noun
any controversy that attracts great public attention.
Cause 肠茅濒猫产谤别 is a French phrase still unnaturalized in English, meaning 鈥渇amous (legal) case.鈥 French cause comes from Latin causa 鈥渓egal proceedings, trial鈥; 肠茅濒猫产谤别 comes from Latin celeber (inflectional stem celebr-) 鈥渃rowded, busy, well-attended, famous.鈥 Causes 肠茅濒猫产谤别s in the U.S. include the Scopes Trial, maybe more commonly known as the Monkey Trial (1925) about the teaching of evolution, and the O.J. Simpson Trial (1994鈥95). The term is also used more broadly to refer to any controversy that attracts great public attention. Cause 肠茅濒猫产谤别 entered English in the second half of the 18th century.
The case eventually became a global cause 肠茅濒猫产谤别; Bob Dylan wrote a song about it, Denzel Washington starred in a movie about it.
Krajnc鈥檚 case became a cause celebre among animal protection activists, some of whom have established groups modeled on Toronto Pig Save, and attracted the support of celebrities including the singer Moby, who聽offered financial support.
adjective
composed of a mixture of languages.
Macaronic originally meaning 鈥渃omposed in a mixture of Latin and vernacular languages, or using vernacular words with Latin inflectional endings, typically for burlesque or parody鈥 is not much used nowadays with Latin composition on its way out. But macaronic also includes any combination of languages, such as the John Lennon and Paul McCartney song Michelle (1965) written in a combination of English and French. Macaronic comes from Middle French macaronique and New Latin 尘补肠补谤艒苍颈肠耻蝉. The French and Latin adjectives come from Southern dialectal Italian maccaroni (Italian maccheroni) 鈥渄umplings, gnocchi,鈥 the source of English macaroni. The original Italian dish was a mixture of pasta, butter, and cheese (pretty close to our macaroni and cheese), and it was originally regarded as coarse food only for peasants. The meaning of macaronic comes from the association of this peasant food with the vernacular language of peasants. Macaronic entered English in the first half of the 17th century.
Perhaps the world鈥檚 most difficult 鈥渘ovel,鈥 James Joyce鈥檚 “Finnegans Wake,” is almost entirely constructed of multilayered puns, often macaronic puns, which draw on two or more languages. A simple example would be calling an elegant frankfurter a 鈥渉aute dog.鈥
Indeed, linguistic change鈥攖he amazing porousness of English to influence, its macaronic glory鈥攊s exactly what gave us all these interesting words in the first place …
verb (used with object),
to induct into office with formal ceremonies; install.
“Well begun is half done鈥 about sums up the verb inaugurate. Inaugurate derives from Latin 颈苍补耻驳耻谤腻迟耻蝉, the past participle of 颈苍补耻驳耻谤腻谤别 鈥渢o consecrate by augury (as by observing the flight of birds).鈥 The Romans were addicted to religion, law, farming, the military, and the accompanying rituals to ensure the successful beginning and completion of an undertaking. 滨苍补耻驳耻谤腻谤别 is a derivative of the noun augurium 鈥渟oothsaying, divination,鈥 a derivative of augur, an official who observes and interprets the flight of birds. The Romans themselves interpreted augurium to be derived from avis 鈥渂ird鈥 (pronounced awis and thus resembling the first syllable of augurium). It is more likely that augur and its derivatives derive from the verb 补耻驳脓谤别 鈥渢o make grow, increase (crops, cattle),鈥 the source of augment and auction in English. Inaugurate entered English in the early 17th century.
As we prepare to turn the page on 2020, and inaugurate Joe Biden as president on 20 January 2021, the incoming administration has a climate mandate to listen to people across America鈥攁nd keep fossil fuels in the ground.
In the coming months, after years of ground-laying, controversy, and anticipation, the United States will finally complete an imperfect civic process that, though heavily compromised by geography, logistics, and partisanship, will affect the life of every single American for years to come. Also, the country will inaugurate a new president.