[lit-ideas] The Old Contemptibles
- From: Jlsperanza@xxxxxxx
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 14 Oct 2007 12:54:55 EDT
"The Old Contemptibles", was Sir John's French little army (France, 1914).
J. Krueger brings to attention some common suffixes:
>Logic -- logical
>Theology -- theological
>Practice -- practical
>Conceive -- conceivable
>Contempt -- contemptable
>Irony -- ironic
>Poem -- Poetic
and asks for the logic behind them.
>Logic -- logical
Indeed, I make no distintion between 'logic' and 'logical'. "Logic", qua
noun, is already a derivative from "Logos" -- "Logic", what pertains to Logos
(Greek, "Logikos"). The "-al" element is Latin in origin, "logicalis", which
was
redundant, since they already had the first-class adjective, "logicus,
logica, logicum".
>Theology -- theological
Same here. Interesting that "Logic" is called that rather than "Logy",
though, if you think about it. Greek was "Theologia", with "-Logia" as a suffix
only, although R. Paul may testify if it was used as a simple noun. Masons
gather in Logias, and a loggia is a beautiful thing to behold in Italy, but
that
is another story. Strictly, 'theological' is redundant, and 'theologic' may do
(or 'theologick' if you want the really archaic).
>Practice -- practical
I think this _is_ related to Greek, "praGma" (as in 'pragmatic'). In any
case, as a Latin thing, we would have, "practicus, practica, practicum" -- and
no need to add the redundant "-al". We should say that something is pretty
practic, and let go the '-al'.
>Conceive -- conceivable
Well, '-able' nouns are a trick. They involve a passive sense. So
'conceivABLE' would have as per deeper logical form, "ABLE to be CONCEIVED"
which is
possible how the French politician thinks matters off. It's related to
'conceptus', which gives, 'conceptuAL', and don't be surprised if someone
sometimes
wrote, "conceptualic'. Indeed, the OED has an entry for 'conceptualist' ("One
who holds the doctrine of _CONCEPTUALISM_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/cgi/crossref?query_type=word&queryword=conceptual&first=1&max_to_s
how=10&single=1&sort_type=alpha&xrefword=conceptualism) esp. in History of
Philosophy, applied to those who held opinions intermediate between those of
the Realists and the Nominalists"). So some verbose mediaevalist may write of
something as being "conceptualistically conceivable"
>Contempt -- contemptable
--- I think what we want here is "contemptible" (yes, they sound alike).
This is ad. (postcl.) L. contemptibil-is, f. contempt- ppl. stem of <NOBR>cre:
see _-BLE_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/cgi/crossref?query_type=word&queryword=contempt&first=1&max_to_show=10&sort_type=alpha&search_id=h
EbF-FlunPS-4543&result_place=3&xrefword=-ble) . Cf. F. contemptible (16th
c.).] With you, I'd think it a pretentious thing to say, but after learning
of
the "Old Contemptibles" I think I find it rather charming. "The Old
Contemptibles": a popular name given to the British army of regulars and
special
reserve which made up the expeditionary force sent to France in the autumn of
1914, in ironical allusion to the German Emperor's alleged exhortation to his
soldiers to ‘walk over General French's contemptible little army’ (published
in an annexe to B.E.F. Routine Orders of 24 Sept. 1914).
1914 Observer 4 Oct. 7/5
A roar of laughter is the reception given here [sc. Paris] to
the publication of the Kaiser's order to walk over Sir John French's ‘
contemptible little army’.
1916 _‘BOYD CABLE’_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-c.html#boyd-cable)
Action Front 111 The Old
Contemptibles. Ibid. 208 So it was that our New Armies had a glimpse of what
the old ‘
Contemptible Little Army’ has seen..so often.
1917 Blackw. Mag. Aug. 140/1 The Royal Flying Corps..sent
whatever machines it could lay hands on to join the old contemptibles in
France.
1919 _‘BOYD CABLE’_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-c.html#boyd-cable)
Old Contempt. Forew. p. viii, I was
one o' French's bloomin' old original Contemptibles.
>Irony -- ironic
I think the Gk would be 'eironic' ('eirenic'), and as you say, there's no
need to add the Latin "-al".
>Poem -- Poetic
Well, yes, the Greek would be 'poema', and the adjective, "poetikos" (Latin,
'poeticus, poetica, poeticum), so no need to add the redundant adjectival
marker, '-al'. English has 'poesy', too which is from Greek, poesia, and L.
poesia (I believe). Personally, I prefer 'verse', but 'versical' does not have
the august ring to it, I grant.
Cheers,
JL Speranza
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