BEDIZEN

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BEDIZEN

Postby Dr. Goodword » Sat Sep 08, 2012 11:19 pm

• bedizen •

Pronunciation: bee-dai-zên, bee-diz -ên • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Verb

Meaning: 1.To dress up in fine clothes, accessories, or other ornaments. 2. To ornament anything.

Notes: This word today is used almost exclusively in the form of its past participle, bedizened. Its sense has migrated to just "dressed up", though a common implication is dressed up to hide flaws. The gerund, bedizening, may be used as an adjective or noun, though the noun bedizenment has been available since the mid 19th century.

In Play: Today's Good Word is most closely associated with clothing and accessories: "Maud Lynn Dresser descended the stairs bedizened in such splendor as bedazzled all eyes below." Today's word may be also used metaphorically: "When appropriate, we bedizen our Good Words here at alphaDictionary with graphics."

Word History: Today's word is be- + dizen "to dress out, dress up". The prefix be- was once a causative prefix, adding the meaning "make, cause" to that of the verb to which is was attached. This verb was derived from the dis in distaff, the staff that holds the unspun flax, wool, or tow for spinning by hand. This word, dis, is akin to Low German diesse, the flax on a distaff. Neither a verb nor a separate word dis can be found in Old English or Middle English, and there is no corresponding verb dizen in Low German. So, at this point, we come up against a blank wall. (We now offer our completely unbedizened gratitude to Perry Lassiter for suggesting today's Good Word in the Alpha Agora.)
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MTC
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Re: BEDIZEN

Postby MTC » Sun Sep 09, 2012 6:35 am

Bedizened can sometimes be seen hand in hand with its glittering twin, bedecked, for example:

“Today we are getting out the Fabulous Jewel-Bedecked and Bedizened SuperHero Paddle and wishing the Fabulous rozk all the Fabulous Birthday Happiness she can stand, and then some.”
And Speaking Of Royal Birthday Spankings--
(example provided by Wordnik)

Famous designers like Vera Wang dizen and deck the Glitterati.

damoge
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Re: BEDIZEN

Postby damoge » Sun Sep 09, 2012 12:03 pm

Is this also related to "bedight" as in the lullaby line, "... with roses bedight..."?
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MTC
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Re: BEDIZEN

Postby MTC » Sun Sep 09, 2012 1:15 pm

According to Dictionary.com:

"bedight
c.1400, from be- + dight, from O.E. dihtan "to dictate, appoint, ordain," which exploded in M.E. to a vast array of meanings (including "to rule," "to handle," "to abuse," "to have sex with," "to kill," "to clothe," "to make ready," "to repair") till it was one of the most-used verbs in the language, but all senses have faded now into obscurity, dialect, or poetic use."

So bedight is unrelated to the etymology of bedizen , but shares its meaning in the "to clothe" sense.

A colorful example of bedight comes to mind in the famous poem, "Eldorado," by Edgar Allen Poe:

"Gaily bedight,
A gallant knight,
In sunshine and in shadow,
Had journeyed long,
Singing a song,
In search of Eldorado.
But he grew old-
This knight so bold-
And o'er his heart a shadow
Fell as he found
No spot of ground
That looked like Eldorado.
...

Thanks for sharing this multifarious word.

damoge
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Re: BEDIZEN

Postby damoge » Sun Sep 09, 2012 10:49 pm

well, heavens! how do we resurrect all or some of the other meanings? such a lovely word to have lost all commerce!
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Philip Hudson
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Re: BEDIZEN

Postby Philip Hudson » Mon Sep 10, 2012 6:53 pm

There are many different English versions of the words to Brahms' Lullaby. All English versions I have found stray from the original German. Many people take out the condition of God's will. The condition of God's will is Biblical and, taken correctly, comforting. I couldn't find the exact one my mother sang to me. In my memory this is what she sang.

Lullaby and good night,
With roses bedight,
With lilies o'er spread
Is baby's wee bed.
If God wills thou shalt wake,
When the morning doeth break.
If God wills thou shalt wake,
When the morning doeth break.

It beats promising the baby a shiny little pony when she/he awakes.
It is dark at night, but the Sun will come up and then we can see.

damoge
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Re: BEDIZEN

Postby damoge » Mon Sep 10, 2012 8:27 pm

Our version was (and is):

Lullaby, and good night,
With roses bedight,
With lilies o'erspread,
Tis baby's wee bed.
Lay thee down now and rest,
May thy slumbers be blest,
Lay thee down now and rest,
May thy slumbers be blest.


Have you the German version?
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Slava
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Re: BEDIZEN

Postby Slava » Mon Sep 10, 2012 8:38 pm

Courtesy of Wikipedia:

Guten Abend, gute Nacht,
mit Rosen bedacht,
mit Näglein besteckt,
schlupf′ unter die Deck!
Morgen früh, wenn Gott will,
wirst du wieder geweckt.

Guten Abend, gute Nacht,
von Englein bewacht,
die zeigen im Traum
dir Christkindleins Baum.
Schlaf nun selig und süß,
schau im Traum ′s Paradies.
Life is like playing chess with chessmen who each have thoughts and feelings and motives of their own.

damoge
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Re: BEDIZEN

Postby damoge » Mon Sep 10, 2012 8:53 pm

looks like it is closer to bedeckt and bestrewn than bedight...
thanks for the prompt response!
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Philip Hudson
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Re: BEDIZEN

Postby Philip Hudson » Mon Sep 10, 2012 10:47 pm

Slava: Thank you for posting the German version. It is the same one I have. My mother's English version gets the essence of the German version better than many others.

Not that:
"Lay thee down now and rest,
May thy slumbers be blest"
has anything wrong with it. It is just not close to the German version. Re: my previous post on this thread.
It is dark at night, but the Sun will come up and then we can see.

damoge
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Re: BEDIZEN

Postby damoge » Mon Sep 10, 2012 11:12 pm

philip, yes, your version is closer. Mine seems to have been inspired by the second verse.
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