A new word was born today. In the course of an iiluminating (I think) discussion of the philosophy of William of Ockham, a rather scary American female academic, seeking to explain to Melvyn Bragg the concept of haecceitas, coined the word 'Melicity' for the essence of Mel, that which makes Mel Mel. Brilliant. The Christian name Melvyn suggests (in Wodehouse's phrase) raw work at the font. But lo, from that unpromising soil sprang the fine flower of Melicity, with its suggestion of honeyed sweetness and electric force. The raw work came good in the end.
It sure beats Nigicity.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
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A blog about, among other things, imaginary ideas - What ifs? and Imagine thats. What if photographs looked nothing like what we see with our eyes? Imagine that the Berlin Wall had never come down. What if we were the punchline of an interminable joke? All contributions welcome.
hmm yes 'miele' in Italian is 'honey', i assume Latin is similar...
ReplyDeletebut note 'malus' is not far off!
But not Bryosophy.
ReplyDeleteAndronicolonicolosophy?
ReplyDeleteNigility, however, sounds delightful. Shows your mental agility, methinks.
ReplyDeleteWho is the American academic? And we're all formidable over here, don't you think?
As in "Formidable! Vachement bon!"
Oh, I do amuse myself...if no one else.
Nigility I like, Susan - magnifique! The formidable dame was one Marilyn Adams, who is Regius Professor of Divinity at Oxford (but definitely American - and she definitely knows her William of Ockham).
ReplyDeleteEvery time I scan over this entry, I need to go back and read it over to make sure that you're not calling William of Ockham a rather scary American female academic. If he were, I'd find the razor much scarier.
ReplyDelete