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relative, a. and n. Oxford’s English Dictionary |
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Vitality |
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A. adj. 1. Gram. Relating or referring to an antecedent term; esp. relative pronoun. 2. a. Having mutual relationship; related to, or connected with, each other; correlative. b. Corresponding. c. Mus. (See quots. and B. 2c.) 3. a. Having relation to the question or matter in hand; pertinent, relevant. b. Of a person: Concerned in a thing. Obs.—1 4. a. Arising from, depending on, or determined by, relation to something else or to each other; comparative. b. Constituted, or existing, only by relation to something else; not absolute or independent. 5. a. Of worship: Offered indirectly by means of or through an image. b. (See quot.) Obs. rare—1. 6. Of terms, etc.: Involving or implying relation; depending for meaning or significance upon some relationship of things or persons. 7. a. Having, or standing in, a relation to something else; correspondent or proportionate to. b. In relation or proportion to something. 8. a. Having application or reference to a thing. b. Relating to a matter of fact, event, person, etc.; with reference to. c. Conveying a reference or allusion to some thing or fact. 9. Special collocations: relative address (Computers), an address (sense 7c) which is defined only in relation to some other address; hence addressing, the practice of using relative addresses; relative density = specific gravity s.v. gravity 4c; normally defined using water or (for a gas) hydrogen as standard; (cf. quot. 1704 in sense A. 4b); relative deprivation (Sociol.), deprivation as experienced by a person in respect of opportunities, standard of living, etc., which is relative to the circumstances of the group or society of which he is a member; relative humidity (Meteorol.): see humidity 1; relative pitch: (Mus.), the pitch of a note in relation to another; the ability to recognize or reproduce this; also in extended use in Phonetics; relative sexuality (Biol.) [tr. G. relative sexualität (M. Hartmann 1909, in Arch. f. Protistenkunde XIV. 325)], the phenomenon shown by those species of which an individual or gamete may act as either female or male, according as it is less or more male than its mate. B. n. 1. Gram. a. A relative word; esp. a relative pronoun. Also fig. (quot. 1393). b. Applied to a demonstrative pronoun. Obs.—1 2. a. A thing (or person) standing in some relation to another. b. A relative term. (See A. 6.) c. Mus. (See quots. and A. 2c.) 3. One who is connected with another or others by blood or affinity; a kinsman. Cf. relation 5c. 4. A relationship. Obs. rare. 5. the relative, that which is relative (in sense 4b of the adj.). |
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From the editor... |
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The process of linguistic translation from tongue to tongue is always problematic at best. Each culture places more than just verbal perception of reality into its chosen words. The words become carriers of intangible feelings and emotions that, ironically, the words themselves fail to do justice in definition and description.
Do you know why all treaties are written in French and the native tongue? All due respect to the Crown, it is nonetheless accepted that the French language is a far more difficult vernacular in which to obfuscate the meaning. Also, much has been done to remodel the Queen’s English in its settlement and evolution over on this side of the pond.
A man called White Cloud was quoted as stating, “Your religious calling was carved on plates of stone by the flaming finger of an angry god...ours was established by the traditions of our ancestors.”
Interesting that he would opine this position in light of the true definition of the word, “commandment” as it was used by the nomadic peoples nearly three millennia earlier. It’s best translation, I am told, is “signpost” or “guide.” That one alternative perspective casts an entirely different light on the tale of the man who smashed the law against the rocks in frustration.
The cover is courtesy of a book by a spiritual teacher whose walk is to speak with those who want to listen. His native tongue is different than the traditional romance languages. For example, you can’t abstract in Lakota. Images are concrete and intuition is presumed.
When a Lakota would utter the words “Mitakuye Oyasin” some of our Anglican forefathers translated the message as we are all related, where others would state the proper expression would more accurately be all my relatives.
To the Lakota, this debate over words, best uttered, only scratches the surface of a concept with depth beyond the regular human imagination. The Lakota believe the rock and the tree have spirit and personality, and that our spirit interacts with theirs when we do something as innocent as skip a flat stone across a pond and enjoy the ripples in succession.
It is a sacred expression of awe and humility, a form of reverence for the spectacular that is so often taken for granted as we become settled in our routine. It is a way of paying homage to the mystery of balance in all life…
...but then I am preaching to the choir, right?
See you in the Library,
Bill Jackson |
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September 2008 |
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Volume II Issue 9 |
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Click on the links below to navigate through the pages of Vitality Journal September 2008 issue. |
