Feb
7
2012
Victoria Falls Safari Zulu Northern Rhodesia Kenneth Kaunda Cecil Rhodes David Livingstone
Zambia is the African name of the former British colony Northern Rhodesia that was once named after the British adventurer Cecil Rhodes who also claimed the territory later called Southern Rhodesia – now Zimbabwe.
Before and after Zambia became independent, the back-bone of its economy has been its copper mines which attracted Europeans in the first place. Kenneth Kaunda led its independence movement. Local politics has been tumultous like in other African countries, but Zambia has been relatively quiet such that in the wider world outside, very little is now heard about its 11 million people, their tribes and practices other than the general African pattern of things.
Zambia is very much defined by its geography in that 1) its name Zambia has its roots in the nearly two kilometres wide Zambezi river that runs from the Congo basin to Mozambique and the Indian Ocean, 2) the spectacular 108 meters high Victoria Falls attracts considerable tourist traffic that benefits the economy, quite apart from its Safari wild life attractions, 3) the mineral wealth of huge deposits of copper, but also zinc and other metals, plus gemstones in mines that are still not depleted after centuries of exploitation, and 4) the impact of population shift that resulted from the Zulus and other African tribes displaced by wars with racist whites from South Africa to move northwards and resettle in today’s territory of Zambia. This population shift, for example, accounts for the affinity of Zambians for Zulu music.
The Zambezi River in all its great width, cascades over the lip of a large basalt plateau to plunge into basalt gorges it has carved for some two million years, forming the Victoria Falls. To honour Britain’s queen Victoria, this fall on the Zambezi River was so named by the Scottish explorer David Livingstone who could hardly pronounce its older Kololo name – Mosi-oa Tunya – meaning “the thundering smoke .” Its misty cloud and loud rumbling sound is clearly evident even from dozens of kilometres away.
Jan
28
2012
sensitive sensation
Sense as word came from the French term sens based on the Latin sentire to experience, observe. It later got the abstract connotation of perception with implied direction of thought; as in the expression - ” in the sense of ..”. This is similar to Dutch use of the words zin, gezind, goed gezind or eensgezind (implying like-minded).
The same source gave us the terms sensitive and sensation.
Jan
28
2012
thanksgiving
Sermon as word came from the Greek term sermo (sermoen) – a talk. Eucharist came from the Greek term eucharistein meaning give thanks thanksgiving. Both words got into Christian usage through earlier classic translations of Hebrew scriptures into European languages.
Jan
28
2012
pass on
Tradition as term came from the Latin word tradere – to pass on. The same source gave us the word trade. Trading is passing some item on for a price.
Jan
28
2012
cognition prognose agnostic
Recognise as word came from the Greek term gignoskein which in Latin became gnoscere – meaning learning or to know (erkennen in Dutch with the prefix er- similar to the Gothic -us or ‘oer‘ in Germanic language). It means know from within. The same Greek term gave us the words cognition, prognose and agnostic.
Jan
28
2012
fitting together logogram
Symbol as word is rooted in the old Greek tradition by which in fulfilment of an agreement between them, two people would split a piece of a plate, pot or ceramic (called a sumbolon meaning fitting together, falling together) into two and each would come back with his one half to fit the other half exactly to signify that the terms of agreement have been met exactly. The word sumbolon is from the Greek verb sumballein – to throw together. The idea gave us the word symbol.
Similarly derived from the Greek word emblema is the term emblem that combines en - or in and ballein to throw.
The word for corporate symbol or logo came from an abbreviation of logogram or logotype, based on the Greek term logos meaning word, but specifically uses letters, unlike an emblem.
Jan
28
2012
Olympic Torch
Lamp as word reached us through French from the Latin word lampada based on the Greek lampas for a torch. Torch is from the Germanic (Dutch) term toorts.
It should be noted that the now famous Olympic Torch is not a Greek tradition. It was not used by the Greeks in the thousand years of their own ancient competition. The torch was introduced only in 1928 during the Olympic games in Amsterdam to boost the ritual spirit of players, and was continued during the Berlin games in 1936 when the relay practice of passing on the flaming torch to the next host nation was introduced.
Jan
27
2012
Deus Zeus Jupiter deus
God as word came from Dutch as Old English from the Gothic term Gott for the French Dieu from the Italian Dio based on the Latin deus which was based on the Greek theos for Zeus their upper god or father of their heavingly gods. This was literally translated into Iov-pater (heaven-reaching father) which became Jupiter for the Romans. Christians adopted the Gothic term because its ancient form guth literally meant cast, formed, created as they intended that God created things and people. Another notion takes guth to mean ‘he there above’, presumably in heaven.
The Greek word theos gave rise to the term theology for the study of God or of the nature of God – meaning the study of religion.
Jan
27
2012
brotherhood Philadelphia
Fraternity meaning brotherhood as term came from the Latin frater – brother – one bred from the same mother’s lap or womb. The Germanic form – broeder gave rise to the English word brother. Sister, soeur in French for soror are also related to the Greek words adelphos (brother) and adelphe (sister). The place name Philadelphia was derived from the Greek for love of own brother (prefix -philo for love of).
Jan
27
2012
lecturer professor faculty university monks
Dean now refers to the head of a faculty in a university, thus supervising professors and lecturers. Through the Old French word deien which became doyen, the word dean came from military Latin title decanus referring to the head of ten soldiers. It was later adopted in religious circles as the head of ten monks.
Get free RSS feeds- Zambia – Zambezi River - Victoria Falls Safari Zulu Northern Rhodesia Kenneth Kaunda Cecil Rhodes David Livingstone
- Sense - sensitive sensation
- Sermon Eucharist - thanksgiving
- Tradition trade - pass on
- Recognise - cognition prognose agnostic
- Symbol emblem logo - fitting together logogram
- Lamp Torch - Olympic Torch
- God – theology - Deus Zeus Jupiter deus
- Fraternity brother sister - brotherhood Philadelphia
- Dean doyen - lecturer professor faculty university monks