The word "woo" commonly used on skeptic blog sites ( Orac, Denialism) to refer to (I think) all superstitious and anti-scientific beliefs. Anyone know its origins?
Seems you're right, neveu. It's a shortened form of woo-woo. Here's what lexicographer Grant Barrett has to say about it (link);
quote:
woo-wooadj. concerned with emotions, mysticism, or spiritualism; other than rational or scientific; mysterious; new agey. Also n., a person who has mystical or new age beliefs.
woo, v.1 [Late OE. wó{asg}ian (also áwó{asg}ian in trans. sense), of obscure origin.]
I. intr. (or absol.)
1. To solicit or sue a woman in love; to court, make love. a1050 Liber Scintill. xiii. (1889) 68 Bearn worulde {th}issere wo{asg}ia{edh} & hi beo{edh} {asg}esealde to gyftum. Ibid., Ne hi ne wo{asg}ia{edh} ne hi ne læda{edh} wif. Ibid. 70 Naht frama{edh} flæsc habban mæden {asg}if on {asg}e{th}ance æni{asg} wo{asg}a{edh}. a1225 Ancr. R. 388 Ase a mon {th}et wowe{edh} [MS. Titus wohes]{em}ase a king {th}et luuede one lefdi of feorrene londe.
II trans.
3. To sue to or solicit (a woman) in love, esp. with a view to marriage; to pay court to, court.
[c1000 ÆLFRIC Saints' Lives vii. 14 {Th}a {edh}a heo {asg}ewende of scole, {edh}a awo{asg}ode hi sum cniht. a1020 in Thorpe Charters (1865) 312 {Th}a foreward {edh}e Godwine worhte wi{edh} Byrhtric {th}a he his dohter awo{asg}ode.]
There are more citations, but these are the earliest. I can't really understand them.
–verb (used with object) 1. to seek the favor, affection, or love of, esp. with a view to marriage. 2. to seek to win: to woo fame. 3. to invite (consequences, whether good or bad) by one's own action; court: to woo one's own destruction. 4. to seek to persuade (a person, group, etc.), as to do something; solicit; importune. –verb (used without object) 5. to make love to a woman; court: He went wooing. 6. to solicit favor or approval; entreat: Further attempts to woo proved useless. [Origin: bef. 1050; ME wowe, OE wōgian]
woo (v.) O.E. wogian, of uncertain origin and with no known cognates; perhaps related to woh, wog- "bent, inclined," as with affection.
OED Online:
quote:
woo-woo Imitative of the sound of wind. 1841 CARLYLE Misc. Ess., Baillie (1872) VI. 215 The ever~moaning..unsyllabled woo-woo of wind in empty churches!
Here are comments from Wiktionary (woo woo) and SkepticWiki (woo-woo).This message has been edited. Last edited by: tinman,
