And I who had learned that libel is written and slander is spoken. What's going on?What is the Daily Buzzword for September 10?
libel \LYE-bul\ noun
What does it mean?
1 : something spoken, written, or drawn that injures a
person's good name
2 : the act or crime of publishing a libel
How do you use it?
The actress alleged that the scandalous libel published in the
tabloid ruined her career.
Are you a word wiz?
At the root of "libel" is the Latin word "liber." What do you
think "liber" means?
A. lamp
B. chair
C. book
D. fork
Answer:
No harm done if you picked C. The ancient Romans originally
used "liber" for the inner bark of a tree. Because they used
the bark to write on, "liber" came to mean a written
document. After papyrus replaced bark, "liber" was used to
refer to papyrus scrolls, or "books." The French adopted a
form of "liber" to mean "little book," and English speakers
borrowed the French word as "libel." Later, "libel" was used
for handbills and leaflets. Because such leaflets were a
popular means of spreading unflattering statements about
famous people, the meaning of "libel" extended to such
stories and to the act of writing them.
Brazilian dude