Et•y•mol•o•gy with Anthonette
Etymology is the study of a word from its earliest usage to its varying and nuanced usages and forms today. Given that I am a retired 27-year veteran English teacher, letting go of the vocabulary lessons is going to render me a little truculent, so let us begin with a mini word study of the word “august.”
Please note, this is not the name of the month, as the “A” is not capitalized. This word means “marked by majestic dignity or grandeur,” according to Merriam-Webster.com. It is an adjective, which means it is used to describe a noun such as “mansion” or “lineage.” Yes, it is the name of this eighth month of the Gregorian calendar which can be a majestic month for parents whose kids are headed back to school, but it comes from the Latin word augustus, which means “consecrated” (made or declared sacred) or “venerable” (respected due to age). It was the name of a Roman senator in 8 B.C., Augustus Caesar. (Not to be confused with the “Et tu, Brute?” Julius Caesar.)
The 1600s were when it began being used a little more commonly to mean a person with imperial qualities and its synonyms include “imposing” and “distinguished.” Have an august August!
By Anthonette Klinkerman
