51吃瓜 of the Day
golem
noun
a figure artificially constructed in the form of a human being and endowed with life.
More about golem
Golem 鈥渁 figure constructed in the form of a human and endowed with life鈥� is a borrowing by way of Yiddish goylem from Hebrew 驳艒濒别尘 鈥渆mbryo, larva, cocoon.鈥� This Hebrew noun is a derivative of the verb 濒鈥檊补濒脓尘 鈥渢o embody,鈥� from the Semitic root glm 鈥渢o cut, separate.鈥� In Jewish folklore, a golem is a humanlike being created from raw material such as clay and brought to life to perform a specific duty or task. Golem was first recorded in English in the late 1890s.
how is golem used?
First mentioned in ancient Jewish texts, a golem is an artificial being made from mud or other inanimate material that鈥檚 brought to life through the power of Hebrew letters. It became popular and known outside Judaism in a famous story about the sixteenth-century Rabbi Judah Loew who is said to have created a golem out of clay in the hope it would help protect the Jews of Prague from persecution. However, the golem has a dark side, too. It often spins out of control and its superhuman powers can become a threat to the one who created it.
The most famous legend of the golem was of the one created in Prague by rabbi and kabbalist Judah Loew (1525鈥�1609) ….聽The Golem of Prague directly inspired Mary Shelley鈥檚 1818 novel 鈥淔rankenstein.鈥� While the specifics of the settings and characters may differ, the stories share points of similarity …. Hal 9000, the sen颅tient supercomputer in 鈥�2001,鈥� is the ulti颅mate golem. Like the Golem of Prague and Frankenstein, HAL gains inde颅pen颅dence from his cre颅ators…
More about wynd
Wynd 鈥渁 narrow street or alley鈥� is a Scots dialectal term derived from Old English gewind 鈥渨inding path.鈥� This Old English noun is related to the verbs wandrian, wendan, and windan (the sources of wander, wend, and wind in the sense 鈥渢o proceed circuitously鈥�). While the further etymology of these verbs is uncertain, hypotheses include a connection to the Proto-Indo-European root wei- 鈥渢o turn, twist,鈥� as explored further in the etymology for the recent 51吃瓜 of the Day iridescent. Wynd was first recorded in English around the turn of the 15th century.
how is wynd used?
With a chuckle, quickly suppressed, lest it should bring in Kitty Wilkie, who ought to have been watching her instead of wandering down the wynd to see who was to have salt-fish for supper, the child clutched the letter triumphantly, and, toddling to the door, slipped out of the house.
Strolling amongst the cobbled streets and steep wynds of Edinburgh, unless you’re looking out from atop Arthur’s Seat, it’s easy to forget that the Scottish capital is also home to breathtaking stretches of silvery sands and dramatic coastal views which can give travelers a completely new perspective on the city.
diasporic
adjective
of, being, or relating to any group that has been dispersed outside its traditional homeland, either involuntarily or by migration.
More about diasporic
Diasporic 鈥渙f or relating to any group that has been dispersed outside its traditional homeland鈥� is formed from the Ancient Greek noun 诲颈补蝉辫辞谤谩 鈥渟cattering, dispersion,鈥� from the preposition 诲颈谩 鈥渢hrough, across鈥� and the noun 蝉辫辞谤谩 鈥渟owing, seed,鈥� the latter from the verb 蝉辫别铆谤别颈苍 鈥渢o sow.鈥� This verb comes from the Proto-Indo-European root sper- 鈥渢o strew,鈥� which is also the source of English spread, spritz, and sprout as well as Ancient Greek 蝉辫茅谤尘补 鈥渟eed鈥� (compare sperm) and 蝉辫辞谤谩s 鈥渟trewn, scattered鈥� (compare sporadic). Another possible cognate of diasporic is Latin spargere 鈥渢o scatter,鈥� the source of words such as aspersion, disperse, and sparse. Diasporic was first recorded in English in the early 1800s.
how is diasporic used?
During the early days of Cahokia, around 1050, emissaries from the city traveled north to sites in what is now Wisconsin, spurring the local creation of platform mounds and sculpted landscapes similar to those in the Cahokian heartland .鈥� In each place where Cahokians remade themselves, they contended with local communities, as well as their individual memories of their homeland. Cahokian migrants made houses that mimicked those at home; they built according to celestial alignments from home; and in diasporic settings, they made iconographic designs honoring mythic heroes from their homeland.
Stepping in its modern form draws from African, African-American and Caribbean traditional moves and group dances. Often attributed to a way of unspoken communication in diasporic communities, it most notably evolved into a celebratory practice choreographed by Pan-Hellenic greek organizations. From college campuses nationwide, stepping was used as a way for fraternities and sororities to show solidarity, and quite frankly, show off their synchronized dance skills.