Повідомлення: 14
Мова: English
virololo (Переглянути профіль) 25 квітня 2011 р. 11:22:07
Is it a combination of -et- and -er- (which to me doesn't make much sense here)?
Or is it just another root I've not met before?
Thanks,
Lloyd
tommjames (Переглянути профіль) 25 квітня 2011 р. 11:25:11
henma (Переглянути профіль) 25 квітня 2011 р. 12:10:33
tommjames:Ethereal, I think.Yes... using the first meaning... etera ond' should be a "wave on the ether".
Just to clarify a little... Physicists invented the concept of ether to try to explain how electromagnetic waves could travel through the void.
All waves travel over a medium (water, air, rock, etc.), but electromagnetic waves are the only ones that can travel through the void.
To explain this, the physicists created the theory of ether. Ether is, according to this theory, everywhere.
This theory could never be demonstrated, and now there are other explanations for the traveling of such waves. But, trying to prove this theory, physicist obtained several other interesting results (for instance, one of those experiments resulted in the first measure of the speed of light).
How, and why, one of these waves ended in Liza Pentras Bildojn is a mystery to me...
Amike,
Daniel.
ceigered (Переглянути профіль) 25 квітня 2011 р. 13:54:18
henma:All waves travel over a medium (water, air, rock, etc.), but electromagnetic waves are the only ones that can travel through the void.(I apologise if I'm getting this wrong, I'm no physicist nor scientist, other than the wannabe armchair breed)
I don't think there's the same distinction in the Latin languages, but in English a void is more generic, and can refer to much more astronomical things (like this), to areas of non-existence in general, to more philosophical things like hypothetical areas with nothing existing in them at all (which probably couldn't exist as they'd cancel themselves out) where as I think a vacuum (which is also a void, but more popular in common english than voids for referring to less philosophical/edge of universe absences). Basically if we're just talking about something with no gas/liquid/solid in it, we call it a vacuum.
When we say "the void", it's like we're talking about hypothetical things, e.g. "the void between universes" and other crazy things like that.
henma (Переглянути профіль) 25 квітня 2011 р. 14:19:42
ceigered:Basically if we're just talking about something with no gas/liquid/solid in it, we call it a vacuum.Thanks, you are right... my mistake. I meant vacuum.
I searched a bit more, and found this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luminiferous_aether
Notice that the name used here is "aether".
Amike,
Daniel.
erinja (Переглянути профіль) 25 квітня 2011 р. 14:32:56
The "aether" describes a scientific concept that has been disproved, that you need this "aether" to transmit light.
In modern English, when we say "ether", we aren't talking about the aether [the scientific theory from the past]. Today, "ether" is used as a poetic way to talk about the air or the sky. It is also used metaphorically to talk about something without substance.
If you say that something "disappeared into the ether", it doesn't mean that you believe in the old theory of the "aether". It means that something disappeared and you have no idea where it went; it is as if the thing became part of the air, and it could be anywhere. Or, in context, it could mean that the thing went up into the sky and then disappeared (it went so high or far that it was no longer visible)
henma (Переглянути профіль) 25 квітня 2011 р. 15:56:54
erinja:If you say that something "disappeared into the ether", it doesn't mean that you believe in the old theory of the "aether". It means that something disappeared and you have no idea where it went; it is as if the thing became part of the air, and it could be anywhere. Or, in context, it could mean that the thing went up into the sky and then disappeared (it went so high or far that it was no longer visible)You are right... in nowadays, using ether in a poetical way doesn't mean you believe in such theory.
But the fact that the poetic concept comes from the theory of that "something which is everywhere" is interesting.
It's also interesting the note at the end of the entry in ReVo (which tommjames referenced):
Some editor changed "supozas" al "supozis". If you check, the entry is for * eter/o... This means that this root is "fundamenta". So, the original definition for eter/o was written when people still believed this theory to be true.
Amike,
Daniel.
erinja (Переглянути профіль) 25 квітня 2011 р. 16:30:25
henma (Переглянути профіль) 25 квітня 2011 р. 16:39:54
erinja:The idea of an "ether" predates the scientific theory; the word was originally used to describe the sky or heaven. It comes from a Greek root meaning kindle, burn, or shine, and it's similar to a Greek word for fair weather (αἰθήρ "aether" -- αἴθρα "aethra")You're right... Now that I see it... it's at the beginning of the text I referenced
There should be such meaning (or at least some explanation) on ReVo... It has only the definition from physics and a couple from chemistry/biology (the ether used in movies to kidnap people
)What about other dictionaries?
Amike,
Daniel.
sudanglo (Переглянути профіль) 25 квітня 2011 р. 20:47:32
Ethereal though in modern English means light/airy/delicate/insubstantial/heavenly.