Equanimity

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Dr. Goodword
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Equanimity

Postby Dr. Goodword » Sat Jun 03, 2023 6:48 pm

• equanimity •


Pronunciation: e-kwê-nim-i-tee or ee-kwê- • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Noun, mass (No plural)

Meaning: Steadiness and composure under pressure; unruffledness in a stressful situation.

Notes: The adjective that accompanies today's Good Word is the rather odd-sounding equanimous [ee-kwæ-nê-mês] "even-tempered, balanced, composed", as an equanimous response to a provocative insult.

In Play: Stressful or embarrassing situations call for equanimity: "May Tripp rose from her pratfall with uncommon equanimity and continued down the hall as though nothing had happened." Whatever raises stress levels, equanimity lowers them: "Duane Pipes received the news of his wife's leaving him with an equanimity that might have saved the marriage had he applied it more while they were together."

Word History: English borrowed this word from French in the 17th century. French inherited it from Latin æquanimitas "calmness, patience, equanimity", a noun based on æquus "even, equal" + animus "mind, spirit" or anima "soul". Æquus is apparently related to Sanskrit eka "one". Animus underlies animal, a thing of spirit; it comes from the same source as Greek anemos "wind", often thought of as a spirit in bygone years. The Greek word is the root of anemone "daughter of the wind", which is now the English word for the wind-flower, Anemone nemorosa. (Today we thank Rob N. Hood for having the spirit to suggest today's Good Word.)
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Slava
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Re: Equanimity

Postby Slava » Sat Jun 03, 2023 7:49 pm

Ah, the importance of that Æ! Æquus is far from Equus, though they did overlap in at least one word: inequitable.

While we know it as meaning un-equal, thereby unfair, it did at one time have the meaning of being impassable on horseback.
Life is like playing chess with chessmen who each have thoughts and feelings and motives of their own.

Debbymoge
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Re: Equanimity

Postby Debbymoge » Sun Jun 04, 2023 10:47 am

Rob N. Hood??

oh, please, do tell
person in the flesh or...
I am but mad north-north-west. When the wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a handsaw.
Shakespear


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