Doctoral Dissertation topic. Sort of?
Apr. 27th, 2006 01:44 amNames: etymology :: mythology : depth psychology.
Not quite a perfect analogy; the last element doesn't quite fit. But there is something in the way names in myths have emotional power because of their etymological roots, meanings, and history, even when we aren't consciously aware of those meanings or history, which is a tool that Tolkien used to great effect in LOTR. It is like etymology is the unconscious of the word.
Maybe instead:
names: etymology :: ego : unconscious.
Hm.
Well, I've got a year to work on it, but I think I'm going to be playing in that sandbox somehow.
Not quite a perfect analogy; the last element doesn't quite fit. But there is something in the way names in myths have emotional power because of their etymological roots, meanings, and history, even when we aren't consciously aware of those meanings or history, which is a tool that Tolkien used to great effect in LOTR. It is like etymology is the unconscious of the word.
Maybe instead:
names: etymology :: ego : unconscious.
Hm.
Well, I've got a year to work on it, but I think I'm going to be playing in that sandbox somehow.