Monday, March 29, 2010

Hastiform, a, etc

Meaning spear-shaped. It comes from the Latin, "hasta", meaning "spear". -Form should speak for itself. Although it's quite specific and almost nobody would understand your use of the word, the word is actually not listed as obsolete. I have yet to encounter it, but I'd encourage anyone to keep their eyes (and ears) open!

As an aside, despite the superficial similarity, the Latin "hasta" isn't related to the English word "haste". Even stranger, the original Old Frieslandic and Old High German meanings of "hâst" meant more "violent, furious; strife" so the speed aspect of the word was only originally in connotation.

Is it just me, or is English "haste" a better verb than noun? "I must haste home" or "I must make haste home". No contest.

Speaking of spears, I've always loved the sound of the word "assagai". It's a type of light, metal-tipped spear. In English, the word is applied pretty generally to such projectile weapons as were used by South African tribes.

It's originally a Berber word, which was adapted into the Arabic "az-zaghayah". From there the Portuguese extracted the word "azagaia", and in English it still, aurally speaking, contains the flare of those oh-so-musical Ibero-Romantic languages.

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