Today we're discussing the common fairytale phrase "Once upon a time," tracing its history and usage across numerous languages.

We're looking at this Wikipedia article:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Once_upon_a_time

It details the phrase's evolution from at least 1380, highlighting its role in establishing narrative context in folk tales and children's stories. The article also examines variations of the opening and closing lines used across diverse cultures, demonstrating its widespread presence in storytelling traditions globally. Furthermore, it showcases modern adaptations of similar opening phrases in popular culture, including literature, film and music. Finally, the article provides a list of related concepts and references to support its analysis.

#englishlanguage #etymology #linguistics

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The word "aesthetic" has undergone a shift in meaning since its origins, moving from a focus on sensory perception to an association with the appreciation of beauty and art.

Here's a breakdown of its evolution:

• Ancient Greek Roots: The word stems from the Greek "aisthetikos," which means "of or for perception by the senses" or "perceptive." It's related to "aisthanesthai," meaning "to perceive (by the senses or by the mind), to feel".

• Early Usage: Initially, the term was used in a classical sense to refer to the "science which treats of the conditions of sensuous perception".

• German Influence: The German word "Ästhetisch" emerged in the mid-18th century, and was later adopted by French as "esthétique". Alexander Baumgarten used it in German to mean "criticism of taste" (1750s).

• Kant's Attempt to Reclaim: Immanuel Kant tried to reclaim the original meaning of the word, after Baumgarten's usage, but Baumgarten's sense gained popularity, freeing the word from its philosophical roots.

• Popularisation in English: The word was introduced into English in 1798, and was used in a classically correct sense as "science which treats of the conditions of sensuous perception".

• Shift in Meaning: By 1821, "aesthetic" was being used as an adjective to mean "of or pertaining to appreciation of the beautiful".

• "Art for Art's Sake" Movement: Walter Pater further blurred the meaning in 1868 by using it to describe the late 19th-century movement advocating "art for art's sake".

• Related Terms:

◦ Aestheticism: The term "aestheticism," meaning "devotion to what is sensuously beautiful," arose in 1855.

◦ Aesthetics: The noun "aesthetics," referring to the study of beauty and art, appeared in 1803.

• Related words: The sources mention related words such as "artistic" and "taste" which have connections to the aesthetic sense, and other words like "dude", "pretty", and "muscular" with links to the concept.

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Let's explore the English articles "a" and "the", tracing their origins from Old English and Proto-Indo-European roots. Their grammatical function in marking definiteness and indefiniteness is explained, showcasing how they facilitate shared understanding in communication.

The text we're looking at also contrasts the English system with those of other languages, highlighting the diversity in how definiteness is expressed. Finally, it examines the linguistic significance of articles, particularly their grammaticalisation from demonstratives and numerals and their pragmatic role in managing information flow.

#englishlanguage #etymology #englishgrammar

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The definite article "the" in English has evolved from the Old English demonstrative pronoun "þe" (pronounced "theh"). This Old English form itself derived from the Proto-Germanic words "sa" (masculine), "sō" (feminine), and "þat" (neuter). These Proto-Germanic forms were used to point out specific objects or entities, similar to modern demonstratives like "this" or "that".

• In Old English, "þe" was used to indicate specificity, much like the modern "the".

• Over time, the "þe" evolved into the modern form "the".

• The "th" sound from the Old English form was preserved, and the spelling was standardised as "the".

This evolution from a demonstrative pronoun to a definite article is an example of grammaticalization, where a lexical word changes into a grammatical marker. The definite article "the" now signals that a noun refers to a specific, identifiable entity, either because it has already been mentioned or because it is uniquely identifiable within the context. The article "the" helps speakers and listeners to establish shared understanding in discourse.

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