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Friday, June 20, 2008

Domestic Peace

I find there is something ineffably soothing about hanging up washing on the line. It is symbolic, perhaps, of peace and order. If one has the leisure to hang up one's washing, the barbarians can't quite yet be at the wrought-iron gate. The siege has not just yet started. They aren't quite ready to haul us all off to camps or display our rotting corpses on gibbets.



My little garden, in pots in the courtyard.


The nasturtiums did especially well, but not much show from the snapdragons.



* ~ * ~ *

This post is the first in a series in which we intend to use the words "ineffable", "wrought" and "gibbet" in sentences in ordinary English writing. This is in honour of his excellency, Donald Troutman, the bishop of Erie, Pennsylvania whose work to save the liturgical movement of his generation has been tireless.

Bishop Donald Trautman of Erie, Pennsylvania, a longtime critic of the new translations, said the texts contain a number of “archaic and obscure” terms, pointing to words such as “wrought,” “ineffable,” and “gibbet.” He also said that the text’s preference for mimicking the sentence structure of Latin, featuring long sentences with a large number of dependent clauses, impedes understanding in English. Trautman cited one prayer in the new Proper of Seasons presented as a single 12-line sentence with three separate clauses.


Let's play a game:

In an ordinary post, about any subject, use one or more of the following words in a sentence.

"ineffable"
"wrought"
"gibbet"

A long sentence "with a large number of dependent [subordinate] clauses," that "impedes understanding in English" will be especially welcome and will be awarded extra points.

The contest closes when the new translation of the Novus Ordo Mass is approved by the USCCB.

To start us off, I tag the usual suspects:

John
Steve
Dale
Mac
Fr. Finigan
Mr. Carriere

[P.S. Hint for Steve: "ineffable" is an adjective; "wrought" is a simple past tense verb and an adjective. "Gibbet" is a noun.]

[P.P.S. This reminds me of one of the many times a teacher of mine decided I was making words up. He handed back an essay with the word "wrought" circled in red with the note "Does not exist". He wasn't a Catholic, but I'm sure he'd love Bishop Trautman's church.]

2 comments:

  1. Anonymous4:32 am

    When I was studying Latin at college, we were told not to use "lest". It was no longer current English.

    Duly chastened, I went home and read a letter from my Mom. In which she used the word that was not to be used.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Will do. And in Steve's defense, "wrought" can also be an adjective--as in wrought iron (as opposed to cast iron). The Ordinary of Erie needs to get out of the Trautbunker more often if he think's that one's tricky.

    ReplyDelete

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