Embarrass
Van from Petoskey was
curious about the word embarrass. It seems to have come into English from the
French, but it has cousins in Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese. It now means to
make a person or institution feel awkward or self-conscious, but that meaning
evolved over time.
Originally, it meant to
impede progress by putting up a barrier of some kind. The Portuguese
equivalent, according to the Oxford
English Dictionary, referred to restraining animals with a leash or cord.
In 18th century England, a road would be embarrassed if it was
blocked by fallen trees or an avalanche of rocks.
Being blocked, literally
or metaphorically, would lead to confusion and uncertainty. It would stymie and
perplex a person, and the inability to act would make him or her feel helpless,
leading to a feeling of inadequacy.
These feelings often
trigger the fight-or-flight response. The subsequent release of chemicals often
causes an embarrassed person to blush as blood flow increases to the blood
vesels in the cheeks.
The suggestion that embarrassment must involve exposed buttocks is not seated in reality.
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.
Comments