Mike
from Cadillac asked about the word plethora.
The Latin plethora, fullness
of habit, came from the Greek word πληθώρα, fullness or
satiety. It was based on a verb meaning to fill.
Originally, in ancient Greek medicine, plethora meant an overabundance
of one or more of the humors. When it transferred meaning to an excess of any
substance, quality, or activity, it acquired a negative connotation: surfeit or
glut.
Eventually, it worked its way into a more neutral
meaning-- a very large amount, quantity, or variety. It is now enshrined in
virtual clichés, such as a plethora of words, a plethora of experience, and a
plethora of choices.
It also
has a modern medical sense, according to the Merriam-Webster Medical
Dictionary: a
bodily condition characterized by an excess of blood and marked by turgescence
and a reddish complexion. It’s also defined as an excess of any of the body’s fluids.
Listen
to Mike’s program in real time every Tuesday morning, 9:10 - 10:00 a.m. EST, by
going to wtcmradio.com and clicking on Listen
Now. You’ll also find about a month’s worth of podcasts there under The Ron Jolly Show.
No comments:
Post a Comment