16 November 2009

Hedgehog-Headed?

One of my favourite subjects is etymology. I was reading the dictionary recently, and came across a little tidbit that caught my fancy, and I thought I'd share it.

caprice

n
1. impulsive tendency: a tendency to sudden impulsive decisions or changes of mind
2. sudden change or action: a sudden unexpected action or change of mind
3. whim: a sudden idea, impulsive decision, or change of mind

Well, it's not too far a stretch to describe Sonic the Hedgehog, especially as the modern Sega portrays him, to on occasion be taken by caprice. So I was amused to read the etymology:

[Mid-17th century. Via French from Italian capriccio, literally "head with hair standing on end," from capo "head" (from Latin caput) and riccio "hedgehog" (from Latin (h)ericius)...]

Encarta ® World English Dictionary © & (P) 1998-2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

So, someone who is capricious is literally "hedgehog headed". It's a funny language we speak!

No comments:

Post a Comment