The Word Is "nation"

          "Nation" was born from a word that meant "to be born" and soon came to mean breed or stock.   

         It next came to mean "that which has been born," that is "a breed." But it soon came to refer to a species or race.

        "Way down yonder in the Indian Nation" is a refrain from an old song. Speaking as an America, are we race, racist, both, or none of the above?

        So, "nation" came to mean "a race of people." "A race of people" implies a strong blood or genetic relationship.

        A word's history is carried with it, much like my history is part of me.

        Recently we started to use "nationality" and "nation" in reference to the country of origin of a people or person, and meanings got a bit confused.

        Very recently "nation" has been taken over as a political/legal concept of nation as "an organized territorial unit." By this notion the United States of America can be called a nation.

        My old Webster uses the words "birth" and "race" as part of the ongoing meaning of "nation." It goes on to say that "nation" refers to a group or aggregation of closely related persons. This sounds correct and useful to me, but also inclines me me to add "racist" and "inbred" to our power words.

        "Culture" seems a more useful word to include among our power words. We have notions of the nature of "stock" and "breed" Are we breeding some good stock. Culture is learned. Could there be a sort of cultural breed or cultural stock?

        Are we mustangs or thoroughbreds, or something else? Another dictionary says that, what we have come to call a community of people of of one or more nationalities and possessing a more or less defined territory and government, is a nation. Seems like it is trying to describe us. How are we describing ourselves these days? Dictionary compilers keep trying to give a realistic definition to a word that we have twisted out of shape. Another dictionary tried this: A nation is a territorial division containing a body of people of one or more nationalities and usually of a large size and independent status!

        One newer dictionary says that a nation is a people, who share common customs, origins, history, and often language. This seems a very good try at a definition that many people now mean when they use the word, nation. This definition feels congenial and useful. Another definition seems less congenial: A nation is a rather large group of people under a single, usually independent government. This last one lacks heart.

        I think we could be a good nation and like many feel we do have a good country. We appear to be on our way to deciding who and what we are. A country seems an OK start.

        Still, "nation" does have a nice ring to it. Could the Navajo nation be an example? or could Iceland?

        Thanks for reading. Word power to you.

                                        RCS

        

                                                         

         

     

The Word is ''contemplate''

The verb to contemplate, like many other verbs, is easier to define well than to do well. I'll start as difficult as I can.

 

~  Divine soothsaying in the temple. Have you seen that "contemplate" contains the the makings of the word "temple.'' It does and it can be important. I will add that the "sooth" in "soothsaying" means truth. I find that "Divine soothsaying in the temple." was very like part of an early meaning of  "contemplate." So contemplation as a sort of sacred and holy truth telling. Let me  add that contemplation is usually a solitary activity. So, contemplation is the holy or sacred duty or intention of telling oneself the truth!

~ Contemplation is also: observing so as to see how future doings and happenings are likely to be. It is unlikely that you will ever to be able to tell the future exactly. But many have believed that the practice of contemplative observation can get you closer and a bit closer,

~ Contemplation can be much like a kind of meditation.

~ With a bit of thought you may see contemplation as a process for interpreting observations. To get you started, consider that you are observing a process, happening, or doing and you think, "Now, what is going on here?"  Then you try to answer your question.

~ This meaning has been degraded a bit, but still contains power: Observe omens carefully.

~ So, around  home, a good definition might be "To view or consider with continued attention." A bit like "ponder," but to what end?

It takes some time to contemplate. A person interested in contemplation or contemplating will profit by taking time to contemplate, one at a time, the half dozen items above.

RCS

Word: "character"

 "character" is the word at this RCS Word Power

 

~ I Like the cut of your jib.

 

~ One said that her character was like an engraving. I thought it fine and flexible.

 

~ He had the stamp of his family.

 

~ One's character is is particular to one's self. 

 

~ I like to hear what another considers characteristic of me.

 

~ Your character has a distinctive quality. 

 

~ There is more than one meaning for "character."

 

~ I am thinking of "character" as the complex of mental and ethical traits marking a person.

 

~ I want a good character and to be among those of good character.

 

~ One's character effects one's reputation.

 

~ Another good way to consider a person's character is as his or her moral excellence and firmness. 

 

~ Some say that they tell a person by her character. 

 

~ Here's another meaning for character that I like: The combination of emotional, intellectual, and moral qualities distinguishing one person or group from another. 

~ I like this one too: Moral and ethical strength or integrity.

