The Unexpected Evolution of Language (11 page)

Anyway, thanks in part to Bardot and to French New Wave cinema, France became the epicenter of world culture for a time. Americans borrowed the word “discotheque,” and opened their own versions. By the mid-1960s, discotheques were a common sight in American cities.

Then, thanks to America’s proclivity to shorten words—and probably due to many Americans’ inability to spell “discotheque” properly—the French word was shortened to “disco.” The word came to represent both the music
and
the clubs that played it, and thus paved the way for Studio 54, the Village People, and, ultimately, the backlash against disco that effectively killed it as a music genre by the early 1980s.

But Can You Dance to It?

Only two words in English—borrowed from French, of course—end in the letters “theque.” One is “discotheque,” typically shortened to “disco.” Today—perhaps with a hint of irony, perhaps not—people still like to “go retro” and dance to disco music.

The other “theque” word is known only to film snobs. A cinematheque is a place with a collection of art-house films that it screens regularly. Again, note that the word’s ending suggests “collection.” Beginning in France in the 1930s, cinematheques have crossed the pond and can be found in cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, and even a notable one in Charlottesville, Virginia, on the campus of the University of Virginia.

dogma

ORIGINAL DEFINITION:
philosophical tenet (arguable)

NEW DEFINITION:
belief many deem absolutely true and inarguable

The ancient Greeks, known for their schools of philosophy, gave English the word that became “dogma.” Yet, most likely, Plato, Aristotle, and others would be displeased with what has become of the term.

Originally, dogmata (still an acceptable plural for dogma) were ideas or philosophies people held and batted around at what passed for cocktail parties in ancient Athens: “You believe a soul exists? What an interesting dogma. My dogma is that there is no such thing as a soul.”

As Christianity gained an increasing presence in the world, “dogma” was “borrowed” to describe the tenets held by the Christian faith. Oops. Now faith has entered the picture. Then, as today, people clung to their beliefs and would not entertain the possibility that their beliefs might be misguided, incomplete, or just plain wrong.

Before long, dogmata were no longer ideas to discuss over a cup of wine. They were the source of war, religious schism, family destruction, and nation-building. By the way, “dogma” was considered a Greek word in English until the nineteenth century.

doll

ORIGINAL DEFINITION:
diminutive of Dorothy

NEW DEFINITION:
toy in the form of a human

The objects called dolls have been around for at least 4,000 years. Primitive ones have been found in Egyptian tombs. Articulated dolls wearing clothing have been dated to 200 years before Christ.

Nonetheless, the word “doll” is only a little over 300 years old, and it hasn’t always meant a child’s plaything. Initially, it was a nickname for Dorothy, in the way that Molly is a nickname for Mary.

Before it referred to something little girls played with, a “doll” was something big, grown-up men, um, played with. The word became interchangeable with “slattern” or “slut,” most likely because “Doll” was such a common nickname at the time.

As other words were used to describe ladies of the evening, “doll” lost its connection to the, um, midnight arts. “Doll” became a word for a child’s toy around 1700. Later in the eighteenth century, “doll” became a putdown for women. To call someone a doll was to suggest that she was as empty-headed as a child’s plaything. The word still has a pejorative ring when used in place of a woman’s name.

doom

ORIGINAL DEFINITION:
a law; a judgment

NEW DEFINITION:
destruction; ruin

Originally, “doom” was a secular word that referred to laws.

Christianity played the biggest role in dooming “doom,” because of the Last Judgment. On this particular “doomsday,” believers think that Jesus Christ will come down and pass judgment on everyone. For most people, that day probably won’t be a very good one. Not a Christian? Oh, too bad. Zap! Stopped going to church? What a shame! Zap! Whether or not you believe in the Last Judgment, the connection between “doom” and destruction was formed and remains.

More modern laws have also been partners with destruction.
Plessy v. Ferguson
, anyone? This late nineteenth-century law made segregation acceptable, robbed African Americans of any rights they earned during Reconstruction, and immeasurably set back the course of human rights in the United States.

The intended—or unintended—consequences of some laws helped “doom” take on its present, best-known meaning as a partner for “gloom.”

