• 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.
MEMORIAL
- Dr. Goodword
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MEMORIAL
Last edited by Dr. Goodword on Mon May 30, 2005 11:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
• The Good Dr. Goodword
Re: MEMORIAL
So is this only peripherally related to PIE *men- "to think"...?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.
Does anyone here remember Remembrance Day?
-Tim
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- Grand Panjandrum
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In 1868 ?...I think that's some of the fallout from the Gregorian-Julian Calendar revisions...
Henri (aka the man who never gets a joke, no matter how obvious....)
曾记否,到中流击水,浪遏飞舟?
According to the link, In the section "The change-over from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar"
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?
Japan: Different authorities say:In 1868 ?...
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?
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- Grand Panjandrum
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