Hymeneal

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Brazilian dude
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Hymeneal

Postby Brazilian dude » Mon Nov 07, 2005 9:47 pm

Hymeneal
Function: noun
1 plural, archaic : NUPTIALS
2 archaic : a wedding hymn
It sounds almost like Hi, Manuel. :)

Brazilian dude
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gailr
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Postby gailr » Mon Nov 07, 2005 10:13 pm

dude, you left out its further etymology
Hymeneal "wedding hymn" is 1717, from L. hymenaeus, from Gk. hymenaios "belonging to wedlock, wedding, wedding song," from Hymen, Gk. god of marriage, represented as a youth carrying a torch and a veil.
Those associations loaded additional interesting baggage onto the Christianization of the western world.

Now, I'm also wondering if this is where the English expression "to carry a torch for" (e.g. to persist in an unrequited love) comes from.

-gailr4

Grogie
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Postby Grogie » Tue Nov 08, 2005 6:26 am

Excellent word Brazilian Dude.


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