Sporting Venues

       

Scott from Buckley asked about the different names for the venues in which sports are played. Let’s run through amphitheater, arena, coliseum, and stadium.

An amphitheater literally means a structure with two parts that face each other and look down upon an open area where the spectacle or performance takes place. The two parts are conjoined, resulting in an oval shape. The word came to us from ancient Greek. A fun part of my childhood involved attending events at Chicago’s International Amphitheater. There were stock shows, rodeos, circuses, and other rousing events. In 1999, alas, it bit the dust.

An arena originally was the open space in an amphitheater where the action occurred. The name derives from the Latin word for sand, which was strewn upon the floor to soak up the blood of fallen gladiators. Older fans will miss the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan, where the Red Wings skated on ice instead of sand.

A coliseum was a gigantic or colossal amphitheater. Construction began on the very first one during the reign of the Roman Emperor Vespasian. Huge spectacles needed larger buildings, and coliseums filled the bill.  The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is a well-known modern example.

The original stadiums were built for foot races by the ancient Greeks and Romans. The name came from a measure of length—usually one-eighth of a Roman mile, equivalent to 1,618 yards. That was the customary length of the track, though there were variations. Now stadiums can feature a wide array of sporting events. Michigan Stadium (The Big House), located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, is the largest stadium in the country.

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Flex and Flux

Ned from Lake Ann asked about the difference between flex and flux. The first difference is origin: flex came from a Latin word that meant to bend, while flux came from a Latin word that meant to flow.

The second difference is meaning. Flux has been used in the following senses:

·      an excessive discharge from the bowels or other organs;

·      a running from the eyes or mouth;

·      the flowing of the tide or of a stream;

·      a continuous stream of people;

·      a copious flood of talk;

·      continuous changes of condition or substance;

·      the rate of flow of any fluid across a given area;

·      the number of lines of magnetic induction or electric displacement;

·      any substance mixed with a metal to facilitate its fusion.

Flex has one major meaning -- to bend a joint. However, the –flex– root shows up in a couple hundred of words, including

·      anteflexion: the condition of being bent forwards;

·      chemoreflex: a reflex response to a chemical stimulus;

·      circumflex:  a curved accent mark to indicate vowel quality;

·      contraflexure: the condition of being bent or curved in opposite directions;

·      dorsiflex: to bend the foot towards its dorsal surface;

·      flexibility: pliancy;

·      flexion: the act of bending;

·      genuflexion: bending of the knee;

·      reflex: automatic reaction.

Apropos of nothing, I note that all five vowels can be inserted into those same consonants: flax, flex, flix, flux, and the misspelling flox. Flix, aside from being slang for motion pictures, is an old term for the down of a beaver.

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Fell a Tree or Fall a Tree?

Norman wrote, “Can you provide some clarity on the use of 'fall' and 'fell' with regards to cutting down a tree?  Many folks say, I'm going to fell a tree.  On the other hand, some say, I'm going to fall a tree.  Thanks for any insight that you can provide me.”

The proper form is "fell a tree." Fall is not supposed to take an object. Its principal parts are fall. fell, fallen.

• A tree fell in the forest.
• The tree has fallen.
• The regime fell to the revolutionaries.

The principal parts of fell (a separate verb) are fell, felled, and felling. That verb does take an object, and it has two meanings:

• (1) To cause to fall by striking; to cut or knock down: to fell a tree / to fell an opponent in boxing. 
• (2) To kill: President Kennedy was felled by an assassin's bullet.
  
  

It wasn’t part of Nortman’s question, but fell as an adjective means fierce, deadly, and ruthless. When a bird of prey suddenly drops down on its prey and snatches it up, it kills in one fell swoop.

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Philobats & Ocnophils

Both words are constructions using Greek word parts, and both are used almost exclusively

 by therapists. They are attributed to psychiatrist Michael Balint, and they appeared in the 

International Journal of Psycho-analysis in 1955.

A philobat is a person who enjoys coping with dangerous and uncertain situations – a thrill 

seeker who goes it alone. Dr. Balint combined the Greek word part philo- (one who loves) 

and extracted the word part –bat from acrobat (a rope walker).

An ocnophil is a person who avoids dangerous and uncertain situations. When threats arise, he or she clutches at objects of security, especially other people. Balint combined the Greek word part ocno- (hesitation) with –phil (one who loves).

While not the most euphonious of terms, they do stake out polar opposites.

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