Arlo and Janis by Jimmy Johnson for December 07, 2023

Brutal word choice Arlo.

hearth derives from the Proto-Indo-European root ker- meaning “fire” from which also come carbon, cremate, and ceramic. (I love my American Heritage Dictionary with the Indo-European cross-index.)

So the English word “hearth”, meaning “the place where a fire is built”, comes from the old Germanic word “hertha”, meaning “the place where a fire is built”. Who could have figured!

Well, bless your hearth.

Anyone up for a game of Arlo’s Trivial pursuit. . . Zzzzz

Home is where the hearth is. Feel the burn.

There is other word opportunities that be more colorfully?

Definition of Arlo: Pedantic

Oh grate, now he’ll go on about andirons.

He reminds me of Mr. Vincent Nigel Murray from the TV show, Bones.

I guess I’m pedantic. I love learning about word origins. Then again, I was an English major so this is my kind of stuff. LOL

Does Arlo pick up on sarcasm?

Hertha Berlin is a soccer team in the second tier of German football.

I have to wonder if he just popped out with that or did she say "I wonder why it’s called a hearth?

Wow; this is sure a sudden change from the theme of moving to join the kids

So, pedantic Arlo, was that good? I’m not sure.

I’m waiting for the definition of “pedantic”….

In true Cliff Clavin fashion

And a new meme is born: “Wow! Thanks for sharing that!”

I pronounce it HER-th but I know a lot of people that pronounce it HAR-th. I see the heart in hearth but I grew up with it the other way. I get corrected every time I say the word. It’s a lot like ToMAto or ToMOto. Keep in mind I am from the deep south.

“He sceolde bebeodan israhela folce þæt hi namon æt ælcum heorðe anes geares lamb.” – Aelfric, Homily

Well, actually if it’s good, then it’s not pedantic.

My husband’s grandmother’s name was Hertha. Her disposition was lovely and warm.

Thanks Atomicdog, I am like Arlo with “Nerdsplaining” my Wife just sits there and goes “OK! Next Subject!”

Tell it Brother!

Useless trivia I suppose. Women are never amused with these things.

Well, I never knew that…..thanks Arlo!

Ooh! Ooh! I remember a conversation that came up two days ago at my daughter’s house. Somebody was momentarily wrestling with isn’t/aren’t use on a collective noun, like a flock of geese. Most of us knew the proper form (“isn’t” for a collective noun) but it occurred to me the best word – propriety being forsaken for clarity – is “ain’t.” Ain’t is both singular and plural as needed, and is understood almost anywhere American English is spoken. That ain’t what I would normally think of, but here we are.

Hearth,, sound’s like a dog with a hare lip trying to bark.

Is it etymology or entomology? If you have ants in your pantry and care to study them and their insect cousins you will find the etymology of entomology leads you to use entomology as the classification of said creatures. That’s all…

Say “fun fact” to warn people.

I’m going to go all pedantic :) and call what Arlo said ‘Informational’

‘Pedantic’ is nit picking common usage to death. Or as a couple of things on the internet describe—-“giving too much attention to formal rules or small details” -" too concerned with literal accuracy or formality. It’s a negative term that implies someone is showing off book learning or trivia, especially in a tiresome way. Such as, ‘You don’t want to go antique-shopping with a pedantic friend, who will use the opportunity to bore you with his in-depth knowledge of 18th-century porcelain kitty-litter boxes"

I had to look up the word Pedantic. Never heard of the word before.

Abstruse knowledge is underappreciated.

Well, that was good for a hearthy laugh.

Pedantic ???… Now my head hurts….( guess i’ll take this pendant off…)

What happene3d to the vase? I didn’t see Ludwig, so it should still be there!

I will have to remember this additional hearth info for later this month. Our reenactment unit will be, as usual, interpreting an 18th century house in the local restored village – all other houses are set in the 19th century. They have a candlelight nights event for a week or so around Christmas with houses only lit by period lighting. When my took my young niblings to the event decades ago (now both around 30) we did not like that it was being interpreted by people who did not know about the house in its early period nor the names of many items displayed in the house. With a fellow reenactor we volunteered to interpret the house for them. It has since involved into a event with many other members of our unit joining us. Depending on the night there may be period music and singing. Some of the fellows who are more interested in the military of the period than domestic life set up outdoors with a fire to keep warm and fire “the Christmas gun” hourly and talk about period life from their end/interest of things. (The unit is civilian, not military, but the fellows who want to form the – hope this does not make a problem – militia unit of the community (all men 16-60 to protect the community from whatever – French, Dutch, natives… were required to serve in same)

The house has what is called a Dutch fireplace (earlier in time than 1770s) – I am 5"1’ and can stand under the chimney opening and there are no sidewalls – it sits against the wall with the hearth floor coming out into the room.

Husband and I and some others do “first person” interpretation. We are specific people and know nothing past the matching day in 1775 (in mid July – Sept – 1776). We use only words/descriptions from the period. (Though if needed – such as the time we had a child separated from his parents and I needed to comfort him while he waited with me – we can break character for emergencies. )