Lilies of the Field: Sidney Poitier Oscar Winner

This 1963 black and white film was done on a relatively low budget, but like the dominant subject of the film, the movie does much with little. Sidney Poitier won the Academy Award for Best Actor, Lilia Skala was nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role and the movie itself was nominated for Best Picture. A couple of other notes: Ralph Nelson was the producer and director of the film, and according to Turner Classic Movies (aka, "TCM"), the budget was so tight, he played the role of Mr. Ashton in the film, because he couldn't afford to hire an actor. And Sidney Poitier took a small actual paycheck for his role in the film, but he so believed in the story, he instead signed for a percentage of any future profits, which turned out to be pretty substantial. 

This is a GREAT story of how people of varying backgrounds can accomplish things when they work together, although some leadership and motivation are needed to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles, and the reasons why people continue to pursue some difficult goals may not even be fully understood by the people involved themselves. The movie has many lighthearted scenes, and regardless of your religious beliefs, or non religious beliefs, I think most people will feel good after seeing this movie.   

Cast:

Sidney Poitier as "Homer Smith"
Lilia Skala as "Mother Maria"
Lisa Mann as "Sister Gertrude"
Isa Crino as "Sister Agnes"
Francesca Jarvis as "Sister Albertine"
Pamela Branch as "Sister Elizabeth"
Stanley Adams as "Juan"
Dan Frazer as "Father Murphy"
Ralph Nelson as "Mr. Ashton" (Nelson was uncredited in the film role, but he was also the producer and director of the film)

A free-spirited African American traveling fix-it man, Homer Smith, needs water for his car, an old station wagon. When he pulls off a dusty road in the American Southwest, he meets five German speaking Catholic nuns who are putting up a fence around a small farmhouse. The head nun, Mother Maria, tells him that God is good and has sent her a strong man, and that she has something for Homer to do. Homer says he doesn't know anything about that, and he thanks the women for the water, gets back into his car and drives off, with the nuns looking on attentively. Before he even gets back to the road, he stops and looks into his wallet, where he sees his money is running low. He turns the car around and goes back. He tells Mother Maria if she wants to "hire" him, he is available for one day's work. Mother Maria says "hire?" Homer tells her, "Hire... that means for money." In a sort of comic way, the German-speaking nuns pronounce Homer's family name in the German manner, "Schmidt" ... hahaha... hey wait a minute, my name is Schmidt... ahh, Smith!* Mother Maria tells Homer the roof needs to be fixed, and he pulls a tool-filled crate from the back of his old station wagon. The nuns are impressed and he tells them you need good tools to get good work, and "when you 'hire' Homer Smith, you get good work." This brings Mother Maria to repeat the word "hire" in a scornful way, which goes unnoticed by Homer, and he goes off to fix the roof.

When Homer finishes with the roof, he begins to write up a bill. The nuns carry out a small bed and Mother Maria tells Homer the bed is for him to sleep. He tells her he sleeps in his car and that he has to get moving to find a place to eat, because he's hungry. Unknown to Homer, Mother Maria has been peeking over his shoulder at his calculations for payment. When he hands her the bill, she takes it and puts it into her pocket without looking at it, because she already knows what's on it. She tells Homer he is in too big of a hurry, and that, "We were not put on the Earth to hurry, Schmidt." She then says she'll ring the bell for supper. She walks away leaving Homer to wonder what just happened. Later she rings the bell and calls out, "Schmidt!" Homer comes to the house where the nuns are at a table waiting for him. Mother Maria says a prayer in German asking that the food provided to them will make "Schmidt" strong so that "he can fulfill Your will." Homer, who doesn't know what she just said, stands respectfully at the table.** They all sit down and not another word is spoken as the starving Homer gulps down the relatively small amount he's been given and the ever respectful nuns daintily eat their food. When all are finished, Mother Maria thanks God for the food, and Homer utters, "God sets a mighty poor table." When Homer says he must be going, Mother Maria says, "Do not make hurry. We are from Germany, from Austria and from Hungaria.*** We learn English." They bring out a phonograph and begin to play a record with English lessons for German speakers. After a few minutes Homer tells them he can help to teach them English and he proceeds to do just that, and in such a fun way, even the serious Mother Maria has fun. It's a cheerful scene and Homer even throws in a little black American English, "I stands up, y'all," much to the delight of the nuns, and Homer loves it too.

The next morning Mother Maria awakens Homer and speaks in German about him sleeping late while the nuns have been up for hours working. Homer decides to put his foot down and he tells Mother Maria that he's no nun to be bossed around by her, and that it's time she paid him and he'll leave. Mother Maria abruptly tells him to go inside and eat breakfast and she stomps off. Homer goes inside and finds his breakfast consists of just one egg and a cup of milk, which prompts him to say, "That old lady, she don't hand out grub like she hands out orders, does she?" Homer downs the egg in one bite and drinks some milk, then he goes outside and attempts to talk business with Mother Maria, who quickly orders him to follow her, which he does. She takes Homer to an area where there is a dilapidated building with no roof, lots of debris and broken down beams. She tells Homer "We build a chapel," which she pronounces with her German accent as "shhapel." She proceeds to tell Homer he is going to help them build the chapel, but he immediately protests, "I ain't buildin' no shhapel," he says, mocking her accent, but Mother Maria stands there straight-faced and arms crossed. She then says "We women will build it... it's God's will." Homer tries to give Mother Maria his bill, but she completely ignores him and Homer agrees to help move some of the debris from the site, "I don't want those girls breaking their backs picking up those heavy beams." Homer begins working. Later Mother Maria rings the dinner bell and calls, "Schmidt, Schmidt." A tired and hungry Homer utters, "Oh, Mother gonna feed the slaves?" They eat dinner and Homer gives them some more English lessons. He then tries to talk with Mother Maria about his bill, telling her, "You pay me. I'm for hire," and with the mention of that word again, Mother Maria cleverly says, "I speak English not so good." The two trade Bible verses to make their cases, and Mother Maria calls Homer's attention to some verses from Matthew, chapter 6, which Homer quotes back to her as his position weakens. (Note: Concisely, the Bible verses say believers should not worry about food and clothing, because God will provide for those of faith.) She tells Homer to go to sleep and that they need him to take them to Mass the next morning, which is Sunday. Homer says, "I'm a Baptist, I don't go to Mass." Mother Maria blesses him and walks away as she has before. Homer realizes he's lost and he tears up the bill. (Note: The nuns have been walking into town for Mass, and while I don't believe the distance is mentioned, it appears to be at least a couple of miles, so again, their dedication is seen.) 

Off the group goes to church the next morning, but it turns out the service is held outside in the little nearby town, because there is no shhapel... I mean, chapel. While Father Murphy says Mass, Homer goes into a little diner and orders a huge breakfast from the owner, named Juan, who is somewhat soured on religion, but he tells Homer the nuns have no money and that they escaped from East Germany, over the wall, and made it to the United States to take over this property which was left by the previous owner to a religious group in Germany in his will.**** So now Homer understands what the nuns have gone through and why they have such little food. He also begins to understand how Mother Maria's toughness has helped hold them together in the face of adversity, as the nuns intend to build a chapel on the land for the people to worship (later it is mentioned that Mother Maria wants to also build a school and a hospital). Just for the record, the nuns have a cow for milk, a few chickens for eggs and apparently little bits of food in donations. They are gardening to grow vegetables. The townspeople are mainly Latino and poor. Homer meets Father Murphy who travels and lives out of a trailer to go 400 miles a week to other such places to try to meet the spiritual needs of a poor population. He tells Homer that in his early days he prayed for a wealthy parish and that this was his answer. While Homer doesn't say much, he's clearly thinking about the whole situation and he keeps telling people, "I'm just passing through," when the subject of the chapel construction comes up, although the statement comes out of his mouth weaker and weaker.

They all return to the farm where the nuns gather to sing religious songs in Latin. Homer listens and the nuns ask him to sing a song. He teaches them the gospel song, "Amen," which had been around for more than a decade, but was made VERY popular by this movie. Homer has the nuns sing the constant "amen" refrain, and the upbeat tune delights the nuns, even the devout Mother Maria, who gradually begins to sing along. So, we have a black American Baptist singing along with five German-speaking Catholic nuns, who have come thousands of miles to tend to the spiritual needs of a poor Latino American community, with assistance from an Irish American priest. Anyway, Homer tells Mother Maria he's leaving, and she gets him to take her and one of the other nuns into town. She goes and talks to a construction company owner, Mr. Ashton, who offers Homer a job running a bulldozer, but not before a couple of things happen. First, Ashton calls Homer "Boy" twice,***** and Homer finally calls the man, "Boy," which makes a point. Second, Ashton tells Homer Mother Maria told him that Homer is the contractor for the nuns to build a chapel and he can't believe it (as a put down). This ruffles Homer's pride, so he doesn't deny that he is their contractor. Homer tells Ashton he'll take the bulldozing job for two days a week. Ashton asks what Homer is going to be doing the rest of each week, and he answers that he's going to be building a chapel. Homer bluntly tells Mother Maria he needs materials to build the chapel and he asks her if she can get them. Mother Maria determinedly answers, "Ja," German for "yes." She and the nuns begin writing to various foundations asking for financial assistance. Meanwhile, Homer works at the bulldozing job and earns his first pay. He buys lots of groceries, including some candy, and takes it all back to the farm. Mother Maria's stubbornness and religious devotion makes it hard for her to say "thank you," except to God. The problem is, there are no more bricks and lumber to continue building the chapel and Mother Maria's appeals have produced no financial help. The strain of the situation causes Mother Maria and Homer to quarrel and he angrily walks out, but not before telling her off about how she gives out orders and he compares her to Hitler.

