Merriam Webster Dictionary lists fifty-four (54) words* containing the occurrence of “uu” in their spelling. Most of us readily recognize one of them: vacuum. But why does it require two U’s? In this case we can blame the Romans and the writers which followed their era who adopted many of the Latin words into their own languages. Yes, those scripture copying monks in the English speaking world likely bear the responsibility for the occurrence in English.
In short, the source word for our vacuum was “vacuus” meaning empty. But wait, you say, isn’t that what vacuum means? You are right. The “uus” portion was the Latin-speaking world’s way of saying “having the condition of.” But then, of course, we come to the thing we use to suck up the dirt from our floors, etc. You can figure this one out on your own, surely, but you can blame scientific thought.
Continuum is another Latin-sourced word that punctuates English now and then. It comes from “continuare,” meaning to hold together or connect (as in a chain—uninterrupted). The “uum” portion essentially matching the definition given above. Its relative “continuous” is the English-speaking world’s reframing for “continuus” of the original Latin meaning the same.
One of the double u words listed by Merriam Webster is “ambiguus” which most of us spell as “ambiguous.” The former spelling is used, like many Latin-based words, to name a part of human anatomy. In this case the word indicates that the part so labeled is “difficult to find.” Both spellings come from “ambi” meaning both and “agere” to drive. In other words, going in two directions, also interpreted as going in circles. Oh, joy, I bet you think that is just what I have done.
Ambiguously, the words residue and residuum both mean the same, yet still exist separately. Why? Residue, the word most of us stumble over fairly often just means any remainder. The second word gets more specific and carries a hint of negativity associated with the processes of combustion or evaporation. This suggests to me that residuum is ephemeral, disappearing even as it is born.
So far, Latin has been the reason for the double “u” spelling, but the Pacific Islanders give us another from their language, “muumuu.” Properly spelled “mu’u mu’u” apparently meant “cut off” because it was a originally a chemise like blouse worn beneath a yoked gown (holoku which translates to outer garment). Both were forced on the islanders by the invading (and flesh embarrassed) Christian missionaries. But, the people of Hawaii, being independent minded, and probably overheated by the layering, combined the two into one garment, the one we now know well.
Maybe one day I will tackle why English changed the original Latin “uus” to “ous” or “uous.” Okay, enough. I will let youu (hee hee) explore the rest on yuur own.
*Includes root words and the adjectives, adverbs, etc. based on those roots.
#EnglishLanguage
What’s With the Words Containing Paired U’s?
Merriam Webster Dictionary lists fifty-four (54) words* containing the occurrence of “uu” in their spelling. Most of us readily recognize one of them: vacuum. But why does it require two U’s? In this case we can blame the Romans and the writers which followed their era who adopted many of the Latin words into their own languages. Yes, those scripture copying monks in the English speaking world likely bear the responsibility for the occurrence in English.
In short, the source word for our vacuum was “vacuus” meaning empty. But wait, you say, isn’t that what vacuum means? You are right. The “uus” portion was the Latin-speaking world’s way of saying “having the condition of.” But then, of course, we come to the thing we use to suck up the dirt from our floors, etc. You can figure this one out on your own, surely, but you can blame scientific thought.
Continuum is another Latin-sourced word that punctuates English now and then. It comes from “continuare,” meaning to hold together or connect (as in a chain—uninterrupted). The “uum” portion essentially matching the definition given above. Its relative “continuous” is the English-speaking world’s reframing for “continuus” of the original Latin meaning the same.
One of the double u words listed by Merriam Webster is “ambiguus” which most of us spell as “ambiguous.” The former spelling is used, like many Latin-based words, to name a part of human anatomy. In this case the word indicates that the part so labeled is “difficult to find.” Both spellings come from “ambi” meaning both and “agere” to drive. In other words, going in two directions, also interpreted as going in circles. Oh, joy, I bet you think that is just what I have done.
Ambiguously, the words residue and residuum both mean the same, yet still exist separately. Why? Residue, the word most of us stumble over fairly often just means any remainder. The second word gets more specific and carries a hint of negativity associated with the processes of combustion or evaporation. This suggests to me that residuum is ephemeral, disappearing even as it is born.
So far, Latin has been the reason for the double “u” spelling, but the Pacific Islanders give us another from their language, “muumuu.” Properly spelled “mu’u mu’u” apparently meant “cut off” because it was a originally a chemise like blouse worn beneath a yoked gown (holoku which translates to outer garment). Both were forced on the islanders by the invading (and flesh embarrassed) Christian missionaries. But, the people of Hawaii, being independent minded, and probably overheated by the layering, combined the two into one garment, the one we now know well.
Maybe one day I will tackle why English changed the original Latin “uus” to “ous” or “uous.” Okay, enough. I will let youu (hee hee) explore the rest on yuur own.
*Includes root words and the adjectives, adverbs, etc. based on those roots.
#EnglishLanguage
SAFARI INTO THE FAR SOUL COUNTRY
Beyond tomorrow
Make safari, O, my soul
Into the new country
Beyond tomorrow
Darkness falls on pathless lands
Keep vigil, my soul!
