|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2008 9:00 am
arcanum • ar-KAY-num • noun
*1 : mysterious or specialized knowledge, language, or information accessible or possessed only by the initiate -- usually used in plural
2 : elixir
Example Sentence:
The author, a physicist, adeptly demystifies arcana of her field with lucid, accessible prose.
Did you know?
The word "arcanum" (pluralized as "arcana") came from Latin "arcanus," meaning "secret," and entered English as the Dark Ages gave way to the Renaissance. It was often used in reference to the mysteries of the physical and spiritual worlds, subjects of heavy scrutiny and rethinking at the time. Alchemists were commonly said to be pursuing the arcana of nature, and they sought elixirs for changing base metals into gold, prolonging life, and curing disease. The frequent association of the word with the alchemists' elixirs influenced the use of "arcanum" for "elixir."
*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Sep 27, 2008 3:01 pm
in The Charwoman's Shadow, Lord Dunsany shows an alchemist teaching his student how to create gold.
we have to make sure all the properties of gold are present, he says.
first weight, then softness, finally color.
we get similar weight and softness from lead.
for color, some shiny pigment can be added. it must be skilled kneaded throughout the product and not simply painted on the outside.but isn't that fakery or cheating? asks the noviate.
no one has complained, says the magician, and none would dare since my gold has been bought and sold so often it is now a staple og our nation's economy.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
