Chrysti The Wordsmith: Sarcasm - 2

Greetings verb of yours. Last time on Kristi the wordsmith we examined words beginning with the Greek prefix s a r c meaning flash psychosis which is the development of fleshy tumors and SAR Kahwaji the study of the fleshy or soft parts of the body. Sarcasm at first glance doesn't appear to be conceptually related to the others since it refers to scornful and bitter language. But a look into its history reveals that even this word comes from the ancient Greek root. S A R C and once meant to tear flesh like dogs. And that's why we frequently associate sarcasm with biting comments and unexpected member of this etymological family is sarcophagus a stone kaufen often inscribed or decorated with sculpture. This term comes from the Greek phrase Leith sarcophagus literally flesh eating stone which referred to limestone quarried in ancient Asia Minor. This stone was fashioned into coffins or sarcophagus bodies interred there and quickly

decomposed through the corrosive properties of the limestone. The Greek word sarcophagus or flesh eater eventually became the name for any stone coffin. It was adopted by English speakers in the 17th century. What an interesting family of words. Psychosis sarcasm and sarcophagus belong to. Next time you're in your dictionary turn to the words beginning with the letters S A R C it will be worth the visit. I'm Christi the wordsmith. Good day for the horse. CHRISTIE The wordsmith is sponsored by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Zoot enterprises a high tech firm in Bozeman Montana offering challenging careers and innovative solutions for the financial services industry. Zoot web dot com.