Some time passes and still no help arrives and Homer does not return. Even Mother Maria is discouraged. The nuns again have to walk into town for Mass and the townspeople see that Homer is gone, and the assumption is, the chapel will not be completed. Then one Sunday as the nuns walk into town, here comes Homer. He stops and takes the nuns to Mass. The people see him and their spirits rise. The next day a pickup truck arrives filled with bricks, then others follow with bricks, lumber and church doors. When the townspeople offer their help, Homer turns them down, telling Mother Maria that she only contracted one man to build the chapel, but as the townspeople look on, Homer is weary and progress is slow with only him doing the work. Even Juan shows up and wants to help, soured on religion though he had become. Finally the people just begin working and Homer is discouraged out of vanity that he couldn't build the chapel himself. The workers mean well, but they have no supervision and they lack the vision of how the work should proceed. Juan tells Homer that he showed humility and came to help, even though he has little, if any, religious faith. He asks if Homer can show humility too, which Homer does, as he truly becomes the contractor, giving out orders and supervising the townspeople who do the work. In a turnabout, he says to Mother Maria, "You too, mach schnell (German for "hurry up")," prompting her to say, "Hitler!" Homer gives a big smile. Ashton asks Juan why he came to help and Juan says, "Insurance." Ashton doesn't understand and Juan tells him that he can't see beyond life now, but if those who believe in the hereafter are right, "I've paid my insurance." Shortly thereafter Ashton sends a truckload of bricks to the chapel site. He tells Homer and Juan the bricks are "seconds," but they're not, they are expensive bricks. Up until then, Ashton had made some donations to the nuns which he used as a tax write off, but now he makes this unconditional donation. Homer wonders why, and Juan tells him, "Insurance," but Homer doesn't understand and Juan leaves it at that. With the chapel built, Homer and the workers celebrate, much to the displeasure of Mother Maria who feels all celebration should be for God, not mortals. (During one of their earlier confrontations over Homer not building the chapel by himself, Homer tells her he has the desire to build some great building or other structure, and she says in her imperfect English, "God is building out there the shhapel and you sit here feeling sorry for yourself, because you are not Him.").****** 

The work gets done and the ever serious Mother Maria takes a checklist to Homer, but she finds that everything on the list has already been done, so there's nothing for her to complain about. Ashton has offered Homer a permanent job as a job foreman, and Homer declines it, but tells Ashton he really appreciates the offer. Homer has proven he's "a MAN, not a boy." The chapel will hold its first service the next day, and Homer sits with Mother Maria and the nuns in the farmhouse. During their English lesson, Homer mentions chapel with the German accent "shhapel," and Mother Maria corrects him by properly pronouncing it as "chapel." Homer then says with a German accent, "Sank you," and she properly says, "thank you," which brings a smile to Homer's face and a shocked expression to Mother Maria's face. She finally said "thank you" to Homer. The group begins to sing "Amen," and Homer gets up while continuing to sing, and he goes outside, puts his belongings into his car and he drives off.  

* On one of my trips to Germany many years ago, a German cousin was to pick me up at a bar... Hey, they had a pay telephone.. and beer. I no longer recall the name of the place, and it may well be gone by now anyway, but the owner asked my name and when I said, "Randy Smith," he laughed like hell. At first I thought my reputation had crossed the Atlantic, but then he said, "Ich heiße Rudi Schmidt, vielleicht sind wir irgendwie verwandt" ("My name is Rudi Schmidt, maybe we're somehow related"), so I got the point of his laughter.      

** There is no translation of Mother Maria's short prayer given in the movie, which I assume was deliberately done to leave non German speaking audience members in the same predicament as Homer, but events gradually show the gist of what was said.

*** "Hungaria" is the Latin form of Hungary. In standard German it is "Ungarn," but many years ago I was often around some immigrants here in Cleveland who were from the (largely former) German community in Hungary. They and their families had fled the advancing Russians at the end of World War Two and had first gone to West Germany and then to the United States. All of them used "Hungaria" when talking about Hungary, and it is not an uncommon word among people from Bavaria and Austria, where "perhaps" the strong Catholic tradition brought about the usage of the Latin term.

**** After World War Two ended, Germany was divided into occupation zones, with the eastern part being under Russian control (technically the USSR). The same was done with the city of Berlin, which, however, lay within the Russian zone. A native German communist government was put into power by the Russians to govern East Germany on a day-to-day basis and to support the USSR. Many Germans in the eastern sector moved into the western sector, occupied by the United States, Britain and France. The movement of people from East Germany to West Germany became so severe, the communist government erected a wall to divide the two German states and the city of Berlin, with communist propaganda stating the wall was to keep out unwanted elements and to prevent people from breaking into East Germany. It was all a bunch of nonsense, and it fooled no one, as the wall was put up to keep East Germans from fleeing to West Germany. Still, many Germans lost their lives trying to escape over the wall from East Germany, as border guards fired on those trying to escape.

***** For those unaware, the use of the term "Boy" for Black Americans by white, usually Southerners, made it a derogatory term in that usage, especially during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s and beyond.

****** This is reminiscent of the movie, "It's A Wonderful Life," where the central character, George Bailey, wants to leave his small town and design and build big projects, and it takes him time to finally see that the family business of building basic homes for average people IS a big and important project. In the end, when George is threatened, the townspeople remember his kindness and generosity and they rally to him, a tribute far better than any name in lights could ever be.

Photo is of the 2001 MGM Home Entertainment DVD

WORD HISTORY: 
Harp-The ultimate origins of this word are unknown. Old Germanic had "harpon," meaning, "harp." This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "hearpe," which then became "harpe" (the ending "e" was pronounced "eh/ah"), before the modern spelling. Relatives in the other Germanic languages: German has "Harfe," Low German has "Harp," West Frisian "harpe," Dutch "harp," Danish and Norwegian "harpe," Icelandic "harpa" and "hörpu," and Swedish "harpa." The verb form in Old English was "hearpian," and simply meant, "to play a harp," but by the 1400s the meaning, "to dwell on a subject over and over," developed and has continued to this day. Latin borrowed a form of the word as "harpa," which then passed into other Latin-based languages, including Italian "arpa," which then also produced Italian "arpeggio."   

What's In A Name: Clara, Claire, Jordan

Clara/Claire: This name means "bright;" thus, "clear," and it comes from the Latin name "Clarus," itself from the Latin word "clarus," with the same meaning. It also passed from Latin to French as, "Claire." It seems to have taken hold in English as some families named their children after Saint Clare of Assisi beginning in the mid 1200s.

Jordan: This name is from the river in ancient Palestine where Jesus was baptized. The river's importance to Christianity brought its use as a name. The word comes from transliterated Hebrew "yarden," meaning, "to flow down(ward)."

 I consulted the following for this article: "A World of Baby Names," by Teresa Norman, published by Perigee/Penguin Group, New York, 2003.

WORD HISTORY:
Bull (2) ^-This is the noun most commonly meaning, "an official papal document." It is not related to the word of the same spelling, but meaning "a type of male animal." The word's distant history is unclear, although some seem to feel that Latin borrowed it from Gaulish, a Celtic language of western Europe that was largely absorbed by Latin in what is today much of France and southern Belgium. That may well be, but at this point, I'm not really convinced. It goes back to Latin "bulla," which meant, "knob, bubble," which then produced the meaning, "a rounded metal device used to seal documents." The meaning then transferred to the documents themselves; thus, "a sealed document issued by a figure of authority." More and more such documents were issued by the pope, bringing a strong connection between "bulla" and the papacy. The word was borrowed by English as "bulle" in the late 1200s, with likely added reinforcement for its spelling from Old French, a Latin-based language, which had "bulle" as its form of the word.^^             

^ This is the link to the article with the history of the word "bull," the animal: https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2012/02/world-in-protest-revolution-or-civil_07.html

^^ Just a guess really, but likely the word was present in religious circles in England from Latin itself, but the upper classes in England were descendants of the Norman French and they still used their form of French extensively in writing in that time period. Many, many Latin and French words were similar or even the same in spelling.  

For Duty & Humanity

Back in 1934, "The Three Stooges," the famous comedy trio, released one of their short films called "Men in Black." It was nominated for an Academy Award in the short subject category. The little film of about 20 minutes had the Stooges* being doctors in the "Los Arms Hospital," with Dr. Graves as the hospital  superintendent. The Stooges have promised to devote their lives to the cause of "duty and humanity," a slogan given to them in medical school. They don't remember much else from their medical training, but they remember the slogan. Later, when they report to Dr. Graves, he asks them where they found the patient in Room 72. They answer, "Up on the chandelier," and Dr. Graves then asks, "What did you do for him?" Curley replies, "Nuthin'! What did he ever do for us?" Graves yells, "What are you working here for?" And the Stooges say in unison, "For duty and humanity!"

There are numerous incidents during the film, but the point is, quaint slogans may seem nice, but they are meaningless, unless their meaning is truly understood and acted upon accordingly. Does any person claiming Christianity REALLY believe that the Ku Klux Klan is a "Christian" organization, more specifically, a "white, Protestant Christian" organization? This is a terrorist group responsible for the burning of crosses and the use of violence to frighten and injure those they find to be "unacceptable."  Does anyone with a shred of tolerance and kindness toward others believe that "MAGA" ("Make America Great Again") is a slogan of tolerance and inclusiveness? Quite the opposite, it is a slogan associated with INTOLERANCE, BIGOTRY and outright HATE. It is a slogan for a particular American fascism led by the "Fascist-in-Chief," an American fascist sonofabitch, Donald Trump. The Three Stooges portraying doctors in a short film and shouting, "For duty and humanity," didn't hurt anyone, nor did they threaten American democracy. I cannot say the same thing about Donald Trump and his stooges.

* Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Curley Howard (the actual 1934 film spells it "Curley," in the opening credits, but I believe later it was spelled "Curly").  

Public domain photo from Wikipedia showing the Three Stooges in 1937 (Larry Fine, Curley Howard and Moe Howard.  

WORD HISTORY:
Charade-This is a word with a great deal of uncertain history. It was borrowed by English from French "charade" (meaning, "a riddle") in the 1770s. French got the word from the Provençal word "charrado," which meant, "chatter," which was derived from the verb "charrar," which meant, "to chat, to converse." This seems to have come from Italian "ciarlare," meaning, "to chatter," but where Italian got the word is unknown, although Spanish has "charlar," meaning, "to chat, to talk on about unimportant things," and an obvious relative of the Italian word. The English meaning certainly ties in with "a riddle," as the name of the game "Charades" has participants acting out a word or individual parts of a word until someone guesses the correct answer. This provided the other meaning to "charade," although with a negative twist to the meaning; that is, "to act to deceive someone about a real intention or to cover up the real meaning of something."     

What's In A Name: Christine, Christopher

Christine-This female name goes back to transliterated Greek "christianos," which meant, "one who follows Christ;" thus, "a Christian." This was borrowed by Latin as "christianus," which then used it for the name, "Christiana," later rendered in other languages as "Christina/Christine." Other forms are "Kristina" and "Kristen."

Christopher-This male name, also used as a family name, started with transliterated Greek "Christos," meaning, "Christ," and "phoros," from the Greek verb "pherein," meaning, "to bear, to carry." The name was borrowed into Latin, the language of early Christianity, with the assumption that it meant, "bearer of Christ (in the heart)." Some, but not all, Christians accept the existence of Saint Christopher, and revere him as a protector of travelers. It seems, however, that "Christopher" was used as a title (Bearer of Christ) for some Christian leaders, and thus, some believe the title was confused for a name of a man from the 200 A.D. era. So... whatever your beliefs...  The name started to spread in English during the 1400s. The name is common, or fairly common, in various languages, and a few examples are: modern (transliterated) Greek uses "Christoforos," French uses "Christophe," German uses "Christoph," Portuguese uses "Cristóvão" and Spanish uses "Cristóbal," and sometimes, "Cristóforo."

I consulted the following for this article: 1) "A World of Baby Names," by Teresa Norman, published by Perigee/Penguin Group, New York, 2003 2) "A Greek-English Lexicon," by Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, Roderick McKenzie and Eric Arthur Barber, published by Oxford/Clarendon Press, 1940 3) Behindthename.com

WORD HISTORY:
Bear (verb)-English has more than one word of this spelling, and this is for the verb meaning, "to carry, to carry to fruition, to produce or give birth." It is related to "burden," another English word from its Germanic roots, and it goes back to Indo European "bher," which meant, "to bear a burden, to carry." This gave its Old Germanic offspring, "beranan," with the same meaning. This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "beran," meaning, "to bear, to carry, to wear, to produce, to give birth, to hold up physically (weight, as in, "Can the foot bridge bear both of us?"), to endure a burden." It also gave Old English "geberan," meaning the specific, "to give birth, to bring forth." These later became consolidated into "beren," before the modern form. The other Germanic languages have: German has several forms, including: "gebären" meaning, "to give birth, to bring into the world, to bring forth;" also, "entbehren," meaning, "to do without (something)," and the noun, "Entbehrung" means, "deprivation" (a lack of something you must bear), "gebaren," for "behavior" (the way you 'bear/carry' yourself); Low German has "beren" (to give birth) and "bären," for "behavior;" Dutch verb "baren," meaning, "to give birth," and the noun, "baren," for "childbearing;" Frisian had forms in the past, but I could only find  "bern," meaning "child," in a modern form; Danish "bære," meaning "to wear, to carry;" Norwegian "bære/bera" meaning, "to carry, to endure a burden;" Icelandic "bera" meaning, "to carry, to endure;" Swedish "bära," meaning, "to carry, to wear." 

What's In A Name: Peter, Rebecca

Peter-This male name goes back to Greek "Petros," meaning "stone," as a translation of Aramaic* "Cephas," the name given to Simon by Jesus in the New Testament of the Bible. Latin took the name as "Petrus," and it spread to other European languages by way of Christianity. The feminine form is "Petra," meaning "rock," as in "rock formation." The Norman influence in England brought the form "Piers" into use, but the English form "Peter" rebounded after a century or two, and it has remained the main form in English. Other European forms: Italian "Pietro," Spanish "Pedro," German "Peter" and "Petrus," French "Pierre," Serbian and Croatian "Petar." "Pete" is a common shortened form of "Peter."  

Rebecca-This female name goes back to transliterated Semitic** "rbq," which had the notion, "to tie together, to bind;" thus further, "to join." This gave transliterated Hebrew "ribqah," meaning, "connection, joined, teamed," thus the basis for the name of the biblical wife of Isaac. The name was translated into transliterated Greek as "Rhebekka," which was taken by Latin as "Rebecca."  The name was not common in English until the 1500s. The spelling "Rebekka" is an alternative form in English, as well as a primary form in a number of languages, like Norwegian, Dutch and some others. "Becky" is a common shortening for "Rebecca."

* Aramaic is a Middle Eastern Semitic language (see next note) akin to Hebrew.

** Semitic is a language family centered in the Middle East. The most common modern Semitic languages are Arabic, Amharic, Hebrew and Tigrinya. Arabic and Hebrew are commonly known in much of Europe and North America, but Amharic is spoken in a large part of Ethiopia. Tigrinya is also spoken in parts of Ethiopia and Eritrea, another East African nation. 


I consulted the following, so for more information on any of the names see, 1) "A World Of Baby Names" by Teresa Norman, published by Perigee/Penguin Group, New York, 2003. 2) "A Greek-English Lexicon," by Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, Roderick McKenzie, and Eric Arthur Barber, published by Oxford/Clarendon Press, 1940. 3) Behindthename.com

WORD HISTORY: 
Rock-This is the noun^ for "stone." The ultimate origin is unknown. It appears in Old English in the compound "stanrocc" (literally "stone rock"), but meaning, "high pile of stones, column of stone, obelisk," with the "rocc" part a borrowing from Latin  "rocca." This was later reinforced and given staying power by Norman French "roche/roce," which was also from the Latin form.

^ The verb "rock," with the meaning, "to move something back and forth, to make something move in such a way," is an original English word from Germanic. It also came to be applied to the "rock" part of, "rock-n-roll." It is a completely different word from the noun form above. For the verb's history, it is included in this article: http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2011/02/german-question-part-seventy-eight.html

Some More Questions To A Republican

"Hello folks! This is Dan Ratherbe, in Philadelphia. Today I once again have Republican George Owen Pappenstiel here to speak out on the issues confronting the nation and his Republican Party, no holds barred."

DR: "Well Mr. Pappenstiel, it's been a little while since I first interviewed you." *

GOP: "Yeah, that was back when that Bomma guy claimed to be president."

DR: "That's Obama."

GOP: "Yeah right, tryin' to be Irish.... 'O' bomma... haha.... about as Irish as the rest of them people from them places in Africa."

DR: "But he IS part Irish. Don't you remember he visited Ireland?"

GOP: "Visitin' a place don't make ya from that place. I cun visit Massichew... Masseshoe... that place where Boston is, but that don't make me no Democrat, an' that's fer shur."

DR: "So what do you think of Donald Trump's first couple of months in office?"

GOP: "It's a breath o' fresh air! Finally gettin' some truth out, 'cause Ole Donald tells it like it is. That's what's gonna make America great agin, truth tellin.' Just like with that Bomma listnin' in on Ole Donald talkin' on his own private phone in his own private buildin'."

DR: "But there's been absolutely no proof that any such thing ever happened."

GOP: "That's what you librals in the media want folks ta believe. There is proof.... Ole Donald said it, didn't he? That's proof! He the president of the UUUNited States, ain't he?"

DR: "Well I assume you support the wall the president wants to build on the border with Mexico?"

GOP: "Oh now, truer words was never spoke. All them folks south of the Rio Grande is jus' what Ole Donald said 'bout them. They er murderers and rapists. Then they come up here and want US to speak Mexican."

DR: "You mean Spanish."

GOP: "No, I mean Mexican. They ain't from Spain."

DR: "So what do you think of the Republican failure to repeal Obamacare?"

GOP: "That's jus' plain terrible! Don't know what's becomin' o' this country. Wantin' ta give health care to ever'body. An' this law from Bomma helpin' to give care to millions. An' that Bernie Sanders guy... he the worst, even worse than Bomma hisself. He ain't no Christian, that fer shur."

DR: "Ah, Bernie Sanders is from a Jewish family."

GOP: "See, told ya he ain't no Christian. They jus' like those Mooselims... all from over yonder there in the Middle East. All them folks need to jus' stay over there. Ole Donald messed up there, he needs to ban people from all them countries, not jus' a few. All we do is give money to them people over there, includin' Izrel. Never knew any good people from that part of the world, not a one."

