Our word for the blog this week is “fame.” Johnson says this comes
from φαμα (phama). The
Liddell-Scott lexicon shows this Greek word to be the Doric form for φημη (phāmā). To Johnson’s credit he also gives
the Doric attribution. The lexicographer simply states that “fame” means “Celebrity;
renown” and “Report; rumour.” However, the Greek lexicon gives a more extensive
use for φημη. Its possible usages include “utterance
prompted by the gods, significant or prophetic saying,” “report, rumour,” “report
of a man’s character, repute,” and “any voice or words, speech, saying.” The
Greeks used φημη to designate
a far broader range of meanings than we do today with “fame.” Johnson’s usages
more closely mirror our own – indicating a withering away of the word through
history.
Contemporary use of “fame” almost universally brings to mind
celebrities – those celebrated and fawned over by their fans. In many ways “fame”
is not a word taken particularly seriously by today’s world with its oft
short-lived burst of intensity, lasting only until the next new celebrity comes
to the fore. The Greek word had some significance but the etymologically
connected English word has far less.
Perhaps this is indicative of words that represent ideas of
shallow substance. It is reasonable to expect people to disregard the word as
much as the thing it represents. Such is a segue to another interesting topic –
what are words? In the most basic of senses words are combinations of letters
of an alphabet so arranged to represent ideas of concrete things. When one says
horse, one thinks of the animal commonly known by that designation.
Contrastingly, when one says car, an automobile is brought to mind, though
there are several common traits between the two. Cars and horses can carry people
or loads to and from designated locations. Both can travel long distances and often
at considerable speed.
Why do human beings not habitually confound the two words (of
course only in their contemporaneous time period)? The obvious answer is that
both words represent two uniquely different things, besides the fact that the
words are constructed of different letters. The ability of human beings to form
and use words in an unambiguous manner is evidence of the importance of the Law
of Identity in the lives of mankind. Though easily taken for granted, the
possession of individual properties by individual things is vital in preventing
perpetual chaos. This characteristic of reality must not be disregarded or
taken lightly. Failure to respect the strictures of identity always causes
misfortune. Individual identity and individual reality are intimately intertwined,
and one relies on the other for existence. I suppose one could say identity and
its rules possess rather a lot of “fame” despite their sometimes being forgotten
and left to obscurity.
John
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