Wordcraft Community Home Page
Gravity
September 13, 2006, 17:05
KallehGravity
Nathan Bierma had an interesting column today (I couldn't find it yet on Google), talking about the word "gravitas." As we all know (at least in America), poor Katie Couric has been critiqued 9 ways from Sunday ever since she was promoted to CBS's Evening News. A common criticism has been her lack of "gravitas." Bierma discusses the origin of the word "gravitas," from the Latin word meaning "weight;" dictionaries define it as "serious or solemn demeanor" or "importance" or even "virtue."
However, it seems to be evolving to mean "phony seriousness," though no dictionary has added that meaning as of yet.
Have you seen the meaning of "gravitas" change?
September 13, 2006, 20:40
KallehHere's the
link.September 13, 2006, 22:07
SeanahanI haven't heard the usage meaning "phony", unless you are referring to Stephen Colbert. To me, gravitas means a great deal of seriousness.
September 14, 2006, 06:38
arnieI agree with Seanahan; if someone appears phony, then by definition, they lack gravitas.
Build a man a fire and he's warm for a day. Set a man on fire and he's warm for the rest of his life.
September 14, 2006, 07:32
zmježd+1
I, too, have not heard the usage meaning
phony seriousness. Just plain, old seriousness. Latin
gravitas. whence English
gravity, is an abstract noun from the adjective
gravis 'heavy', cognate with the Sanskrit
guru 'heavy, venerable' (i.e., "the guru had graviats"), Greek
barus 'heavy' (English
barytone), Latin
brutus 'heavy; stupid; brutish', German
Krieg 'war', English
quern 'millstone' :- *
gwerə- 'heavy'.
—Ceci n'est pas un seing.
September 14, 2006, 21:02
KallehI think the meaning has crept into some of the media references. It may not stick. Let's hope not.
September 15, 2006, 06:48
goofyquote:
Originally posted by Kalleh:
Here's the
link.
I'm not completely convinced that the meaning of gravitas has changed in the examples Bierma cites.
But the word's meaning might change. That's what words do.
September 15, 2006, 08:41
dalehilemanAs goofy says, so they do change. There's a move afoot for any word to take on a new or expanded meaning when the hoi polloi drop it anywhere it remotely seems to fit, until eventually Webster picks it up in the latest edition. I call this phenom "smearing", though there's a better word I can never think of
September 15, 2006, 09:26
goofyquote:
Originally posted by dalehileman:
I call this phenom "smearing", though there's a better word I can never think of
In this particular case I think it would be
perjoration.September 15, 2006, 09:36
BobHalequote:
Originally posted by gooofy:
I'm not completely convinced that the meaning of gravitas has changed in the examples Bierma cites..
I agree with goofy. It seems to me that the examples in the article make perfect sense with the conventional meaning of
gravitas. There may well be examples of this possible new meaning but if so I don't think the ones in the article illustrate it.
quote:
As goofy says, so they do change. There's a move afoot for any word to take on a new or expanded meaning when the hoi polloi drop it anywhere it remotely seems to fit, until eventually Webster picks it up in the latest edition.
I also agree with dale. I think there is a tendency for people who have heard a word without really understanding its meaning to use it in situations where what they think it might mean would fit. It rarely seems to occur to anyone to consult a dictionary. This is often true of newspapers.
"No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money." Samuel Johnson.
September 15, 2006, 10:51
arniequote:
I think there is a tendency for people who have heard a word without really understanding its meaning to use it in situations where what they think it might mean would fit
Yes indeed. A good example of this is
moot, as in
moot point.
Build a man a fire and he's warm for a day. Set a man on fire and he's warm for the rest of his life.
September 15, 2006, 21:05
KallehAw...poor arnie and his "moot point."
Perhaps this is just an isolated instance that won't continue. With the media reports of Katie Couric (and I realize those of you in England don't know this) the word "gravitas" has been used a lot, and in some situations it
has been said sarcastically, or with a phoniness.
But not all changes stick, and this may not.
September 17, 2006, 11:15
dalehilemangoofy: THank you for that link. The term I'm looking for, however, is more general
Bob: Indeed, even AP seems to do it
September 17, 2006, 17:43
zmježd nd in some situations it has been said sarcastically, or with a phoninessBut, one can say any word sarcastically and imply phoniess. It doesn't mean that the word is changing in meaning.
—Ceci n'est pas un seing.
September 17, 2006, 20:25
KallehAlright. I see your point. I agree that Bierma is wrong on this.