Because my background is in linguistics, the etymology of words always fascinates me, so while I was featuring this collection of short stories in FULL DARK I looked up “anthology.” It seems the word entered our language in the 1600s. We borrowed it from the Greek word, anthologia which means The Garland. The story behind this association belongs to a Greek named, Meleager who collected lyric poets’ work, put them into a single collection and compared each poet to a flower or plant, forming, in a metaphorical way, a garland.
Want to test your knowledge of the anthology and it’s link to Sci-Fi? Try these True/False Questions and next week I’ll be back with the answers–I hope.
1 Early science fiction was developed and nurtured in serial newspaper articles.
2 One of the early sci-fi pulp fiction magazine was edited by Hugo Gernsback. The Hugo Award was named after him.
While I’ve featured FULL DARK this month, some of the authors have made guest appearances. Here are the others whose stories appeared in the anthology: Tonja Drecker, Carrie Butler, Lisa Buie-Collard, Nick Wilford, Elizabeth Seckman, Celeste Holloway, and Michelle Athy.
Melissa Maygrove pulled this together after another anthology project fell through. Her story Retribution was another of my favorites.
Answers to last week’s T/F Quiz on Sci-Fi Stuff
1 Mary Shelley’s 1818 publication, Frankenstein, is soon to have a 200th birthday. Is it true or false that her story, The Last Man, vies with Frankenstein for first place as the first true science fiction novel?
*TRUE. Still, there’s debate about if either of Shelley’s books were the first in this genre.
2 Scientists have given up trying to prove that Einstein was right when he proposed that the higher you live above sea level the faster time passes.
*FALSE. Scientists have used atomic clocks to prove that time moves faster at higher altitudes, even on this planet. I loved this article, “Einstein’s theory is proved – and it is bad news if you own a penthouse.”
Quote of the Week: “A handful of sand is an anthology of the universe.”
David McCord
Carrie-Anne says
I love etymologies, both of words and proper names. It’s so fascinating to see where they came from, particularly when the meanings seem so unlikely, or when they can be traced all the way back to Proto–Indo-European.
J Lenni Dorner says
I’ll guess true on both of those.
Excellent blog topic.
Hope you’re doing well!
(Your Google profile is still linking to your old blog, btw.)
C. Lee McKenzie says
Thanks for the heads up on the old link. I thought I’d changed it, but guess not.
Mark C. Noce says
The history of words is indeed fascinating:) And that’s so cool that Mary Shelley’s book will be 200 years old! 🙂
C. Lee McKenzie says
She’s had a long run as a “best seller,” hasn’t she?
ChemistKen says
I’ve always wanted to know how they figure out these word etymologies. Sometimes the connections almost seem like conjecture or a leap of faith, but they obviously know more than I do. Thanks for the history lesson.
C. Lee McKenzie says
Linguists love to speculate.
Loni Townsend says
That is a cool history for the word anthology. Thanks for sharing!
Tonja Drecker says
What an interesting origin to anthology! I’m also going to try to live ‘lower’ now. . .oh, and in a speeding train. Supposedly, time is slower the faster you move too.
C. Lee McKenzie says
Ergo, let’s sign up for the space program and go really fast. I’m up for that. Thanks, Tonja.
Sherry Ellis says
I love learning about the origins of words, too. It must be a writer thing. I didn’t know the origin of the word, “anthology.” Thanks for sharing!
Stephanie@Fairday's Blog says
Science is so cool. I love that Einstein’s theory was proven.
Interesting to think about science fiction and I had NO idea about the origin of the word anthology. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
C. Lee McKenzie says
I love finding things like that. It makes the language even more fascinating.
Annalisa Crawford says
So if I hang around in the basement, I’ll have more time to write?
C. Lee McKenzie says
That’s the results; however, I believe the time is miniscule. But I already understand minuscule when it comes to writing time, so what the heck? Might as well give that basement a go.
Shannon Lawrence says
So I have an excuse when I say time moves too fast?! Awesome! I’m at about 6400 feet.
A local art center is doing a Shelley night where writers check in at 7:30 then write through the night like she did. If I wasn’t familiar with their terribly uncomfortable chairs, I’d sign up. It’s a truly cool idea, though.
C. Lee McKenzie says
Wow! That is one very cool idea. Thanks for telling me about it. I’m in no danger of writing all night, but I love thinking about it.