E

eager

ORIGINAL DEFINITION:
sharp (as in sour); sharp (as in keen)

NEW DEFINITION:
enthusiastic

“Eager” used to have many meanings, mainly based on the root words from which it derived. One root had mostly negative connotations: harsh, bitter, sour. Another root was positive: lively, active. A third root word sounds downright belligerent. It had meanings like sharp, piercing, and zealous. Thus, when the word first appeared in English, it had a mixture of meanings. It could signify anger, or it could signify any ardent feelings.

By the fourteenth century, English speakers decided to resolve all these different meanings into a new one that only tangentially seems related to its roots. The word “eager” became a synonym for “zealous.” After all, someone eager is probably also ardent, and thus zealous. “Eager” carried this sharp-edged slant into the nineteenth century.

Nowadays, “eager” is a mostly positive word. When someone shows
too
much eagerness, there are new words—less positive—to describe him or her: overeager, sycophant, lackey, and brown-noser.

economy

ORIGINAL DEFINITION:
household management

NEW DEFINITION:
financial resources of a country

Once upon a time, “economy” dealt specifically with the management of an individual household. The Greek word that led to “economy” meant just that: household management.

Of course, even in its earliest days, finances played a part in taking care of one’s family. But in a largely agricultural world, that was only one among many responsibilities. There was also the need to care for animals, to assign various tasks, to gather up people to help with harvests, to educate one’s children at home, etc.

The widespread exploration of the 1400s and 1500s led to global interconnectedness. For example, gold discoveries in Latin America in the 1500s began a shift toward the gold standard in many countries.

That’s how, by the middle of the 1600s, “economy” began to have an explicitly financial meaning. If one spoke of household economy, then it meant “household resources.” In most cases, however, the word now refers to the financial resources of a country.

More Economies

Ultimately, “economy” overflowed its banks, so to speak, and led to the creation of two terms. Microeconomics deals with financial resources within households and individual businesses, while macroeconomics deals with the entire world’s financial resources.

edify

ORIGINAL DEFINITION:
to build; construct

NEW DEFINITION:
to instruct someone in matters of education or morality

Maybe you’ve wondered about the connection between “edify” and “edifice.” Cleary, they’re related words, but one has to with buildings and one doesn’t. It turns out that there
is
a connection between “edifice” and “edify,” but it’s been lost to history.

In the fourteenth century, “edify” focused on buildings. Monks might “edify” a church. A king might “edify” a castle. The word suggested building something. Period. Of course, it didn’t take too long for people to ascribe to the word a metaphorical sense of “build someone’s faith.” In medieval times, the Church reigned supreme. Education meant
religious
education. Thus, nothing was more important to the Church than creating structures of faith—both literally and in people’s minds.

As time went on, “edify” came loose from its foundation. The word stopped referring primarily to structures and began to refer almost exclusively to people. Though the word still suggests instructing someone morally, it’s most often heard today in a nonsecular manner.

eerie

ORIGINAL DEFINITION:
fearful; timid

NEW DEFINITION:
frightening due to a strange or unexpected quality

For about 400 years, someone might describe you as “eerie” if you spooked easily. One of the word’s roots means “unmanly.” Thus, “eerie” men were cowards.

As time went on, the word made a shift from denoting someone who is afraid to describing something that
causes
fear. Basically, it just transformed from a passive to an active word. By the turn of the nineteenth century, “eerie” became the perfect word to describe everything from gothic horror novels to coyote howls to Theremin music.

If you ever find yourself in the Scottish Highlands, then you’ll discover that “eerie” maintains its original meaning. To this day, “eerie” is a synonym of “afraid.” So, don’t start any fights in the local pub by using the word incorrectly.

egregious

ORIGINAL DEFINITION:
exceptional or outstanding, in a good way

NEW DEFINITION:
exceptional or outstanding, in a bad way

Originally, “egregious” simply meant exceptional or outstanding. It was an “attaboy” word. “Good fellow,” one might have said circa 1550, “that was an egregious display of archery skill.” And the recipient of the remark might have beamed with delight.