20 April 2013

Draconian

[drey-koh-nee-uhn, druh-]
adjective
1. of, pertaining to, or characteristic of Draco or his code of laws. (Draco was the first legislator for Athens in Ancient Greece. He replaced the oral law and blood feud system with harsh, written laws enforced by a court).
2. ( often lowercase ) rigorous; unusually severe or cruel: Draconian forms of punishment.
Also, Draconic.

Origin:
1810–20; < Latin Dracōn- (stem of Draco) + -ian

Related forms
Dra·co·ni·an·ism, noun

Today’s aphorism

How blessed are some people, whose lives have no fears, no dreads; to whom sleep is a blessing that comes nightly, and brings nothing but sweet dreams.

– Bram Stoker

On this day

20 April 1912 – death of Bram Stoker, Irish novellist, author of ‘Dracula’. Born 8 November 1847.