Page:Stories from Tagore (IA storiesfromtagor00tago).pdf/111

Rh “ Liliput ” was a place where tiny people lived and "Brobdingnag" was a place where giants lived. These two words are therefore sometimes used, in an amusing manner, to represent respectively the land of dwarfs and the land of giants.

B.A. degree. These titles were originally used in the old medieval universities of Europe. The word "bachelor" was taken from its use in chivalry, where it meant a young knight not yet fully qualified or equipped. Then came the “ Master,” or fully qualified person. A secondary meaning of bachelor, which is now the most common, is “ an unmarried person,” — a man not being considered fully qualified or equipped till he is married.

romance. This word has a very interesting history. The Latin language was the literary language of the South of Europe for many centuries and the vernacular languages were despised. The word for "vernacular" was "romanicus" as contrasted with "Latinus," i.e. Latin. The old folk stories of the Middle Ages were written in the vernacular or "romance" languages, and as these stories were strange and mysterious, the word romance became used for this kind of literature.

pathetic. From the Greek word “pathos ” meaning “ suffering." Compare pathos, sympathy, pathology, electropathy, allopathy, homoeopathy.

dilapidated. From the Latin “lapis” meaning a “stone.” It probably means to separate stone from stone. Compare lapidary, dilapidation.

intermediate. From the Latin “medius” meaning “middle.” Compare mediate, immediate, medium, mediocrity, mediator.

police. From the Greek “polis” meaning a “city.” Compare politics, policy, metropolis, politician.

barrister. From the word "bar." There was a bar in the law court, from which the lawyer pleaded his case.