are at a distance from one another---e.g., siege weapons, archery, etc.---or in the sense that one is speaking of a battle that is at some distance from oneself, a foreign war, etc. E.g., Odysseus' son in The Odyssey, Telemachus, is named this because his father is away at war.

    Contrast: anchemachia.

    February 10, 2008

  • From the Greek psych- (soul) and machia (battle), thus a battle of the soul, literally, though used generally as any kind of desperate battle or conflict. E.g., the popular trope of horror film and literature, the "battle for one's soul", etc.

    February 10, 2008

  • From the Greek ithy- (erect, upright) and machia (battle): a fair fight. Cf. euthymachia.

    February 10, 2008

  • A fair fight. Compare ithymachia.

    February 10, 2008

  • Meaning easily attacked, assailable; said of a country open to attack. Contrast amachic.

    February 10, 2008

  • From the Greek iso- (equal, same) and machia (battle), meaning matched or even sizes, strengths in a battle or match; can be said of any contest, battle or game in which the sides are at even odds. Cf. axiomachic.

    February 10, 2008

  • From the Greek axio- (matched, even) and machia (battle), this means to be matched, or sufficient, in strength or number, to an opposing side in battle; that is, to be capable of going to battle with an opponent. Cf. isomachic.

    February 10, 2008

  • From the Greek dys- (difficult) and machia (battle), meaning something or someone difficult to fight with, hard (possibly impossible) to defeat. Can be said of any difficult challenge, or of an undefeated sporting champion of some sort, etc.

    February 10, 2008

  • A negation of promachic, this literally means not (a) for (pros) battle (machic), but has been used since Sophocles to suggest irresistible, unconquerable, something one cannot fight. Cf. amachic and dysmachic.

    February 10, 2008

  • The Greek machia (battle) with the negating prefix. Literally, without battle or fighting; met. said of a person that no one wants to or can fight, thus, invincible, unconquerable, etc., or when said of places, impregnable. For this sense, cf. aprosmachic and dysmachic.

    Can also mean simply one who hasn't participated in a battle, or one who won't, and thus can be used to mean peaceful. A conscientious objector to war, for instance, could be said to be amachic in the second sense. For this sense, cf. phygomachic.

    February 10, 2008

  • From the Greek apo- (away) and machia (battle); battle or conflict that took place at some point in the past. Can be used to speak of a veteran's former service---his or her apomachia.

    February 10, 2008

  • From the Greek phygo- (to flee or shun) and machia (battle). One who flees or shuns battles or fighting. Contrast with philomachic.

    February 10, 2008

  • From the Greek ôky- (quick, swift) and machia (battle). Quick to fight, eager for battle. Cf. promachic, philomachic.

    February 10, 2008

  • From the Greek pros (for, toward, before) and machia (battle), thus, lit. fighting at the front. Used to represent those eager to fight, and said of champions of battle. Compare philomachic, okymachic.

    February 10, 2008

  • From the Greek philo- (love, loving) and machia (battle), this adjective describes someone who loves to fight, who is warlike or eager for battle. Compare to promachic and okymachic; contrast against phygomachic.

    February 10, 2008

  • From the Greek batracho- (frog), herpeto- (snake) and machia (battle), thus a battle of frogs and snakes. Cf. batrachomyomachia.

    February 10, 2008

  • From the Greek batracho- (frog) myo- (mouse) and machia; thus, lit., a battle or fight between frogs and mice. Used generally to mean making a big deal out of little or nothing. Plutarch mockingly used it as a title for a work of Homer. Cf. batrachoherpetomachia.

    February 10, 2008

  • @trivet

    "onychodaky"? The Greek δακέειν means "to bite" as φᾰγεῖν (the source of -phagy) means "to eat".

    February 9, 2008

  • Hi, John; thanks for the welcome and the comment! Glad you like the list and my citations; I hope to be able to provide some sort of reference like that for all new terms I add. Thanks for a great site!

    February 9, 2008

  • A game designed by William Fulke (who also created metromachia) in the 16th C., and related in theme and concept to the older game of rythmomachia. The name joins the Greek ouranos and machia and signifies a battle or conflict of the heavens, the game having an astronomical basis, as contrasted against the arithmetical basis for rythmomachia and the geometrical basis of metromachia.

    February 9, 2008

  • A game designed by William Fulke (who also created ouranomachia) in the 16th C., and related in theme and concept to the older game of rythmomachia. The name joins the Greek metros and machia and signifies a battle or conflict of shape and measure, the game having a geometrical basis, as contrasted against the arithmetical basis for rythmomachia.

    February 9, 2008

  • From the Greek tauros (bull) and machia (battle, conflict, war); thus, bull-fight. See rythmomachia for more examples of the -machia combining element.

