Prev | Current Page 184 | Next

Swinton, William, 1833-1892

"New Word-Analysis Or, School Etymology of English Derivative Words"


JO'VIAL, _gay, merry_: from "Jupiter" (Jovis),--the planet of that name
having in the Middle Ages been supposed to make those who were born under
it of a joyous temper.
LINNAE'AN, _relating to Linnaeus_--the celebrated Swedish botanist.
LU'THERAN, _relating to the doctrines of Luther_--a German religious
teacher of the 16th century.
MACHIAVEL'IAN, _cunning and sinister in politics_: from "Machiaveli"--an
Italian writer of the 15th century.
MERCU'RIAL, _active, sprightly_--having the qualities fabled to belong to
the god "Mercury."
MOSA'IC, _relating to Moses, his writings or his time_.
NEWTO'NIAN, _relating to Sir Isaac Newton and his philosophy_.
PINDAR'IC, _after the style and manner of Pindar_--a lyric poet of Greece.
PLATON'IC, _relating to the opinions or the school of Plato_,--a
philosopher of Greece, in the 4th century B.C.
PLUTON'IC, _relating to the interior of the earth, or to the Plutonic
theory in geology of the formation of certain rocks by fire_: from
"Pluto"--in classic mythology, the god of the infernal regions.
PROCRUS'TEAN, _relating to or resembling the mode of torture employed by
Procrustes_--a celebrated highwayman of ancient Attica, who tied his
victims upon an iron bed, and, as the case required, either stretched out
or cut off their legs to adapt them to its length.
PROME'THEAN, _relating to Prometheus_--a god fabled by the ancient poets to
have formed men from clay and to have given them life by means of fire
stolen from heaven, at which Jupiter, being angry, sent Mercury to bind him
to Mount Caucasus, and place a vulture to prey upon his liver.


Pages:
172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196