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cataracts

Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2013 7:37 pm
by sardith
Oh RATS! :P

I was just SURE that this word, cataracts, had its go around in Dr. Goodword's word processor, or perhaps I was just hoping against hope. :cry:

I'm doing some reading for a class, and it'd be very helpful if I could understand the metamorphosis of the word, cataracts from the meaning: waterfall or deluge; to, the opaque area on the lens of the eye. :?

So, I'm calling on any of you out there in Dr. Goodword's team of 'wordies', (I don't know what you prefer to be called), you've all been so helpful to me in the past. :wink:

I did find the following information on the internet, but I need someone to explain it to me:


1430, from L. cataracta "waterfall," from Gk. katarhaktes "swooping, rushing down," from kata "down" + arhattein "to strike hard." Its alternative sense in L. of "portcullis" was probably passed through M.Fr. to form the Eng. meaning "eye disease" (1547), on the notion of "obstruction." :roll:

Thank you for any assistance and I would like to suggest that we get this one into the queue of possible words for a Dr. Goodword article. It would be awesome! :D

Sardith :mrgreen:

Re: cataracts

Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2013 9:28 pm
by gailr
These three links are from etymonline; hope this helps.
cataract (n.)
early 15c., "a waterfall, floodgate," from Latin cataracta "waterfall," from Greek katarhaktes "waterfall, broken water; a kind of portcullis," noun use of an adjective compound meaning "swooping, down-rushing," from kata "down" (see cata-). The second element is traced either to arhattein "to strike hard" (in which case the compound is kat-arrhattein), or to rhattein "to dash, break."

Its alternative sense in Latin of "portcullis" probably was passed through French to form the English meaning "eye disease" (early 15c.), on the notion of "obstruction" (to eyesight).
glaucoma (n.)
1640s, from Greek glaukoma "cataract, opacity of the lens" (cataracts and glaucoma not distinguished until c.1705), from -oma + glaukos, an adjective of uncertain origin (see glaucous)
glaucous (adj.)
"bluish-green, gray," 1670s, from Latin glaucus "bluish-green," of uncertain origin; used in Homer of the sea as "gleaming, silvery" (apparently without a color connotation); used by later writers with a sense of "bluish-green, gray," of olive leaves and eyes. Homer's glauk-opis Athene probably originally was a "bright-eyed," not a "gray-eyed" goddess. Greek for "owl" was glaux from its bright, staring eyes.

Re: cataracts

Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2013 10:35 pm
by Slava
I'm going with the idea that the eye affliction is more related to the portcullis concept.

A portcullis was a gate in grooves that could be lowered into place to block access to a castle or other fortification. I believe they were most often used over waterways. This meant they had to be a grate, not a solid wall.

As humans age, the onset of cataracts may be viewed as a portcullis. It doesn't completely block everything, but over time will cause problems in the passage of light.

Put another way, as in a cascade, it is a falling down of something over something else that blocks the view from inside.

Re: cataracts

Posted: Tue Mar 05, 2013 10:10 am
by sardith
Thank you, gailr.

That is more information than I was able to come up with! :)

Sardith
p.s. Love the March embellishments to your emblem!


Thank you as well, Slava.

I suspected that there was something to the portcullis notion, but was unable to wrap my brain around it. I hate it when that happens. :roll:

Once again, your help will keep me from being bogged down. :D

Sardith :mrgreen:

Re: cataracts

Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2023 4:15 pm
by bbeeton
While looking forward to possible cataract surgery myself, I wondered about the relationship between the eye affliction and rushing water, fluvius (but not effluvium).

I hadn't previously thought of the relation to portcullis -- for me, that is the gated entrance to a very nice small local house and garden, where the gate is lowered into place from the gatehouse built into the wall, but since the gate is formed from vertical bars, it's possible to get a tantalizing view of what's inside. This house used to be the residence of a friend, so I've been inside, and attended picnics in the garden. A treasure!

Anyhow, both cataract and portcullis are words that would welcome treatment by the Good Doctor.