Tag Archives: Etymology

People of Changing Colour

Posted on October 3, 2018 by Peter Kruschwitz

In a vitriolic letter to Marcella about one Onasus, dated to A. D. 385, St. Jerome, one of the Christian fathers, makes a remarkable, commonly overlooked statement (Letters 42.2): non et lucus ideo dicatur, quod minime luceat, et Parcae ab … Continue reading →

Posted in Carmina Epigraphica, Epigraphy, Poetry, Prose | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

False Etymologies

Posted on November 10, 2016 by Peter Kruschwitz

With a little (and really only just a little) too much time on my hands, I recently thought: why not enter terms that are on my mind a lot as search strings into the Packhum Latin database and see what … Continue reading →

Posted in Poetry, Prose | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

Interpreting the Interpreter’s Poem

Posted on July 21, 2015 by Peter Kruschwitz

Some time ago, I published a little piece about the idea that the etymology of a name should reveal something about the character of a person – nomen est omen – as reflected in the Latin inscriptions. One piece that … Continue reading →

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Vergil and the Minions (and a Blatantly False Translation)

Posted on July 19, 2015 by Peter Kruschwitz

UNCOVERED: the earliest attestation of  ‘Minions’ as followers of the mighty seeking to follow a boss and to lay waste to the establishment in Vergil‘s Aeneid (10.182–4, translation from here [slightly altered]; summary overview of the context available here). ter … Continue reading →

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What’s in a name: A Short and Poetic Story of Nominative Determinism

Posted on March 23, 2015 by Peter Kruschwitz

The Classicists-List, a listserv for those with an interest in Classical Studies and Ancient History (both rather broadly conceived), never fails to amaze me for the rather – shall we say – peculiar exchanges that ensue every now and then. … Continue reading →

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