    February 9, 2008

  • From the Greek logos (word) and machia (war, battle, conflict), thus a battle of words; by extension, an argument or debate.

    "He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words" (I Timothy, 6:4)

    Cf. rythmomachia for other examples of the combining element -machia.

    February 9, 2008

  • From arithmomachia---called The Philosopher's Game---from the Greek arithmos (number) and machia (battle/war), was once a quite popular strategy game bearing some similarities to chess, though with the moves and attacks permitted in the game depending on numerical and arithmetical relationships between the pieces and their respective values, thus a battle of numbers. William Fulke also created two games in the 16th C. of similar thought and title, metromachia and ouranomachia, the former a battle of shapes and geometrical patterns, the latter some form of abstracted battle of the heavens.

    All three titles participate in the use of the Greek combining element -machia, which serves as the end of a number of other interesting words. E.g., hieromachia, tauromachia, logomachia, etc. Cf. J.G. Robertson's Words for a Modern Age: A Cross Reference of Latin and Greek Combining Elements (Senior Scribe: 1991), p. 89.

    February 9, 2008

  • From the Greek hieros (priest) and machia (battle, war, contest, fight, etc.), is the contending of or conflict between priests or other ministers of religion. It has also been used as the short title of a little quarto published in London in 1719, the full of which is, Hieromachia; or, A True, Sincere, Impartial account of a certain Dispute that happened August 1st. 1717, between K---- a Presbyter of the Church of England, and C---- a Presbyterian Teacher, concerning the Invalidity of the Anti-Episcopal Baptism; to which is added The Lancashire Tubster, or a Dialogue between Obadiah Cantwell, a Jockey and Tardipes, his inspired Ass; after which he meets with Tom Squab, a dissenting Brother, and then with his son Ephraim, a Tub-Teacher, and daughter Jude.

    February 9, 2008

  • From the Greek apo, away from, and anthrôpos, man/mankind, apanthropic means someone or something set apart or separate from people. Contrasting with misanthrope, which hates (mis-) people (anthrôpos), an apanthrope is merely someone who shuns or lacks their company, whether by choice or other consequence. E.g., when Prometheus is bound in Æschylus' play of the same name, the text

    δυσλυ�?τοις χαλκευ�?μασι

    π�?οσπασσαλευ�?σω τῳ̂δ' ἀπανθ�?ω�?πῳ πα�?γῳ

    ἱ�?ν' οὐ�?τε φωνὴν οὐ�?τε του μο�?φὴν β�?οτω̂ν

    ὀ�?ψει, (...)

    τοιαυ̂τ' ἐπηυ�?�?ω του̂ φιλανθ�?ω�?που τ�?ο�?που.

    reads "With unbreakable brass / I must fix you fast / to this apanthropic crag, / where nor sight nor sound / of mortal man you'll have. ... // Such is the price of your philanthropy."

    February 9, 2008

  • @chained_bear

    On the People Take Warning! three CD collection of "Murder Ballads & Disaster Songs, 1913-1938", there's a version of the track called "Naomi Wise" by Clarence Ashley. Doc Watson has also often performed a version under the title "Little Omie Wise", and Bob Dylan used to sing it in his earlier days. All the versions are based on the murder of Naomi Wise by Jonathan Lewis in Deep River, North Carolina in 1808; the story of which, along with a ballad version called "Poor Naomi", was printed in the Greensboro "Patriot" in April 1874.

    February 9, 2008

  • "logodaedalus (Gk logos, 'word' + daedal, from Daedalus the mythical artist, thus) An artificer in words (e.g., a poet). Logodaedaly is verbal legerdemain.", J.A. Cuddon, A Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory (Blackwell; 1998), p. 477.

    February 9, 2008

  • Constant use of, or habitual cursing involving, the word "hell". (David Grambs, Words about Words (McGraw-Hill; 1984), p. 163.)

    February 9, 2008

  • A sense or feeling of sorrow or sadness, without any apparent cause or source. (cf. J.E. Schmidt, Reversicon: A Medical Word Finder (Thomas; 1958), p. 440)

    February 9, 2008

  • "LUCTIFEROUS, (luctifer, L.) causing or bringing sorrow or mourning.", Nathan Bailey, An Universal Etymological English Dictionary (E. Bell; 1724)

    February 9, 2008

  • A mud bath. "ILLUTATIO. From in, upon, and lutum, mud. Illutation. The act of besmearing any part of the body with mud.", C.A. Harris, A Dictionary of Medical Terminology, Dental Surgery and the collateral Sciences (Lindsay & Blakiston; 1855), p. 379.

    February 9, 2008

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