Etymologies of the Month (July 2011)

July 2011 saw the Briefs for the GA Tech MArch Studios for the 2011-2 Year

Matter (n): c.1300, "material of thought, speech, or expression," from Anglo-Fr. matere, from L. materia "substance from which something is made," also "hard inner wood of a tree" (cf. Port. madeira "wood"), perhaps from mater "origin, source, mother." Or, on another theory, it represents *dmateria, from PIE root *dem-/*dom- (cf. L. domus "house," English timber). With sense development influenced by Gk. hyle, meaning wood, of which it was the equivalent in philosophy via Aristotle.
Form (n): early 13c., from O.Fr. forme "physical form, appearance, pleasing looks; shape, image," from L. forma "form, contour, figure, shape; appearance, looks' model, pattern, design; sort, kind condition," origin unknown; One theory holds that it is from Gk. morphe "form, beauty, outward appearance" (see Morpheus, the god of dreams in Ovid, son of Sleep, lit. "the maker of shapes").
Performance (n): 1530s, "carrying out of a promise, duty, etc.," from perform (c.1300, "carry into effect, fulfill, discharge")+ -ance. Meaning "a thing performed" is from 1590s; that of "action of performing a play, etc." is from 1610s; that of "a public entertainment" is from 1709.
Time (n): O.E. tima "limited space of time," from P.Gmc. *timon "time" (cf. O.N. timi "time, proper time," Swed. timme "an hour"), from PIE *di-mon-, from base *da- "cut up, divide" (see tide); Abstract sense of "time as an indefinite continuous duration" is recorded from late 14c.; Personified since at least 1509 as an aged bald man carrying a scythe and an hour-glass; In English, a single word encompasses time as "extent" and "point" (Fr. temps/fois, Ger. zeit/mal) as well as "hour" cf. Fr. heure, Ger. Uhr).
Continuous (adj): mid-14c., contynuen, from O.Fr. continuer (13c.), from L. continuare "join together, connect, make or be continuous," from continuus "uninterrupted," from continere (intransitive) "to be uninterrupted," lit. "to hang together" (see contain).
Discrete (n): mid-14c., "morally discerning, prudent, circumspect," from O.Fr. discret "discreet, sensible, intelligent, wise," from L. discretus "separated, distinct," in M.L. "discerning, careful," pp. of discernere "distinguish" (see discern); Spellings discrete and nativized discreet co-existed until after c.1600, when discreet became the common word for "careful, prudent," and discrete was maintained in philosophy, medicine, music and other disciplines that remembered Latin and made effort to obey it.
Agency (n): 1650s, "active operation," from M.L. agentia, noun of state from L. agentem "effective, powerful," prp. of agere (see act: a thing done); Meaning "establishment where business is done for another" first recorded 1861.
Grammar (n): early 14c., gramarye (late 12c. in surnames), from O.Fr. gramaire "learning," especially Latin and philology, "grammar, (magic) incantation, spells, mumbo-jumbo," "irregular semi-popular adoption" of L. grammatica, from Gk. grammatike tekhne "art of letters," with a sense of both philology and literature in the broadest sense, fem. adjective from gramma "letter," from stem of graphein "to draw or write" (see -graphy).
Vital (adj): late 14c., "of or manifesting life," from L. vitalis "of or belonging to life," from vita "life," related to vivere "to live," from PIE base *gwei- (cf. O.Pers. *jivaka- "alive;" Gk. bios "life," zoon "animal;" Lith. gyvata "(eternal) life;" O.E. cwic "living, alive;" O.Ir. bethu "life;" cf. also bio-); The sense of "necessary or important" is from 1610s, via the notion of "essential to life" (late 15c.).
Source (n): mid-14c., from O.Fr. sourse "a rising, beginning, fountainhead of a river or stream," fem. noun taken from pp. of sourdre "to rise, spring up," from L. surgere "to rise" (see surge).

#etymology #form #matter #performance #source #time #agency #grammar #vital #continuous #discrete