medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
"Epaule," I believe, is derived from "scapula," not "speculum."
the word occurs in roland (1080) [espalle] from
imperial latin spathula, a diminuative of spatha
= a long broad instrument for stirring and mixing
medicines (also a stay or reeed of a weaver's loom
& a broad two-edged sword, without a point &c.)
a loan from greek spathE = any broad blade: a
broad flat piece of wood used by weavers
(also a spatula for stirring or mixing anything
&c.). the greek noun spathE presumably derives
from the verb spaein (spaO) = to draw, to draw
out or forth (as a sword). see a dauzat, j dubois
& h mittrand, *nouveau dictionnaire etymologique
et historique* (paris: 1971), p. 269, col 1 (sub
epaule) & e r wharton, *etymological lexicon of
classical greek* (london: 1882; aries reprint 1974).
scapulae = shoulder-blades is unrelated to
speculum = a mirror (from specere = to look at,
to behold, to catch a sight of; cfr. greek
skeptesthai = to look carefully, to spy, to examine,
to consider (whence skopos = a watchman, a mark;
skopelos = a look-out place, a high rock) &
sanskrit spas = to see, to behold, to perceive,
to espy (cfr. modern english spy, german spe"hon,
spa"hen, italian specchio, spanish espejo, old high
german spiegal, middle high german, modern dutch
& modern german spiegel, old norse spegill, danish
spejl, swedish spegel, lettish spiegelis)). apparently
mediaeval latin produced scapelorium, scapularium
(cited in c t onions, edit., *the oxford dictionary
of english etymology* (oxford: 1966), sub scapular)
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non ridere, non lugere,
neque detestari, sed intelligere.
-- b. spinoza
(tractatus politicus, cap. I, par. 4)
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mata kimasitayo
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