3 January 2014

orenda

orenda

[aw-ren-duh, oh-ren-]

noun

– a supernatural force believed by the Iroquois Indians to be present, in varying degrees, in all objects or persons, and to be the spiritual force by which human accomplishment is attained or accounted for. E.g. He credited his orenda with the profound change in his life.
– inherent power.

Origin:

1902; coined by U.S. ethnologist J.N.B. Hewitt from the supposed Huron cognate of Mohawk orę́˙naʔ inherent power (akin to karę́˙naʔ song; compare Seneca oęnǫʔ power, song with power, kaęnǫʔ song)

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Today’s aphorism

The more laws, the less justice.

– Marcus Tullius Cicero

On this day

3 January 106BC – birth of Marcus Tullius Cicero (sometimes Anglicised as Tully), Roman statesman, politician, philosopher, orator. Tully’s influence on Latin and other European languages was immense and still felt up to the 19th century. The history of prose in Latin and other languages was said to be either a reaction against, or a return to, his style. Died 7 December 43BC.

3 January 1521 – Pope Leo X excommunicates Martin Luther in the papal bull Decet Romanum Pontificem.

3 January 1892 – birth of J.R.R. Tolkien, author of ‘The Hobbit‘ and ‘Lord of the Rings‘. Died 2 September 1973. ‘The road goes ever on … ‘

3 January 1956 – birth of Mel Gibson, Australian actor.

3 January 1962 – Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro.

3 January 1969 – birth of Michael Schumacher, German Formula 1 racing car driver.

3 January 1977 – Apple Computers is incorporated.