DR: "Ah... Jesus Christ."

GOP: "An' don't be takin' the Lord's name in vain, ya hear?"

DR: "Well, our time is up, Mr. Pappenstiel."

GOP: "Ya got that right, if we don't do what Ole Donald wants an' you keep takin' the Lord's name in vain. Jus' ask Pat Robertson!"


* The first "interview" was in May 2013 and this is the link:  http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2013/05/asking-republican-few-questions.html

WORD HISTORY:
Ode-This word "seems" to go back to Indo European "aweid/e-weid," which had the notion, "to make (voice) sound, to speak, to vocalize." This gave Ancient Greek the transliterated "aeido," which meant, "to sing, to give praise in song." This gave Ancient Greek "aoide/oide," a noun, "song, poetic song." Latin borrowed the word from Greek as "oda," then "ode," the form taken by Latin-based French. English borrowed the word from French, likely with reinforcement by Latin, in the late 1500s.

"Becket:" Richard Burton & Peter O'Toole Star

This 1964 movie has two major stars: Richard Burton as Thomas Becket and Peter O'Toole as King Henry II.* While John Gielgud plays King Louis VII of France, Burton and Becket dominate the picture. Understand, the film has some historical flaws, as it correctly portrays the strains between the Norman nobility and their Saxon subjects, and it has Becket as a Saxon, but he was a Norman. There are other historical errors,** but the movie was based on a play written by Frenchman Jean Anouilh, which contained the errors, and the film did not correct them, which would have required a major rewrite. Make note of the historical flaws, but enjoy the performances.

The movie centers around the longtime friendship between Becket and King Henry II, the great grandson of William the Conqueror. The king admires Becket's keen intelligence. Henry is in a battle with the Church, since he needs money to fund a war in France, and he wants to tax the Church to raise that money, something adamantly opposed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, a man well along in years. While in France, the king receives word the archbishop has died and he decides to appoint Becket as his successor, figuring he will have a faithful supporter in the position. That's not what happens. Becket takes his position very seriously and when one of Henry's nobles has a priest tried before the civil courts for a crime, then kills the priest when he tries to escape, Becket excommunicates the noble for not having brought the priest in for trial before a church court. Henry is furious! The king presses one of Becket's enemies in the Church, the Bishop of London, played by Donald Wolfit, to support a charge of embezzlement against the archbishop, dating to the time he was Lord Chancellor of England, a position to which he had been appointed by Henry, prior to naming him to the archbishop's position. When some nobles try to read the charges against Becket, he scares the hell out of them by declaring their "immortal souls" to be in danger by judging him with made up charges. He appeals for protection and for a judgment by the pope. Henry, who has secretly been observing the confrontation, and still torn between his friendship and enmity with Becket, laughs, saying, "He's made mincemeat of them. I'm surrounded by fools. Becket is the only intelligent man in my kingdom, and he's against me."

Becket flees to France and is granted protection by King Louis VII, played by John Gielgud. Louis likes to tweak the King of England's nose. The French king also provides Becket with escort to Rome, where Becket tells his case to the pope (Alexander III). The pope retains Becket in his position as head of the English Church, but places him in a monastery in France. Becket eventually asks King Louis to get Henry to meet him in France, which he does, on the beach there. After some wrangling, Henry agrees to allow Becket to return to England.

Henry engages in a bout of drinking with some of his nobles, who tell the king how Becket has returned to England and been cheered by the Saxon populace. Henry asks, "Will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest?" This prompts some of his nobles to go to Canterbury and to kill Becket. To atone for the murder, Henry is whipped by Saxon monks. Henry tells his nobles that the murderers will also pay, as all must do penance. Henry goes before the assembled crowd and tells them he has received a positive answer from the pope to his request to name Becket a saint. The crowd cheers. 

Just a little note: if you're like me, you'll get a few laughs the way Henry acts toward his children, especially his then successor, also named Henry. In one scene, the boys are playing sword fighting and Henry comes out, but so little does he know about his sons that he lifts the helmet of one of the boys and asks him, "Which one are you?" When the boy answers, "Henry III," the king shouts, "Not yet, you aren't!" Only a reigning king could have a numeral after his name. In another scene, the king chases the younger Henry from the dining hall with the exclamation, "Here's my royal foot up you're royal buttocks!"  

* Peter O'Toole later played King Henry II again in, "The Lion in Winter," which also starred Katharine Hepburn as his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine. 

** For instance, the film has Henry's mother present in a scene after Becket's return to Canterbury from France, but in reality, his mother had died a couple of years prior to that. 
 
Photo is from the 2007 MPI Home Video DVD

WORD HISTORY:
Priest -It may sound strange, but this word is distantly related to "cow." The core of the word goes back to Indo European "guos," which meant, "cattle, cows," with a form of the prefix "per" (meaning, "before, ahead, in front of") added, which gave Indo European "pruos," with the meaning, "leader of cattle/cows." This gave Ancient Greek the transliterated form, "présbus," which meant, "older/elder." This then produced Greek "presbýteros," which meant, "(an) elder." Latin borrowed the word from Greek as "presbyter," with the same meaning. The Germanic languages "seem" to have borrowed the word from Gallo-Romance "prestre," by which time the word had taken on the "elder religious leader," with Old English having "preost," Old High German having "prestar/priester" (modern German "Priester"), Old Saxon having "prestar" (modern Low German "Preester"). The English form then became "preest," before the modern form.

A Special Visit For Those Claiming Christianity

In "A Christmas Carol," written by English author Charles Dickens, his main character, Ebenezer Scrooge, a nasty old miser, is visited by the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future. Scrooge had lived his life in a lust for money, while being totally deaf and blind to the suffering going on around him. His accumulation of wealth left Scrooge the same bitter man he had been through the years, even as those in need took great solace in winning little victories for themselves and their families. Now you have to admit, being visited by one ghost could make a person take note of their life, but to be visited by THREE ghosts would be enough to scare Donald Trump out of his nightshirt ..... well actually, that would likely scare the ghosts. The ghostly visits changed Scrooge, and he saw life in a new way, free from his incessant worry about making more money. He found happiness in sharing and in making others happy.

In the classic movie "It's a Wonderful Life," based on a story by Philip Van Doren Stern, the main character, George Bailey, is visited by a caring, but unsuccessful angel, named Clarence, who hasn't yet done anything significant enough to win his wings. Clarence grants George's despondent wish to have never been born; setting off a series of events that show how the world would have been without George Bailey. Like Scrooge was changed by the visits of ghosts, George is changed by the angel's visit, as he sees that he is not a failure, and that, indeed, he has had "a wonderful life" by helping others, often suffering some consequences to himself in the process. When George needs help, people from his past rally to him, as they remember him for the good person he has been.

Religion and politics are funny things. It is tough to "completely" separate the two. But for individuals, including politicians, invoking Christianity; in more recent times, mainly, but not always, Republicans, how would they deal with a visit from none other than Jesus Christ? For those of you who scoff at the idea of Jesus Christ, you miss my point, because these individuals do believe, or at least, say they believe, in such a religious figure. What might happen?

If Jesus Christ paid a visit to Republican Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan, who has often touted his Christianity, would he congratulate Ryan for working to cut help for poor people? Would he say, "Paul, you keep helping those rich folks with tax cuts and subsidies, they need help. I'm glad you're so concerned with the plight of billionaires and millionaires. Ebenezer Scrooge forever! None of this George Bailey stuff in the U.S., selfishness is a virtue, not a flaw. And keep working, too, to make sure that EVERY American owns at least one gun, but hopefully several. Maybe you can give people a subsidy to buy weapons? Hey, there's an idea."

So... what do you think, Mr. Speaker?

WORD HISTORY:
Visit-This word, closely related to "vision," "video" and "visa" (more or less literally, "a visit permit that has been 'seen' and verified"), and also distantly to "wit," ^ goes back to Indo European "weid/uyd," which had the notion "to see, to know from seeing." This gave Latin "videre," a verb meaning, "to see, to look at." This then produced "visere," meaning "to go to a place to look, to observe." From this developed the verb "visitare," meaning, "to go to see someone or something." Old French, a Latin-based language, had "visiter," with the meaning, "to go visit, to visit to inspect or observe." English then borrowed the word (verb), seemingly as, "visiten," in the early 1200s.^^ The noun form lagged behind, and it took a couple of centuries before it was derived from the verb, likely with reinforcement from the French noun, "visite." ^^^ 

^ For the history of "wit," see my article at this link: http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2016/07/a-friend-in-west-virginia-part-three.html

^^ English verbs were conjugated differently in those times, with the infinitive forms "often" ending with "en." These forms did not need the additional word "to" as part of the infinitive (example: today in order to express the infinitive form, we have to say, "to visit," but back then, one needed only say "visiten" to mean "to visit.") Close English relative German still uses this basic form for most verbs. By the way, the German noun for "visit" is "Besuch," and English once used the closely related noun "bisæc" as the word for "visit." This was derived from the Old English verb "besecan," which is now "beseech;" that is, "go to someone (visit them) to beg them to do something." German has only retained the "to visit" meaning, as their word for "to visit" is still "besuchen." The "seech" part of English "beseech" is really just a form of "seek;" thus, "beseech" is sort of literally, "seek (someone) out."

^^^ In those times, French was quite an influential language in Europe, not just England, especially among the nobility and aristocracy. Likely almost all nobles learned French, and famous German, Frederick the Great, king of the German state of Prussia in the 1700s, preferred French to his native German, and he carried on a correspondence with French philosopher and writer Voltaire, but the two clashed when they actually met, as Voltaire's "free spirit" was much in conflict with Frederick's autocratic style. 

What's In A Name? Nathan, Margaret, Marguerite, Margarita

The male name "Nathan" is derived from Hebrew "natan," which meant "gave;" thus perhaps, "gift of/from God." The name came into English from Christianity and the use of names from the Bible.

The female name "Margaret" is the more common spelling in English, but the name has various forms, some of which are forms from other languages, but which are used in English speaking countries, some examples: "Marguerite" in French, "Margherita" in Italian and "Margarita" in Spanish (see Word History below). It goes back to Greek "margarites," which meant "pearl," but which likely was borrowed by Greek from Persian "morwarid" (meaning "pearl").* Latin borrowed the word from Greek as "margarita," which spawned a number of variant names forms in the Latin-based languages, including Old French "Margarete." English borrowed the name circa 1200. The Italian form of the name is also used for a style of pizza with tomato sauce, basil and cheese, supposedly produced in the 1880s for Queen Margherita, the wife of the Italian king, Umberto. The red sauce, the green basil and the white cheese are the colors of the Italian flag. The Spanish form of the name, "Margarita," is also used for a tequila-based cocktail, likely invented in Mexico, but highly popular in the United States.**

I consulted the following, so for more information on any of the names see, "A World Of Baby Names" by Teresa Norman, published by Perigee/Penguin Group, New York, 2003. And I consulted, "A Greek-English Lexicon," by Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, Roderick McKenzie, and Eric Arthur Barber, published by Oxford/Clarendon Press, 1940.

* Persian is a language from Indo Iranian, a branch of Indo European, thus it is related to English, but much further down the family tree, as English is from the Germanic branch of Indo European.

** For more on the history of the Margarita, see: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/the-history-of-the-margarita-57990212/?no-ist

WORD HISTORY:
Pearl-The more distant history of this word is unknown, but it goes back to Latin "perna," which meant "upper thigh, ham, leg," but it was used in some dialectal Latin-speaking Mediterranean areas for the name of mollusks, like clams and oysters, "seemingly" because many thought the shells resembled a "ham," or because they have a "foot" (leg), to move. Of course some such mollusks had pearls, and the word "pernula" was derived from "perna" as a diminutive ^ as the name for the product of these mollusks, "a pearl." ^^ Old French, a Latin-based language, got the term from Latin as "perle," and English borrowed it from French in the 1300s.

^ A diminutive is a word that makes something smaller or dearer; for example, duck, but duckling, pig, but piglet, both make the main animal smaller/younger, but diminutives can be for inanimate objects, like part, but particle; red, but reddish. As for making a word convey endearment, mother, but mom, and further, mommy. Often used for names, like John, but Johnny, Cynthia, but Cindy.

^^ The general Latin word for "pearl" long ago was "margarita."

What's In A Name? Richard, Barbara

"Richard" goes back to Old High German "Richart/Ricohard," which was a compound of "ric(o)," which meant "ruler," and "hard" (modern German: "hart," see "Word History" below), which meant "hard, strong;" thus, "strong ruler." Long ago this name spread into other Germanic dialects, including Frankish.* The name then merged into the Latin-based language which was gradually absorbing Frankish to become "French," and "Ricard/Richard" was carried to England by the invading Normans, where it became highly common, including as the name of three Kings of England, the most famous being Richard I, known as "the Lionheart." In Spanish and Portuguese the name is "Ricardo."

"Barbara" goes back to Greek "barbaros," which meant "foreign, one whose speech cannot be understood." This was borrowed by Latin as "barbarus," with the same general meaning. Christianity had Saint Barbara dating to either the 3rd of 4th century, who was killed by her father for being a Christian, but he was then struck and killed by lightening. The popularity of the story spread through Christianity, and with it the name proliferated.

I consulted the following, so for more information on any of the names see, "A World Of Baby Names" by Teresa Norman, published by Perigee/Penguin Group, New York, 2003.

* Frankish was the language of the Germanic tribe the "Franks." The Franks eventually occupied much of western Europe, including all or part of what are today, the Netherlands (modern Dutch is derived from Frankish), Belgium (Flemish, a dialect of Dutch, and thus derived from Frankish, is spoken by about 60% of Belgians), Luxembourg (the local German dialect is Luxembourgish, derived from Frankish), part of Germany (part of northwestern and west central Germany and into northern Bavaria, where the dialects are derived from Frankish), and former German majority areas of the province of Lorraine (part of France), where the German dialect is from Frankish, and France, where Frankish provided the name for the country, and its language, besides contributing many words to the Latin-based French language.

WORD HISTORY:
Hard-This word goes back to Indo European "khert/khart," variant of "k(h)rat," which had the meaning "strong, firm, powerful." This gave its Old Germanic offspring "harduz," with the same general meaning. This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "heard," which meant "hard, firm," and the figurative "harsh, severe." This then became "hard," with the added figurative meaning "difficult." The other Germanic languages have forms, all with about the same general and figurative meanings as their English cousin (hard, solid, tough, harsh, severe, unyielding): German and Low German Saxon "hart," ^ West Frisian "hurd," Dutch "hard," Danish and Swedish "hård," Norwegian "hard," Icelandic "harður" (also meaning "grim").

^ The Low German Saxon form was once "hard," just a guess, but the change of the ending  "d" to "t" may have come from the influence of the High German dialects.

How Much Is Too Much Money?

Way back in the 1960s, Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart issued a statement about a case involving alleged pornography by saying that he couldn't define "hard core pornography," but, "I know it when I see it." To me it's similar about money and wealth, I can't say exactly how much is too much, but I know it when I see ... certain things, like: individuals or families spending millions, even tens or hundreds of millions, on political campaigns to get candidates or issues favorable to their point of view, which seems often to have to do with them making ... more money. These aren't people who are happy to be wealthy, these are people with sick egos. Then there is Ken Langone, the founder of Home Depot and a Catholic, who is worth at least two billion (obviously the poor guy is hurting), who criticized Pope Francis for his outspoken remarks about capitalism, great wealth and income disparity. Langone said Pope Francis doesn't comprehend the rich and that he is aware of one wealthy donor to Catholic causes who is so angry with the pope, he may not go forward with a large donation to help renovate St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City (this was as of late 2013, and I do not know the end result of the blackmail ... ah, I mean the donation). I'd say it is Langone and his friends who really don't comprehend the issue, not Pope Francis. I'd advise the pope to PUBLICLY take on Langone and Company. Who do you think will win? We would then find out how people who call themselves Catholics really come down on this issue, since Christianity is NOT about giving money to rich people, or seeing to it that they get more, but it is really about helping ALL people, when they need it.

Just for some balance, here is a link to one of my other articles: "Not All Wealthy People Are The Same":

http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2013/09/not-all-wealthy-people-are-same.html

WORD HISTORY:
Eight-This word for the numerical value between 7 and 9 goes back to Indo European "okto," which meant "eight." This gave its Old Germanic offspring "akhto," which then gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "eahta." This then became "ahte" and "aught," depending upon dialect, before the modern version, although the "gh" was pronounced back then, and the spelling never changed to reflect the change in modern pronunciation.^ The other Germanic languages have: German, Low German, Dutch and West Frisian "acht," Norwegian åtte, Danish "otte," Icelandic átta, and Swedish åtta

^  The Old English form likely had emphasis on the "h," which then produced the later spelling with "gh."

Shared Sacrifice and Cooperation Is Not A Dirty Concept

First published in September 2013 


Working together and sharing sacrifices are what help make nations into, well, nations. Get out of the past and come forward into the current century. Since when should providing good educations from childhood to adulthood for all Americans be considered as something to scorn and look down on? How about with retraining workers displaced by technology or jobs lost to overseas?  Remember real people have been and are being hurt, their lives destroyed. Since when did trying to help them make or restore their lives become a bad thing? How about health care for all, where health care professionals get paid on a competitive basis and not by how many tests, appointments and procedures they can require? Yes too, this means taxes to help support such things, but when people realize the benefit that can be achieved for all, instead of for just the few, I think they'll see the value in those taxes.

These things don't weaken the nation, they strengthen it. The greedy want you to believe helping others is detrimental to the country, but then many of them, or their supporters, also want you to believe they are Christians, but in that case, they're either Christians or ruthless money grubbers, they need to pick one, but they can't be both simultaneously, unless we allow them to define the term. Call their hands, don't let them have it both ways. 

WORD HISTORY:
Name-This word goes back to Indo European "nom(e)n," which meant "name." This gave its Old Germanic offspring "namon," with the same meaning. This then gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "nama/noma," which meant "name," and a bit later, "noun" (the 'name' of people or things). This then became "name." The verb form in Old English was "namian" (to call, to name"). Common in the other Germanic languages (these are all the noun forms): German has "Name," Low German has "Naam," West Frisian "namme," Dutch "naam," Danish and Norwegian have "navn," Icelandic "nafn," and Swedish has "namn."

Rolling Back Fascism Is Not Easy, Part Four

First published January 2013

"Right Wing Extremism" 

Maybe we humans need a certain amount of fear in our lives, I don't know. Is that why we stand in long lines to ride roller coasters and try to find the spookiest haunted houses at Halloween time? Scaring the hell out of us is a pretty major industry. With communism not providing the scariness of times past, the political right has looked around for a new form of "haunted house," although some still like to return to the "communist threat," calling some people, usually Democrats, "communists," or "socialists," a word many people don't really understand. Islamist extremists, likened to fascists by some, galvanized Americans and others to oppose such extremism in other countries, all the while letting our own fascists hide out and grow under the guise of patriotism, as they wrapped themselves in the flag, and some also, in religion, usually Christianity, proving only that anyone can call themselves a Christian, without ever really understanding Christianity.

 In case you haven't noticed, right wingers also like to "claim" to be protectors of the Constitution, like over gun control, for instance; but, like their perversion of Christianity, their misunderstanding (deliberate or not) of "socialism," especially as it relates to Christianity, they have conveniently interpreted the Constitution favorably toward their own extremist views. This is the Second Amendment: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." They continuously quote the last part, without reference to the first part about a "well regulated Militia." It is not a coincidence, in my opinion, that many American fascist groups call their groups "militias." They use the false argument of " they want to take our guns away," when "most" supporters of gun control simply want some reasonable restrictions like the ban on assault weapons reinstated and bans on large magazines of ammunition implemented, but the fascists and the far right continue to maintain  that gun control supporters "want to ban guns." Former Governor Haley Barbour, also a former Republican Chairman, should have been challenged for spouting this nonsense on a recent Meet the Press, but host David Gregory was silent, as were other members on the panel. You don't defeat such nonsense by letting it go unchallenged. Some of the outspoken right wingers have noted that the possession of guns can be used to "protect" them from the government, or I suppose, be used in some violent overthrow of the government. You don't need machine guns and other automatic weapons, or huge arsenals, to go hunt ducks.

It's much the same with the right wing argument, "we just want to scale back the size of government before it takes over." Such a basic concept (and the fear behind it) appeals to some people because it deliberately fails to spell out what their vision of "scaling back government" actually means, which is essentially "we don't want Americans to have heath care, or unemployment benefits, or job training dammit! I've got mine, the hell with you!" Don't be surprised if they interrupt to say, "Oh excuse me, I can't discuss this any more, I've got to go to church. I'm a Christian." They give people truly trying to be Christians a bad name; thus, those trying to be Christians also need to set the record straight and let everyone know that the reprehensible talk and actions of these extremists, who cloak themselves in Christianity, do NOT represent them. What is both exasperating and frightening to me is, however, that some people who have benefited from government programs or unions (by directly belonging to a union, or benefiting from the standards set by union negotiations) are now on the side of the right wing. "Do as I say, not as I do." All of us have disconnects at times, but these folks need to reestablish contact with their own lives and pasts, quickly.

Having debates about the size and operations of government is legitimate and does not make one a fascist, but don't forget the company you are keeping and how to keep that company on the fringe of American politics, where it belongs.

Next.. Final part.

WORD HISTORY:
Gnaw-The ultimate origin of this word is uncertain, although it "may" be from sound imitation. Old Germanic had "gnaganan," which meant "to bite something consistently for a period of time in the hope of wearing it down, to bite off small pieces over a period of time." This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "gnagan," with the same meaning. This then became "gnawen," before the modern version. Other Germanic languages have: German "nagen" (previously spelled "gnagan"), Dutch "knagen," Low German Saxon "gnagen," Danish "gnave," Icelandic "naga," Norwegian "gnage," Swedish "gnaga." Frisian apparently does not use a form of the word, at least not in this context.

Extremist Religion Can Be Hazardous To Everyone's Health

Billions of people world wide have various religious beliefs, and many even have strong religious beliefs, but they go about their lives, they go to work, they go to their places of worship, and they don't hurt or bother anyone else over religion. If someone doesn't agree with them, they may wish it were otherwise, but they go about their business. If someone makes fun of them or their religion, they may not like it, they may even get angry, but they contain themselves and move on. Then there are those who have such fanatical religious beliefs, that anyone who dares to disagree with their religious view in any way faces severe repercussions. I just saw where in Bangladesh, a country with an overwhelmingly Muslim population, some Muslims rampaged through a Buddhist area destroying Buddhist temples and burning Buddhist homes, because of a photo posted on Facebook by ONE Buddhist which some Muslims felt insulted Islam. (The story said "one" Buddhist posted the picture, and the story provided no details about the picture.) The government there is trying to keep a lid on things now.

I needn't tell any half way sane person, this behavior is lunacy! It is nonsense out of the Middles Ages, which needed to die in the Middle Ages along with the plague, to which it bears a serious resemblance. It threatens EVERYONE! However, both the plague and such antiquated religious fervor survived the Middle Ages, and to be quite honest, no one really knows what to do about the latter. Unless you've been visiting another planet lately, and some people seem to do so, you are also aware of protests and violence in many Muslim areas of the world directed at the United States over a film made by a guy in California (born in Egypt), a film which was unknown to virtually every human being not visiting another planet before the violence started, which Muslims say insulted their Prophet Mohammad, a charge I believe is likely true (although I didn't see the film), but the extreme reaction to the film has only served to give it more publicity and to give Muslims an increasingly negative image in many parts of the world, an image perhaps exaggerated, since not all Muslims, nor even most Muslims, rose up and started lashing out at the United States. Folks, most of us probably get insulted every day, or at least every week, but people who are seriously troubled about their beliefs are the dangerous ones, since people who feel confident in themselves and any beliefs, religious or political, don't run around in a panic, lashing out at others, because someone said something about them. The fearful ones try to suppress differing views or go out of their way to prove their beliefs are stronger by attacking others. These are signs of weakness, not strength. Such insecure people wall themselves off, fearful someone or some view might actually change them, and they're terrified! "What if my beliefs are wrong? Ahhhhhhhhh! I don't want to know!"

Communism in eastern Europe built walls and barbed-wire fences, complete with armed guards in gun towers, for the announced purpose of keeping aggressors out of their "paradise," but the propaganda fooled no one, as the walls and fences were built to keep their own people from experiencing anything beyond their own imagined "Garden of Eden," because they were too afraid their own ideas and life style could not stand up in comparison or criticism. Such weak egos are VERY dangerous. Some people don't want to know or to search for truth. They are content with their beliefs, and they don't care how flawed their beliefs might be. "Two plus two is five," and they are happy to believe that and they don't want anyone telling them it's three...ah, wait a second, let's see... oh...four! The whole point is, weak leaders exploit the lack of education and backwardness of some to keep control of such people.

Like it, not like it, change requires criticism, something none of us is especially fond of when it is directed at us. Moderates, or people who really practice peaceful religion do not always speak up, so the fanatics take over. Remember, you may feel very strongly about your religion, but your religion is sacred to YOU, not necessarily to others. I try to accept people's religious beliefs, but behavior such as that mentioned above makes it very difficult. This kind of religious terror, however,  is a reality and we're going to have to live or die with it. When you have "elements of a religion" (not everyone) say that no one can criticize their religion, or we'll kill you, there's no room for any discussion with such people. When you have these same elements attacking members of other religions or nationals from other countries, just because one person, or one small group of people affiliated with a particular religion or nation, insulted their religion, this has all the ingredients of major world tension for a long, long time to come; and that's if we don't blow the world to pieces over such things first.

Christianity also has fanatics and the history of Christianity is not pretty. It is filled with hatred, violence, killing and intolerance; and that's just among people who called themselves Christians! Christianity also has been highly intolerant of other religions, although some of that has lessened in more recent times, especially in relation to Judaism. Islam has also had such a troubled history within its own ranks. Christianity and Islam have had a very contentious relationship throughout history, but with periods of relative peace. People from both religions have perpetrated atrocities against members of the other religion. Sometimes it's difficult to tell the difference between religious and political fanatics, since some fanatics wrap themselves in the garb of religion to spew their hatred. As I said, I generally respect people's religious beliefs, but some things are not purely religious, nor can we allow zealots to try to pull us back to medieval, or even to ancient, times.

WORD HISTORY:
Fanatic-The ultimate origin of this word is uncertain. It goes back to Latin "fanum," which meant "temple." This then produced "fanaticus," which had the notion of "something derived from the temple," which then led to the extended meaning "inspired by a deity." The fervor of some religious people in Roman times led to the further meaning "frenzied or overzealous religious person," a further development of which dropped the religious necessity to become "mad, insane person." English borrowed the word in the earlier part of the 1500s, but its pronunciation apparently was strongly influenced by French "fanatique," a word Latin-based French inherited from its Latin ancestor. In English the word gradually assumed the meaning "overzealous person," a meaning even used in Roman times.  

History of Ghettos, Part One

The idea of separating people from one another for some reason is undoubtedly so old as to be unrecorded in history. The more specific idea of separating humans due to religious, ethnic, or racial background is somewhat better documented as it related to European Jews going back to a time during the Middle Ages in the 1ate 1100s, when Christian officials (Third Lateran Council) decreed that Jews and Muslims were not permitted to have Christian servants, with further implications that Christians should not live among Jews or Muslims. Christian testimony in any legal matter against Jews was the be accepted over the testimony of Jews. The Council also decreed excommunication for Christians who practiced "usury;" that is, "charging interest on loans."* Since Jews were (and had been) excluded from many professions, but not finance, many Jews went into the field, opening new hostility toward them.** So this whole matter led to Jews being more and more excluded from general society, although that had already been going on to some degree even before this time.

By 1516, Venice forced Jews to live in one part of the city (an island) which had a wall built around it and this was the first time the term "ghetto" was used (see Word History). Not long thereafter, Rome and other European cities followed suit, and Jews frequently had to create their own society within the confines of their part of a city.*** Besides the moral issue involved here, Jewish ghettos were almost always restricted in size, thus making for overcrowding and generally poor living conditions. Some cites did not completely restrict Jews to walled in areas, and Jewish living areas then were often called the "Jewish quarter."

The American Revolution, and the subsequent French Revolution, brought changes to the way "some" people thought about separating people, especially Jews, from the rest of society. Gradually some of the barriers to Europe's Jews came down, but bigotry and hatred towards them remained among significant parts of the population, often depending upon the country in question. In Germany, Jews gradually came to be more accepted (I didn't say totally), although less so in the staunchly Catholic areas, particularly in Bavaria and Austria.**** Germany and Austria are obviously important, because of what was to come under Hitler, but my point here is to indicate that many Jews, particularly in central and northern Germany, came to see themselves and be viewed by many Germans, as "Germans." This later became VERY dangerous, as a number of German Jews believed Hitler to be something of a temporary phenomenon, and their ties to Germany also understandably made them highly reluctant to leave their homeland. Needless to say, it cost many German Jews their lives.

More in Part Two.

* Islam forbids charging interest, but the Christian world (although not every Christian) has redefined "usury" to mean "excessive" interest on loans, the definition of which is beyond the scope of this article. 

** Let's face it, while not always true, the basic old saying has much truth, "Lend a person a dollar and you've made a friend, but lend them more than that, and you've made an enemy." We tend to be resentful against those to whom we owe something, usually money, especially if we are having trouble paying it back.

*** You can't have it both ways, folks. If you segregate people, guess what? They develop a culture and society all of their own, likely to be of varying differences from society in general. If you then remove restrictions and permit free movement and living for these previously restricted people, guess what? They ain't (if my former English teachers will forgive me) going to suddenly acclimate themselves to the general population. Such things take time, and the influences typically go in both directions. 

**** Vienna's Jewish population gradually grew, containing much of Austria's Jewish population. For some info on German Jews in the World War One era, see my article:  http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2011/02/german-question-part-eighty.html   

WORD HISTORY:
Ghetto-The origin of this word is unclear, but it "likely" goes back to "Venetian," technically a Latin derived (Romance) language spoken in Venice and vicinity, that is usually referred to as an Italian dialect. Venetian has "ghet(o)," a word meaning "slag" (a product of making ore into metal) and also used for a foundry producing slag. This came from Italian "gettare," a verb with the primary meaning "to throw," and the extended meaning "to cast/mould" ('mold,' American spelling).^ This traces back to Latin "jactare/iactare," with the same meanings. Whether the Latin word came from Indo European, is unclear. The term "ghetto" was first used in Venice in the modern context in early 1500s, and the original Jewish ghetto there was in the same part of town as a foundry, and the speculation is, the district may have been tagged as a "ghetto," in local usage because of the foundry, and that the term was simply maintained when Jews lived there. The term and meaning then spread to Italian and English borrowed it from Italian in either the late 1500s or early 1600s, and it later came to be applied to an area of a city or town where, compared to the overall population, the dwellers were predominantly minority.

^ English has the similar development of "cast," which means "to throw" (now more often used, but not exclusively, in terms of fishing lines or nets), but with a secondary meaning "pour metal into a mold," as in "cast iron."

The World In Protest, Revolution or Civil War? Part Six

This was first published in early 2012. 

"Polarization of Spain Brings Civil War" Part 1

The American Civil War was fought over "states' rights," and more specifically over the issue of slavery, and whether states had a right to permit slavery within their own borders, or whether the national government had a right to outlaw slavery throughout the land. The practice of slavery was well established in the southern parts of the country, especially, but not exclusively, on large estates (plantations), and many prominent early Americans, including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, owned slaves. More and more Americans of those times came to view slavery as morally wrong, although opposition came to be concentrated in northern states, with states bordering the north and south facing divided public opinion.* Abraham Lincoln, the first Republican president,** was a staunch foe of slavery, and his election brought the declaration from a number of southern states that they were leaving the "Union;" that is, the United States, to form a "confederation" of states; thus, the term "Confederacy." Lincoln said states could not leave the "Union," and a violent war began to settle the issue (for those times).***

Spain was a monarchy until 1931, when King Alfonso XIII abdicated (he literally left the country). The king, the Roman Catholic Church, the army and wealthy interests, including industrialists, had had the largest say in the governance of Spain,**** and the strains on Spanish society were becoming more and more evident, as reforms to help protect workers, farmers, and regional interests were not carried through. The Spanish socialist party became increasingly popular, along with strong anti church elements, and pro-democracy elements.***** In elections in 1931, this "coalition" group won a majority in elections, the king left the country, and a "republic" was declared. All seemed well on the surface, and it appeared Spain would move forward, but opposition to the new republic from entrenched interests quickly mobilized to prevent change.

* The southern states of America were generally not as densely populated as northern states, and the availability of land for farming, combined with the longer growing season, made agriculture a major part of the southern economy, with labor intense cotton being one of the main crops, as it was also sold overseas. The long tradition of slave labor in the region carried over from colonial times to the decades after American independence.

** The Republican Party had been established with a strong anti-slavery element. Lincoln's candidacy prompted southerners to flock to the Democratic Party, where they and their descendants remained until the last couple of decades, when they began voting Republican, even if not always at first registering as Republicans. The Democratic Party maintained a staunch segregationist element from the post-Civil War era until a number of prominent Democrats began to push for an end to segregation and for laws to try to make the country fairer. More and more the segregationist elements voted Republican or became Republicans, undoubtedly causing Lincoln several turns in his grave. So historically, neither major political party is without guilt, but at least Democrats basically got over it. Republicans took their party's roots and chopped them off.

*** I say "for those times," because just in the last couple of years some Republicans in southern states, including Governor Perry of Texas, have suggested they might want to secede from the "Union," mainly because of President Obama's health care plan. Such talk has now subsided, but it is interesting that the Republican South, undoubtedly the most fundamentalist Christian (by their definition; keep reading) part of the country, and Rick Perry, who flaunts his Christianity so publicly, would talk of secession from the country, because a president wants to help Americans who don't have health insurance! I'm not saying you have to support Obama's plan (I wasn't especially thrilled by it, but for different reasons), but to essentially say to those who don't have access to adequate health care, "The hell with you! I've got mine, go get yours," is just astounding. It shows how human beings make religion to be whatever we want it to be, AT THE MOMENT. Christianity especially does NOT advocate selfishness, accumulation of wealth, turning your back on the needy or sick, but, quite to the contrary, the OPPOSITE OF THESE THINGS! Going to church, singing hymns, memorizing Bible verses, saying "God loves you," and forming social cliques is not Christianity, although many seem to believe that is its purpose. Oooo, I can feel the condemnations now! But for those condemning me, you'd better go look in that mirror and ask yourself some tough questions. And no "spinning" the answers to come out the way you want them to come out; that is, "making religion be what you want it to be, at the moment."

**** There was a military government throughout much of the 1920s, but it grew increasingly unpopular, including with the wealthy, since the government raised their taxes to help pay for public works projects. Hm, you don't think there's a similarity to modern America here, do you? The government, which was supported by the king, succeeded in angering just about every segment of Spanish society with oppressive policies or by not following through on promised reforms; thus further tarnishing the king, who already had a reputation as anti-democratic.

***** The Roman Catholic Church had had tremendous influence in Spain for centuries. Since the Church tended to support the rulers of Spain, it too was seen by a certain segment of the population as being part of the country's problems.

WORD HISTORY:
Civil-It "seems" this word, closely related to "civic" (not a Honda), goes back to Indo European "k(h)ei," with the meaning "settle, lie down;" thus, "homestead," and also the figurative noun sense, "family" (from the homestead/settle notion). This gave its Latin offspring "civis," which meant "citizen" (here again, the "homestead, settle, and family notions tie in). This then produced Latin "civilis," with the meaning "pertaining to the public, to citizens." Old French, a Latin-based language, "inherited" the word as "civil," and English borrowed it from French in the late 1300s (the Middle English period). The further notion of "courteous, polite," as in "civil discussion," seems to have been picked up by English in the 1500s, as Latin had developed that same meaning, derived from the idea of regular citizens being more polite than military and religious authorities.

Christmas

The history of the word "Christmas:"

This word is a compound, the "Christ" part traces back to Indo European "ghrei," which meant "to rub." This gave Greek "khriein," which meant "to anoint; that is, usually rub with oil." This then produced the noun "khristos," meaning "the anointed (one)," which was the Greek translation of Hebrew "mashiah;" that is, "messiah." Latin borrowed the word as "Christus," and the word spread throughout Europe with the advance of Christianity; thus Old English "crist," and the "h" wasn't added until a few centuries later for "Christ." "The "mas" part is really "Mass," the religious service. The ultimate origins of this word are uncertain, although "some" believe it is from Indo European. It goes back to Latin "mittere," a verb meaning "to send, to dismiss." This verb's participle form was "missa," which produced a noun form "messa," meaning "a Eucharist service;" that is, "thanks giving service" (not the American holiday "Thanksgiving"). The notion behind the word and the religious service was "prayer sent; thus the congregation is dismissed." This was borrowed into Old English as "maesse," which later became "Mass." It was borrowed by other languages, too, and German has "Messe," and Dutch has both "mis" and "massa." Old English had "Cristes maesse," which did not commonly become one compound word until about the 1300s; thus we have "Christmas." The use of "Xmas" as an abbreviation for "Christmas" is from the Greek letter "Χ" from "Χριστός;" that is, the Greek alphabet form of "Christ," transliterated as "Christós."

So, to all visitors here: "MERRY CHRISTMAS!"

The German Question, Part Seventeen

While remaining in safety in Saxony, Martin Luther translated the New Testament into German,* complete with his take on the meaning of some passages. Since there were many dialects of German, with northern speakers and southern speakers not easily being able to understand one another to any great degree, he mainly used a dialect literally in the middle from his own region (Saxony and Thuringia), and which was able to be understood by most German speakers. This dialect was prevalent in government and church circles in Saxony, but he also used some "high" dialect in his translation ("high" meaning from elevated areas, not "high" in the social sense), and he tried to make the flow of the translation be of common speech and not the more rigid ecclesiastical terminology. This "German Bible," coupled with the printing technology of those times, permitted wide distribution of Luther's work, and brought him a growing number of adherents to his beliefs. No question about it, this translation laid the foundation of the modern German language, as it spread throughout literary and educational circles, and gradually it  made headway against the Low German dialects (again "low" meaning from plains and low-lying areas) of the northern part of Germany. So, if you've ever studied German, and you cursed all of those grammatical rules, suffixes and changes to verbs, adjectives, and even some nouns, you can give at least some of the blame to Luther (hahaha, but remember, English once did similar, but then simplified). Of course, if you're Catholic too, you might give him all of the blame (get it? Luther founded Lutheranism, so if you're Catholic.....oh never mind). He then did a translation of the Old Testament, which was also published a bit later. This overall move toward a "standard German" language helped foster German nationalism and a desire for a truly unified nation.**

It should be noted that Luther was also known for his anti-Jewish views, and some, if not many, historians attribute Luther's views and his tremendous influence as contributing to the rise in anti-Jewish feelings in Germany in his times. His arguments against Jews were something later used by the Nazis. (A Word History is below the notes)

* I'm not a Biblical scholar, but in all my years of reading German history, it was my understanding that Luther translated the New Testament from Greek into German. When I was checking some info for this article, I read in one source that he translated these books from Latin; that is, from a previous translation from Greek into Latin, but other sources noted that he translated the Christian books from the Greek edition done by Dutch Catholic theologian Erasmus. Luther had studied Greek in his younger days. The Old Testament, also known by some as the "Jewish Bible," was originally in Hebrew.

** Many may find this hard to believe, but Germans speaking only their own dialects, and not standard German (see separate note below), persisted until well into the 20th Century. Naturally, as education became more and more widespread, more and more German speakers learned standard German, although that does not necessarily mean that they stopped using their own dialects too. Many Germans to this day take pride in their regional dialect, and they continue to use it among family and friends, using standard German for business and travel, for visitors outside of their region, or to listen to the radio or television. The post-World War Two era brought universal education to rural areas and small villages, and along with that education came the requirement to learn standard German. About 25 years ago, a postwar immigrant acquaintance of mine from Austria told me that one time he was at the train station in Stuttgart (I believe in the 1970s, if memory serves me right). An older man came up to him asking something, and he asked the man to speak German, but the man only spoke the local dialect, called "Schwäbisch," or "Swabian," in English. It is related to Alsatian (Elsässisch) and Swiss German (Schwyzerdütsch/ Schwiizertüütsch, depending upon...ah...dialect. And you thought English was tough!). Today, I'd find it hard to believe that anyone from Germany, Austria, or the German part of Switzerland (and probably Luxembourg) who doesn't speak standard German, unless perhaps they are very elderly, and even then they would have had such exposure to standard German that they would almost have to be able to understand most of it, if not speak it fluently.

Note: We don't really have anything quite like the German dialects in English, at least not in American English, and likely not in England either, although they are more pronounced there (the pun is not really intended, but what the hell). Perhaps that's because English itself is derived from some of those similar northern dialects, "Anglo-Saxon," from the Continent, which then transferred across to Britain. Many of the northern German dialects trace back to the Saxons and related Germanic tribes, just as English does, but the differences in German dialects from other areas can be stark. The German dialects should not necessarily be confused with variations in spoken German, since just as Americans or Englishmen speak the same basic English differently, so do Germans vary in their ways of speaking German, and certainly the regional dialects can have a major influence on how standard German is spoken.

WORD HISTORY:
Soul-I didn't find a solid Indo European root for this word, but that doesn't mean there isn't one. Old Germanic had "saiwalo," with the notion of "the spiritual part of a person." Some etymologists suggest that this might be further linked to the Old Germanic word for "sea," which was "saiwaz," as the ancient Germanic people believed a person's soul derived from or went to the sea after death. This is possible, as we certainly see "spirits" as "flowing" along, much like water, and there could be a connection. From Germanic "saiwalo" came Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "sawol," with the same basic meaning of "spiritual part of a person." This later became "soul," and by the 900s, it had come to mean "the spirit of a dead person." The other Germanic languages have: German has "Seele," Low German has "Seel," West Frisian "siel," Dutch has "ziel," Swedish has "själ," Danish has "sjael," Icelandic has "sál," and Norwegian has "sjel."

The German Question, Part Sixteen

The Germans have been affected by religious strife more than some other European peoples. The reason for this is simple, Germans themselves have been very divided in their denominational choices. This is a very complex and important part of German history, and I want to try to keep it simple, although I may fail in that attempt, but we'll see.....

Over the centuries leading up to the 1500s, the Church* had become corrupted in the views of a number of average citizens. Money flowed to the Church and to its representatives throughout Christendom, often in exchange for forgiveness of sins, real or perceived. While other matters of the Church came into question, like what the balance should be between Church and secular governance, the upheaval that came was centered around the question, "how much money does one need to save their soul?" Ever so gradually concern for the individual had been rising throughout Europe, and this in the face of the feudal system that had been in place, where local rulers dominated the landscape, and individuals were relegated to serving the interests of these rulers. These rulers were often tied to the Church, and indeed, the Church itself had rulers who literally controlled portions of territory in the German inhabited, or ruled, areas.

Undoubtedly many of the criticisms of the Church had been around for quite some time, but with Gutenberg  popularizing movable type, the written word spread far and wide, and in German, not just the Latin of the Church, and some average people actually wanted to learn how to read so they could discover more about life and the world to which they had been thus far exposed. Those who could read spread the word to those not so fortunate. While there were numerous leaders of the Reformation,** Martin Luther,*** a Christian monk and theologian from a German area called "Saxony" ("Sachsen" in German),**** challenged Church practices and published his famous "95 Theses" (in 1517) to lay out his ideas on reform. Two very important ideas of Luther were: each person can achieve salvation without the aid (intercession) of some Church representative, and second, that the German princes^ should reduce Papal authority in Germany. Luther's ideas spread throughout Germany and he was eventually ex-communicated by the pope and he and his teachings were outlawed by the German emperor, Karl V (Charles V), who backed the Papacy. Many of the German princes, however, backed Luther (as did much of the public), and indeed he was provided sanctuary and out-and-out protection by Prince Frederick of Saxony. "Lutheranism," as it came to be called, gained large followings in much of northeastern and central Germany, something that persists to this very day.

Luther's ideas stirred the general public, which wanted social reforms to help alleviate their depressed conditions.^^ Reformers far more radical than Luther incited the public, and this led to the "Peasant War of 1524/25" (Bauernkrieg, in German),^^^ which essentially was a rebellion, mainly in the southern and southwestern German lands, and which was finally suppressed by the nobles, with the SUPPORT of Luther.

To be continued.... (A Word History is below the notes)

* The "Church" now meaning the Christian element based in Rome and ruled by the Papacy, as there was the Eastern Christian Church by this time, too.

** "The Reformation" came to be a term used to describe the movement to "reform" the Church and it is the same term in German, although the pronunciation is as if, "ray-for-maw-tsee- own." It is a Latin-based word, but the specific religious meaning came via Martin Luther.

*** For those interested in words/names, it seems the family name had previously been spelled "Luder." As I've noted in other articles, "d" and "t" in the Germanic languages was/is often interchangeable, so to speak, and the change in spelling to the "th" didn't change much, as German does not have the "th" pronunciation of English, but pronounces such as "t;" thus the name in German is pronounced like "looter," a pronunciation which might well please some "anti-looters" ... I mean anti-Luthers. 

**** Since the end of World War Two, Luther's part of Saxony has been part of the German state called "Sachsen-Anhalt," although the separate state, "Sachsen," also still exists, and to confuse matters even more, another state, Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen), also exists.

^ Local and regional German rulers carried a wide variety of titles (for example: kings, princes, archdukes), but they were collectively known as "the German princes," regardless of their technical titles.

^^ For example, many people wanted certain waterways and hunting areas controlled as "public areas," rather than by private owners who could extract huge payments for the right to use the areas.

^^^ "Peasant" does not have the same "unflattering" meaning in German as it does in English; at least, in American English. English speakers use the word "farmer" in much the same way as German speakers use "peasant" ("Bauer," which can be translated as "farmer" too), and if you call farmers "peasants" in English, it will likely be considered an insult by many, perhaps all.

WORD HISTORY:
Way-This goes back to Indo European "wegh," which had the notion of "movement, travel, ride." The Old Germanic offshoot was "wegaz," which meant "path, road, course," and then later produced Old English "weg," with the same meanings. The "g" sound died out at some point in the Middle Ages, leaving modern English with "way," just as happened with "daeg," which became modern "day." The other Germanic languages have: German and Dutch both have "weg" ("Weg," in German, as all German nouns are capitalized), Low German has "Weg/Weeg," West Frisian "wei," Norwegian "vei," Danish "vej," Swedish "väg;" and Icelandic "vegur," all with the same basic meanings as their English relative.