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From: HenHanna <HenHanna@devnull.tb>
Newsgroups: sci.lang,alt.usage.english
Subject: Re: International Greek Language Day (9 February)
Date: Mon, 15 Jul 2024 12:22:53 -0700
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On 2/9/2024 12:36 AM, Ross Clark wrote:
> Why this day? It's the "commemoration day" (deathday, in fact) of 
> Dionysios Solomos (1798-1857), who (some of you may not know) is 
> considered Greece's national poet. He wrote a "Hymn to Liberty" (Ὕμνος 
> εἰς τὴν Ἐλευθερίαν), which, suitably musicked, became the national 
> anthem of Greece (1865) and Cyprus (1966). But there's more, to do with 
> the establishment of a Modern Greek literary language:
> 
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dionysios_Solomos
> 
> Greek has the longest period of written use of any language in the 
> Western world. "Over 3,500 years", says Crystal, which means he's 
> counting in Mycenean (Linear B). But even if we insist on a continuous 
> tradition using the same script, it would be (say) 2,800, still the 
> longest.
> 
> Crystal goes on about the many words of Greek origin in English, but we 
> all know about that.
> 



The word "oxymoron" itself is an oxymoron, which makes its etymology 
(word origin) quite interesting!



Here's the breakdown:

Origin: Ancient Greek
Etymological components:

oxys (ὀξύς): meaning "sharp, keen, pointed"

moros (μωρός): meaning "dull, stupid, foolish"



Literal meaning: "sharp-dull" or "pointedly foolish"
While the word itself seems contradictory, it perfectly captures the 
essence of what an oxymoron is - a figure of speech that combines 
opposite meanings.



Additional points:

The term "oxymoron" first appeared in Latinized Greek (oxymōrum) around 
400 AD.

The actual Greek compound word "ὀξύμωρον" (oxymoron) doesn't seem to 
exist in any known ancient Greek texts.