In a message dated 2/22/2016 9:23:12 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
profdritchie@xxxxxxxxx writes: quotes: "Post-partum and pre-natal fascinated
me
earlier. Both are of Latin (or French/Latin) origins, both appeared in the oed
citations in the first half of the19th century, but I can't seem to find
out why there were two different Latin words for birth used ... [Any
insight?]..." and comments: "the question becomes why is the same moment
described
in different ways? Why at one moment whatever “natal” means literally,
and why in another “partum,” separation”? I wrote that multiple views of
one event or thing are quite normal in a language—lots of words for snow and
all that—but I couldn’t explain the difference between natal and partum. I
’m not implying that it’s hard to explain, merely that I don’t have the
Latin for the judging.
Well, 'natus', 'natal', etc. are from 'nascor', v. dep. from "gnascor",
"gnatus" (I noted -- or as Geary prefers, 'gnoted', that Englishmen drop the
'g' in 'gnat', too), root gen, whence "gigno"; cf. Gr. "γεννάω", to be
born, to be begotten (of or by male or female)."
The 'by male or female', seeing that "The Danish Girl" is nominated, is
fascinating (2).
I agree with Ritchie's explanation above that it may be different ways of
seeing the thing. 'pario', that gives, 'partum', is more of a physical
thing? v. a. cf. Gr. root πορ- in ἔπορον, gave, πέπρωται, is fated; Lat.
portio, partus, puerpera, perh. parare,
-- to bring forth,
-- to bear; of animals,
-- to drop, lay,
-- spawn, etc. (syn. gigno).
The note, "syn. gigno" is especially irritating for one who is looking for
a difference, or differAnce, as the French prefer! As Warnock once told
Grice, "if there are two words, they mean different things." Grice replied,
"How clever language is". On the other hand -- this would be my third hand, I
guess -- too recent, to be nominated is "Hail Caesar" (1) -- a caeso
matris utero, Plin. 7, 9, 7, § 47 --, of course!
Cheers,
Speranza
1. The studio's major production is Hail, Caesar!, an epic, set in ancient
Rome and starring Baird Whitlock (Clooney). The cognomen "Caesar"
originated, according to Pliny the Elder (Natural History, 7.7) with an
ancestor who
was born by caesarean section (from the Latin verb to cut, caedere,
caes-). The misconception that Julius Caesar HIMSELF was born by Caesarian
section dates back at least to the 10th century (Suda kappa 1199). Julius
wasn't
the first to bear the name, and in his time the procedure was only
performed on dead women, while Caesar's mother, Aurelia, lived long after he
was
born.
2. In June 1931, Elbe had her fourth operation, which consisted of
implanting a uterus, which was a new and experimental procedure at that time.
With
no medication to prevent organ rejection, she did not recover and died on
September 13, 1931, three months after the surgery due to cardiac arrest
caused by the rejection of the uterus by her immune system and the resulting
infection.
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