Words for modern technology—computer, electricity, and so on—often draw from ancient vocabulary to describe novel objects and phenomena. Such is the case for "incandescent," which first appeared in the eighteenth century in a report about combustible fuels. As we see in the contemporary novel Gilead by Mariylnne Robinson, this word's application ultimately extends well beyond the filament of a light bulb and into moral matters.

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Music: Adapted from Sonatine by Maurice Ravel, performed by Irene Posviatovska (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0)

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Like many of our words, the word "ramify" borrows its meaning from the natural world—in this case, from the complex branches of a tree. Today, we use "ramify" and "ramifications" to discuss all kinds of matters, like the future consequences of important historical events. In this episode, we explore the broadest ramifications taking place over millions of years in Charles Darwin's 1859 text on natural selection, The Origin of Species.

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Music: Adapted from Sonatine by Maurice Ravel, performed by Irene Posviatovska (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0)

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The etymology of "convention" is simple enough—it means a "coming together," combining the Latin roots for "together" and "to come." But how does this idea of a physical meeting develop into our idea of customary practices and social norms? We look at a brilliant passage from Alexis de Tocqueville's Democracy in America for clarification.

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Music: Adapted from Sonatine by Maurice Ravel, performed by Irene Posviatovska (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0)

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https://originalpublicmeaning.com