Jeremiad

Use this forum to discuss past Good Words.
User avatar
Dr. Goodword
Site Admin
Posts: 7417
Joined: Wed Feb 02, 2005 9:28 am
Location: Lewisburg, PA
Contact:

Jeremiad

Postby Dr. Goodword » Mon Nov 03, 2014 12:04 am

• jeremiad •

Pronunciation: je-rê-mai-ed • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Noun

Meaning: An extended lamentation. a long, drawn-out complaining tirade, often accompanied by a prophecy or insinuation of imminent doom.

Notes: One could write a jeremiad about this word itself, a poor lexical orphan without siblings or offspring, whose parentage lies far away in the Middle East. However, the Word History will show its lineage to be heavenly and presents no cause for lament.

In Play: Today's heavenly word works even in down-to-earth situations: "Every time I ask you to clean the garage, all I hear is a jeremiad about how much easier your sister's chores are than yours!" However, the word itself may be more at home in conversations on more elevated topics: "I grow a bit weary of the jeremiads against progress and modernity that constitute the core of contemporary literature."

Word History: Today's Good Word comes from Jeremiah + -ad (as in Iliad) in reference to the lamentations of Jeremiah in the Old Testament. Jeremiah comes from Late Latin Ieremias borrowed from Hebrew yirmêyahu "Yahweh has raised", based on yirm "he has raised" + yah(u), a shortening of Yahweh. Yirm is an old form of ramâ "to establish, raise up", based on the root *rmy. Yahweh "God, The Lord" is based on the root *ywh, which meant "to be or become", perhaps originally meaning "he who brings into being". Shortenings of Yahweh occur in many Hebrew names: Matthew is from mattayyah "gift of Yahweh", and Elijah, from Hebrew oeliyahu "my God (is) Yahweh". John, Jean, Johann, Giovanni, and Ivan are all from yohanan "Yahweh has been gracious". Jesus in Hebrew is yeshua, a shortening of yehoshua "Joshua", also akin to Hosea, Biblical king.
• The Good Dr. Goodword

LukeJavan8
Great Grand Panjandrum
Posts: 4423
Joined: Fri Oct 09, 2009 6:16 pm
Location: Land of the Flat Water

Re: Jeremiad

Postby LukeJavan8 » Mon Nov 03, 2014 12:54 pm

It is so interesting how Biblical names had "meanings" as
mentioned today, and how modern names come from them.
Much akin to the Native American people whose names
also indicated a trait of the person named. Biblical folks
also had their names changed when a great feat was
accomplished: Jacob>Israel; Sarai>Sarah; Avram>Abraham.
Native Americans had similar traits....Curly>Crazy Horse.
Our names today seem to follow only the latest reality show
star or Hollywood Royalty.
-----please, draw me a sheep-----

Philip Hudson
Great Grand Panjandrum
Posts: 2784
Joined: Thu Feb 23, 2006 4:41 am
Location: Texas

Re: Jeremiad

Postby Philip Hudson » Wed Nov 05, 2014 4:32 pm

Taking my clue from Luke, one of the most interesting Amerind names I know was Charles Tsali Usgasit Renatus Hicks a Cherokee leader. His name given at birth was Tsali which probably has a a Cherokee meaning that I don't know. His father was English and so his last name was Hicks. As a youth he was named Usgasit which means something like "Hell raiser" in Cherokee. He was sowing his wild oats at the time. When he became a leader and negotiated with the American Government, he took the name of Charles because Tsali sounded much like Charlie. When he was baptized he was given the name Renatus from Latin, or thereabouts, meaning born again. He was the Education Director of the Cherokee Nation, starting many schools and recruiting English speaking teachers. He invented a Cherokee syllable writing system using the Roman alphabet that was much superior to the writing system invented by his cousin, Sequoia. He knew English and Cherokee fluently, read Latin and Greek scholarly and was serving as Principal Chief at his death. I hold him as one of the greatest Amerinds of the United States.
It is dark at night, but the Sun will come up and then we can see.

LukeJavan8
Great Grand Panjandrum
Posts: 4423
Joined: Fri Oct 09, 2009 6:16 pm
Location: Land of the Flat Water

Re: Jeremiad

Postby LukeJavan8 » Wed Nov 05, 2014 7:26 pm

That is totally fascinating from me. Thanks so much for
sharing that. I've saved it as well a sent it on to a couple
of my Native friends. I had a Native American grandmother
so I find so much of this really interesting. Again thanks
for taking the time.
-----please, draw me a sheep-----


Return to “Good Word Discussion”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 45 guests