~ Or, simply, a description ob one's attributes, traits, and abilities.

 

~ A thoughtful man was asked what valued most in himself or another. His reply was "a good reputation." When he was asked what he valued more than a good reputation. He though again and replied, "good character."

~ Good character has been valued highly by a wide variety of people for a very long time.

~ An origin for the word 'character' has been found in a Greek word that meant something like to sharpen, engrave, cut. The noun of that word meant "engraved mark." A particular impress which marked one as different from another. However, as we have seen, our meaning for character, while still carrying the older meaning, has come to mean more.

 

~ Our deeper stronger values characterize us. We hear a lot of talk of values these days: family values, religious values, political values. We lose track of what they are. I hope that we do not lose track of values like trust and honesty; they seem to be important parts of other values we speak of. 

To make the power of this word yours, it is good to treat the items above as objects of contemplation. Shall we make "contemplation" one of our power words?

 

~ In some of our early history meant strong and effective, often with the understanding good strength and good effectiveness was meant.

RCS

Autocracy, Oligarchy, & Democracy

 

"democracy" is the Word at this RCS Word Power

 

Three types of government you have heard of and you probably ought to remember. There is much to learn about each of them that you won't learn here.

Here you can learn to tell them apart and a bit of definition for each.

                                                        RCS

 

The word is "boycott"

 RCS Word Power The Word is "boycott": The Irish Land Wars are the source of the introduction of a powerfully useful word into the English language.

                In 1850 Irish persons formed the Tenant Right League in Ireland to demand reform to the land law of Ireland. It was a law not of democratic origin. This organization and demand was followed by about 40 years of unrest in Ireland as well as to some learning and reform. 

                The word in question is the surname of a landlord so disliked by his tenants that he was refused labor to harvest his crops, as well as refusal to service shops, laundries, and other facilities. The social excommunication of Mr. Boycott led to his name being used to describe it. Boycotts have worked well as nonvirulent protest measures. 

                Check out the the Home Rule League of Ireland online. Doing so could contribute to your political education. Then go on to check the Irish Land League. Doing so could add to your understanding of political organization. Check out Gandhi  on the use of resistance and organization to achieve social ends. Well reasoned and presented protests have been a powerful social power. The Irish National League may be interesting to check out, but may prove complicated by the source of your information. 

                Due to my background as an educator I feel the need to add, is that one thing you need to learn is that you are responsible for ruling yourself. In Ireland that has been called Home Rule. It does seem best to begin at home. You can blame your father, wife, mayor, or President, but that, I have found a waste of energy. Where you are concerned you are the authority and the boss, and the doing is yours to do. You will have your results.

                We have a lot to learn about politics and our own history. History is how we learn what works and and what doesn't. Its mostly the experience of others, but we each have our own history. Politics can be called how we cooperate to get doings done.

                There are extended meanings of the word "boycott" to be found online. They can be very instructive.

RCS

 

RCS Word Power: "character"

"character" is the word.

~ I like the cut of your jib. 

~  He had the stamp of his family.

~ One's character is particular to oneself.

~ I like to hear what another considers characteristic of me.

~ Your character has a distinctive quality.

~ I am thinking of "character" as the complex of mental and erhical traits marking a person.

~ There are other meanings for the word character.

~ I want a good character and like to be among those of good character.

~ One's character affects ones reputation.

~ A way to consider a person's character is as his or her moral excellence and firmness.

~ Some say that they tell a lady by her character.

~ The combination of emotional, intellectual, and moral qualities distinguishing one person or group from another.

~ Moral and ethical strength or integrity.

~ Or, simply, a description of one's attributes, traits, abilities.

 

To make the power of this word yours it is useful to treat the above as objects of contemplation. Shall we make "contemplation" one of our power words?

 

 

RCS

The Word Is: "contemplate"

RCS Word Power: An extended meaning and definition of "contemplation."

~ Divine soothsaying in the temple.

~ Observing to see how the future doings and happenings are likely to be.

~ I consider it to be much like :"meditation."

~ A process for interpreting observations.*

~ To observe omens carefully.

~ To view or consider with continued attention.

~ A bit like pondering.

~ To look at pensively or to consider thoughtfully.*

                It takes time to contemplate. A person interested in contemplation and its results will profit by taking time to contemplate the phrases above with "meditate" in mind.

                What else would be of interest or utility to say of contemplate?

Some priests and monks meditate as part of their vocation? 

 

 

                                                                    rcs