Friday, June 09, 2006

Alice from Wonderland exposed

All the way from my childhood, Alice's adventures in wonderland have appealed to me in many ways. I learned of an interesting etymological connection between Alice and Aletheia recently. It makes Sense. I thank Don Webb for bringing this knowledge to me.

The following is quoted from Dictionary of Latin and Greek Words used in English Vocabulary:

aletho-, aleth-
(Greek: true; nothing concealed; real [from a-, "no, nothing" and letho-, "forgetfullness, oblivion"])
Alethea, Alice:
A woman's name meaning "truth".
alethia:
A rarely used term for an incapacity to forget past events.
alethic:
Relating to the philosophical concepts of truth and possibility and especially to the branch of logic that formalizes them.
alethiology:
1. The science of the nature of truth and evidence. 2. The doctrine of truth; that part of logic that is concerned with truth.
alethology:
The study or science of truth.
alethophobia:
An abnormal fear of the truth.
Alethopteris:
A genus of fossil ferns, found especially in coal formations [literally, having "true ferns"].
alethoscope:
An instrument for viewing pictures by means of a lens, so as to give the objects a natural or realistic appearance.
philalethia:
Loving truth; a fondness for truth.
philalethist:
A lover of or a fondness for truth.

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