[lit-ideas] I do like to be beside the seaside

From: Jlsperanza@xxxxxxx
To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Fri, 24 Jun 2011 10:33:27 EDT
In a message dated 6/22/2011 1:07:18 P.M., lawrencehelm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx  
writes:
In some book not so long ago I ran across the reproduction of an  ancient 
map with a (to me) strange spelling of the Mediterranean Sea.  I  couldn’t 
find the reference, but Wikipedia has the following: “The term  Mediterranean 
derives from the Latin word mediterraneus, meaning "in the middle  of earth" 
or "between lands" (medius, "middle, between" + terra, "land, earth").  
This is on account of the sea's intermediary position between the continents of 
 Africa and Europe. The Greek name Mesogeios (Μεσόγειος), is similarly 
from μέσο,  "middle" + γη, "land, earth").[5] The Mediterranean Sea has 
been known by a  number of alternative names throughout human history. For 
example the Romans  commonly called it Mare Nostrum (Latin, "Our Sea"), and 
occasionally Mare  Internum (Sallust, Jug. 17). In the Bible, it was primarily 
known as the "Great  Sea" (Num. 34:6,7; Josh. 1:4, 9:1, 15:47; Ezek. 
47:10,15,20), or simply "The  Sea" (1 Kings 5:9; comp. 1 Macc. 14:34, 15:11); 
however, it has also been called  the "Hinder Sea", due to its location on the 
west coast of the Holy Land, and  therefore behind a person facing the east, 
as referenced in the Old Testament,  sometimes translated as "Western Sea", 
(Deut. 11:24; Joel 2:20). Another name  was the "Sea of the Philistines" 
(Exod. 23:31), from the people occupying a  large portion of its shores near 
the Israelites. In Modern Hebrew, it has been  called HaYyam HaTtikhon (
הַיָּם הַתִּיכוֹן), "the middle sea", a literal  adaptation of the German 
equivalent Mittelmeer.[citation needed] In Turkish, it  is known as Akdeniz, 
"the white sea". In modern Arabic, it is known as al-Baḥr  al-Abyaḍ 
al-Mutawassiṭ (البحر الأبيض المتوسط), "the White Middle Sea," while in  
Islamic and older Arabic literature, it was referenced as Baḥr al-Rūm (بحر  
الروم), or "the Roman/Byzantine Sea." I wonder if those living on the  
Mediterranean aren’t even today changing the word.  It has far too many  
syllables [...]"
 
-----
 
Interesting.
 
Plus, there are two Griceian connections, I find:
 
----- It seems otiose to say, "Let's go to the Mediterranean" as uttered  
by, say, a Mediterranean. "Let's go to the sea" seems more appropriate. So, I 
 would assume that "Mediterranean" is used by people _OTHER_ than 
Mediterranean  (Cfr. below my reply to Geary's counterclaim, "By the same 
token, 
"Paris" is  only used by non-Parisians").
 
----- Perhaps "Mediterranean", while lovely, is too much of an abstraction. 
 There is the Ligurian sea, etc. What touches the coast -- and is thus 
available  to people -- are specific _seas_ which comprise the Mediterranean. 
But note that  the point above applies here too. The otiosity of a Ligurian 
saying, "Let's go  to the Liguarian sea". 
 
And so on.

Cheers,
 
Speranza
------------------------------------------------------------------
To change your Lit-Ideas settings (subscribe/unsub, vacation on/off,
digest on/off), visit www.andreas.com/faq-lit-ideas.html
[lit-ideas] I do like to be beside the seaside

Other related posts:
