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MEMORIAL

Posted: Sun May 29, 2005 11:51 pm
by Dr. Goodword
• memorial •

Pronunciation: mê-mor-i-êl

Part of Speech: Adjective, Noun

Meaning: 1. [Adjective] Designed to evoke remembrance of a person or event. 2. [Noun] A service or artifact designed to evoke remembrance of a person or event.

Notes: The origin of Memorial Day is a bit cloudy. It began during or right after the Civil War as informal trips to cemeteries where flowers were placed on the graves of soldiers fallen in battle. It became such a popular event each spring that General John Logan proclaimed Memorial Day a holiday on May 5, 1868. It was first officially observed on May 30, 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers in Arlington Cemetery. It spread, state by state, across the nation; however, the southern states refused to recognize it until after World War I.

In Play: At Alpha Dictionary we are all thinking today of those who have given, are giving, and will give their lives to remove a despot as nefarious as Hitler or Stalin, Saddam Hussein, from power. We are sure we speak for all those who are alive in Iraq and Afghanistan today only because of the sacrifices of US and coalition forces in those countries. It is to the courage of those who continue to make the ultimate sacrifice for democracy and sanity around the world that we dedicate today's Good Word.

Word History: Today's word comes from Late Latin memoriale, the neuter of Latin memorialis "related to memory". The adjective is based on memoria "memory", a partial reduplication of the root *mor-, me-mor-, the initial consonant having been repeated as a prefix. We use the Latin word itself in the phrase in memoriam "in memory (of)", often carved on memorials to those we love and respect. With the suffix –n, the same stem became mourn in English, where wars always lead our memories.

Re: MEMORIAL

Posted: Mon May 30, 2005 10:23 am
by tcward
Today's word comes from Late Latin memoriale, the neuter of Latin memorialis "related to memory". The adjective is based on memoria "memory", a partial reduplication of the root *mor-, me-mor-, the initial consonant having been repeated as a prefix.
So is this only peripherally related to PIE *men- "to think"...?

Does anyone here remember Remembrance Day?

-Tim

Posted: Mon May 30, 2005 6:51 pm
by KatyBr
It was first officially observed on May 39, 1868,
While I haven't seen a calendar from 1868, I'm pretty sure that May only came in size 31......
but then I could be wrong

Katy

Posted: Mon May 30, 2005 7:04 pm
by gailr
I think that's some of the fallout from the Gregorian-Julian Calendar revisions...
gailr

Posted: Mon May 30, 2005 7:10 pm
by Apoclima
Perhaps a double triple leap year!

Apo

Posted: Tue May 31, 2005 4:54 am
by M. Henri Day
I think that's some of the fallout from the Gregorian-Julian Calendar revisions...
In 1868 ?...

Henri (aka the man who never gets a joke, no matter how obvious....)

Posted: Tue May 31, 2005 11:58 am
by KatyBr
Henri, I think they keep the jokes simple for me.

Katy
(I see that the good Doctor has changed the original May 39th to May 30th, making my quote obsolete, Now I just look stupid)

Posted: Tue May 31, 2005 10:28 pm
by gailr
Rome is eternal, Henri. So what are a few centuries here and there between friends? :wink:
gailr

Posted: Tue May 31, 2005 11:40 pm
by Flaminius
According to the link, In the section "The change-over from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar"
In 1868 ?...
Japan: Different authorities say:
19 Dec 1872 was followed by 1 Jan 1873
18 Dec 1918 was followed by 1 Jan 1919

What a gem! Did we, the avowed pagans, ever use Julian caledar?

Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2005 2:26 am
by M. Henri Day
According to the link, In the section "The change-over from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar"
...

Japan: Different authorities say:
19 Dec 1872 was followed by 1 Jan 1873
18 Dec 1918 was followed by 1 Jan 1919
...
Could you check this discrepancy out, Flam ?...

Henri