VATIC

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Dr. Goodword
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VATIC

Postby Dr. Goodword » Wed Nov 12, 2008 11:16 pm

• vatic •

Pronunciation: væ-dik • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Adjective

Meaning: Prophetic, oracular, capable of foreseeing and predicting the future.

Notes: Although we use both prophetic and oracular in today's definition, they are not the same. An oracle in ancient Greek and Rome, of course, was a prophecy that came from the gods and was conveyed by someone powerful enough to be in direct contact with the gods. Vatic carries a tinge of this sense. The adjective for this Good Word is vatical and the adverb, vatically. No one seems to have ventured a noun thus far. Today's word is unrelated to Vatican. That word came from Mons Vaticanus "Vatican Hill" named by the Etruscans before the Romans arrived.

In Play: Remember that today's word means "prophetic" with overtones of an infallible oracle: "The company president addressed the board of directors about the future profits of the company in such vatic tones that most members believed him." Of course, you don't have to be an oracle to have vatic powers: "When she shops, mom uses her vatic powers to predict which items will cost more and which will cost less next week."

Word History: English obtained today's Good Word from Latin vates "seer", a word Latin apparently borrowed from a Celtic language. The Celtic language inherited it from a Proto-Indo-European root wet-/wot- "blow, inspire". This same root underlies Wednesday, which was originally Woden's Day, named for the Anglo-Saxon god of wisdom, war, and death, Woden. This root also entered Old English as wod "insane", a word that did not survive the passage of time. It may have lost its W and become the root of Greek atmos "steam", a word that was combined with Latin sphaera to produce atmosphere.
• The Good Dr. Goodword

Cacasenno
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Postby Cacasenno » Thu Nov 13, 2008 6:49 am

vaticinate

SYLLABICATION: va·tic·i·nate
PRONUNCIATION: v-ts-nt, v-
VERB: Inflected forms: va·tic·i·nat·ed, va·tic·i·nat·ing, va·tic·i·nates
TRANSITIVE VERB: To prophesy; foretell. See synonyms at foretell.
INTRANSITIVE VERB: To be a prophet.
ETYMOLOGY: Latin vticinr, vticint-, from vts, seer. See vatic.
OTHER FORMS: va·tici·nator —NOUN


The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

I am a champion vaticinator (ex eventu)

Perry
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Postby Perry » Thu Nov 13, 2008 5:59 pm

Any relationship between this and The Vatican?
"Time is nature's way of keeping everything from happening all at once. Lately it hasn't been working."
Anonymous

Cacasenno
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Postby Cacasenno » Fri Nov 14, 2008 10:30 am

Any relationship between this and The Vatican?
The name Vatican preceeds Christianity.

Vatican hill is one outside ancient Rome (not part of the classical Seven Hills).
It is supposed to be a place where Etruscan foretellers used to gather on the location of a holm tree reputed to be the oldest tree in the area (typical of pagan Europe of the times). Later, a not too clearly defined Roman god, Vaticanus, was superimposed to became part of the vast Roman pantheon .

At a time when burial was not permitted on Roman metropolitan soil (hence the catacombs), St. Peter was buried at the foot of the Vatican Hill and, some 300 years later, the convert emperor Constantin donated that same place to the Christians.
The first of St. Peter’s cathedrals was erected on that spot, probably over a St Peter’s chapel or shrine existing since early times. The present cathedral was erected over the old one’s foundations with the Vatican Hill now part of metropolitan Rome.
The Church and Rome gradually become one single entity but never specifically identified with the name of the spot of St. Peter’s burial. As of today, the primary church of Rome is St. John’s and the pope is also bishop of St John and of Rome.

The expanding State of the Church went to cover most of central Italy, i.e. roughly the ancient Roman State proper, until Italian final unification when the Church was relegated to the area around St. Peter’s cathedral and taking on the name Vatican State. Thus Vatican and Roman Church become synonymous only after the middle of the 19th century.

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Goodword 'vatic' is indicated as an adjective yet the adjective 'vatical' is also listed. Hence my suggestion for the verb 'vaticinate' hoping for a clarification.

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The Indians cut wood for the winter then walk up to the top of Prediction Hill and ask the Old man there:
- Cold winter?
- Cold, is the reply
So the Indians return back to the village and cut more wood. Back they go to the Old Man:
- Very cold winter?
- Very.
Off they go again to cut yet more wood.
- Very bad cold winter?
- Very bad.
- How you know?
- Simple, me see people down there cutting wood like no tomorrow.


And lots of snow, Gailr

Perry
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Postby Perry » Fri Nov 14, 2008 4:34 pm

Good one!
"Time is nature's way of keeping everything from happening all at once. Lately it hasn't been working."
Anonymous


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