Darkness falls on pathless lands
Beyond tomorrow
Each wide and waiting meadow
Each hill and turning river
White, sifted dust
In the far soul country
#NationalRoadTrip
Charlie’s Ride
Charlie was always unreasonable, even as a child. He was just that determined to be different. But the most outrageous thing he ever did was to ride the telegraph line on that bike of his.
Martha took his picture as he balanced high above the wheatfields of some Kansas town. She had a post card made of it and sent it home with “Wish you were here. Ha, ha!” written on the back.
It’s truly ridiculous. There he is (Charlie, I mean) wearing a top hat and tails. He’s got on a button-down shirt and he’s wearing a pearl stud in his tie. She caught him true enough, in spite of the foggy morning, with his hands stuck out for balance and all dressed up, perched on his unicycle peddling from one pole to the next on the telegraph wire strung at the edge of someone’s farm in the middle of God forsaken Kansas, would you believe it? Charlie was always the most outrageous, daring person I ever did know.
#NationalRoadTripDay
AUTHOR NOTES
GLASS RAIN—the poetry by Margaret Roxby
The poem “SAFARI INTO THE FAR SOUL COUNTRY,” is included for May 24, National Road Trip Day. The editor of this website is responsible for the last line, chosen from two possible lines the author provided in her unfinished version.
KALEIDOSCOPE—an essay by Kathleen Roxby
“WHAT’S WITH THE WORDS CONTAINING PAIRED U’S?” was written at the request of a website reader for another issue in the exploration of language essays in the Kaleidoscope series.
THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS—the writing of Kathleen Roxby
“CHARLIE’S RIDE” is included this week for May 24, National Road Trip Day. This piece evolved from a writing exercise where the participants were given a series of words to work into a story. Just to get you thinking, one of the words was “Kansas.” If you guess that “outrageous” was another, you are right. There were twelve words in total.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Readers who write in response to one of the prompts listed each month in Splintered Glass, may see their work presented here on the last week of that month. Though poems are preferred, short prose work will also be considered for publication.
Guidelines for submission:
SPLINTERS FOR MAY 2024
AWAKE, IT’S SPRING
Yellow daffodils dance to the musical winds.
A blanket of violets offer a message of love.
Flowering Indian paints don the red of valor.
The bluebells are just for you and me,
The rest to renew the world for all.
Lightning strikes the ink-black sky.
A thunderclap opens the clouds to rain,
Teardrops trickle down across the face.
March winds sprinkle the fresh green grass
With blossoms from dogwood, apple and peach.
The air is filled by sweet singing trills
From robin, lark and bluebirds nesting near.
All the world seems now awake with love
As springtime comes to fill hill and dale.
#Internationaldawnchorus
END OF SELF-PITY
What am I doing
Here in this nether world
Among the Lemures?
This dream grows overlong
And I am sick of fears
And these unheeded tears
This sepulcher
Cannot but be a dream
That’s overlong in breaking,
And so I pray for waking.
I grow too used to gloom
And empty shapes that loom
Within this darkness
Where algid fingers, grasping, find
Mine in comradeship of kind
And sorrow’s voices, when defined,
Are the whispering doom.
#MENTALHEALTHAWARENESSMONTH
Cousin Carl
It was hard to hate cousin Carl.
There was no evil in the man.
He never held any job for long;
Money slipped through his fingers
Like rain water down a grate—
Washing so many false hopes to the sea.
He was like a sweet dog
Who could not be trained:
A rambunctious, eager golden retriever—
Ever willing to play, to show affection
But never able to obey rules
For more than a second or two;
And never recognizing what was bad
Or harmful, until too late;
And then quickly forgetting.
It is not easy to live each day
With such a man,
But he is no easier to hate
Than a loving, vulnerable
Over-eager dog.
#UnitedNationsInternationaldayoflivingtogetherinpeace
AUTHOR NOTES
GLASS RAIN—the poetry by Margaret Roxby
The poem “END OF SELF-PITY,” is included as May is Mental Health Awareness Month. The poet wrote this when suffering from depression at age sixteen. A student of Latin, and great reader of both Greek and Roman classics, she refers to the lemures in Roman religion, wicked and fearsome spectres of the dead. Appearing in grotesque and terrifying forms, they were said to haunt their living relatives and cause them injury. To propitiate these ghosts and keep them from the household, ritual observances called Lemuria were held yearly on May 9, 11, and 13.
REFRACTIONS—a poem by Robert Roxby
“AWAKE, IT’S SPRING” is included this week for May 14, United Nations World Migratory Birds Day. The author recorded in his poetry notebook that this is a “Memory of a Spring day in hills of WV of 1929.” The poem was included in his anthology, Reflections of a Lifetime.
THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS—the poetry of Kathleen Roxby
“COUSIN CARL” is included this week for May 16, United Nations International Day Of Living Together In Peace. The author is describing her impressions of her mother’s paternal uncle as she remembered him when she was still a child and he still young, perhaps a teenager yet. He did later grow out of many of his earlier questionable traits, perhaps all—the author did not know at the time of writing this piece.