Hilary says
Hi Lee – I’d no idea how Anthology came about – and so interesting to know Nick used a sunflower on his anthology without realising the connection. I’ve no idea re your questions … I’d say #1 is wrong … but no idea re #2 – but I did get last week’s right … fascinating … to read up about – thanks – cheers Hilary
C. Lee McKenzie says
I love trivia. It fleshes out that date-filled history and makes it come alive. Thanks for taking the quizzes. I’m having fun with them.
Hilary says
Hi Lee – I think that’s why I’ve always added snippets in re related odds and ends when I post – I’ll get back to that mode soon … it just adds interest and something else to talk about – if I can remember after 900 of my own posts! I bet you’re having fun with them – good for us too … cheers Hilary
C. Lee McKenzie says
That’s why I love your blog and Bit of Britain that you turned me on to, btw. So thanks for that.
Hilary says
Mike’s posts are so detailed and informative … I always want to visit the places he posts up – an excellent reference tool … particularly for me on my return. Cheers from a very wet Island!
Sandra Cox says
The only thing I knew Mary Shelley wrote was Frankenstein. I was completely unaware of The Last Man. Blush. Blush.
C. Lee McKenzie says
I doubt a lot of people know about that other book. The plight of authors reaches back a long way, doesn’t it? Famous for some books, but others remain unknown.
Kelly Steel says
Interesting post and fun quizzes, but I won’t say if I flunked or not 🙂
C. Lee McKenzie says
I give extra credit for visitors I enjoy. You won’t flunk.
Beverly Stowe McClure says
Fascinating. I know nothing. But I’m learning.
C. Lee McKenzie says
You and me both.
Liz A. says
If you like etymology, Jeanne at Still Writing does an etymology post every Thursday. Currently she’s working through -logue.
Is #2 true? For some reason I thought it was named for Victor Hugo. (I wouldn’t be surprised to learn I was wrong.)
C. Lee McKenzie says
Ah, yes -logue/log ye olde word. I’ll take a look. Thanks, Liz.
Pat Hatt says
Wow, guess I wouldn’t want to live in a penthouse on a mountain then lol be an old fart faster. Always interesting to see where words come from. True and False.
C. Lee McKenzie says
Let’s drink to old farts. May they just fade away.
Elephants Child says
Love the origins of the word Anthology. And yes, I am a word nerd.
My poorly educated self is guessing false and true for this weeks quiz.
Karen Lange says
So I didn’t pass the quiz…but thankfully the results don’t go on my permanent record. 🙂 Hope your husband is doing okay on his journey. Hope too, that your week is a good one. Take care!
Jacqui Murray says
Fun quiz–and I flunked. Yeah. I do love linguistics though. I had a girfriend in college who majored in it. We had lots of good conversations.
C. Lee McKenzie says
Linguists love to talk language. Just say something like “ellipsis in comparative sentence” and they get all bloomy-faced. 🙂
Jacqui Murray says
That’s hilarious.
HR Sinclair says
The term anthology is very poetic. Thanks, Meleager. (I knew those scientists would never give up.)
C. Lee McKenzie says
You’re right. I’ve always loved saying that word, and now I have more than just its sound as a reason.
Sandra Cox says
Wow! All kinds of fun and wonderful information.
Christine Rains says
I’m going to guess true to both facts. I’m glad I live at ground level. 🙂
C. Lee McKenzie says
Totally understandable.
Nick Wilford says
A nice surprise to see you featuring Full Dark today. I was honoured to be part of it.
Interesting about the meaning of “anthology”, especially as a sunflower was featured on the cover of my own one while I had no idea of this association! Serendipitous.
For the questions – I’ll say 1 is false because articles tend to be non-fiction (unless I’m overthinking it) while 2 is true.
C. Lee McKenzie says
Hi Nick,
I’m featuring Full Dark all month because I liked the stories. How interesting about your cover with the sunflower.
Alex J. Cavanaugh says
I didn’t think the scientists had given up.
Not sure about the first fact but I think the second one is false.
C. Lee McKenzie says
I guess scientists had to wait to prove that time difference until they had the technology to measure it.
Heather R. Holden says
Wow, the origin behind the word “anthology” is beyond fascinating. Thanks for sharing that fun bit of info!
C. Lee McKenzie says
I love to find out how words came into their meaning. So interesting.