WordPlay Wanderings: HUMOR ME
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What sort of humor are you in today? Sanguine, choleric, bilious, melancholy, splenetic, phlegmatic … Do any of these describe you?
Those words – and the temperaments the describe – have a long, damp history.
The word humor has many meanings, of course: We use it to refer to all sorts of funny stuff, to one’s state of mind or temperament, or to a whim, and it can also be used as a verb, meaning to coddle or accommodate.
Humor is also a medical term used to refer to bodily fluids (e.g., vitreous humor) and some secretions, and in fact, the word itself derives from old Latin, Norse, and perhaps Greek words for moisture. And that meaning takes us back to medieval physiology and magical thinking, when the "humors" were the bodily fluids once thought to control character and thought: phlegm, blood, and bile (black and yellow).
Those words – and the temperaments the describe – have a long, damp history.
The word humor has many meanings, of course: We use it to refer to all sorts of funny stuff, to one’s state of mind or temperament, or to a whim, and it can also be used as a verb, meaning to coddle or accommodate.
Humor is also a medical term used to refer to bodily fluids (e.g., vitreous humor) and some secretions, and in fact, the word itself derives from old Latin, Norse, and perhaps Greek words for moisture. And that meaning takes us back to medieval physiology and magical thinking, when the "humors" were the bodily fluids once thought to control character and thought: phlegm, blood, and bile (black and yellow).
All those words are in the Spelling Bee lexicon: humor, bile, blood, and phlegm.
The supposed characteristics of these humors – hot or cold, wet or dry, and associated with the seasons of the year – were correlated to human character and thought, and “excesses” of one or another were believed to influence behavior and temperament. Early medical practices such as bloodletting, cupping, and purges were used in efforts to restore the supposed balance between these humors and so to restore mental and physical equilibrium. Though these practices were supplanted long ago by rational, science-based medicine, our language retains words that trace back to these old beliefs. Here’s how: Blood – hot and wet – was associated with spring, and was believed to be the source of energy. People under the influence of blood were said to be sanguine (from Latin sanguin-, blood), and we still use “sanguine” to mean eager and optimistic. Yellow bile, called choler – hot and dry—was associated with summer, and was thought to originate in the gallbladder, vomit, and feces. People with excess bile were said to be aggressive, angry, and decisive, and we still use “choleric” to mean irritable or quick to anger. And we use “bilious” to describe an ill-tempered or peevish person. Black bile – cold and dry – was associated with autumn. An excess of black bile was associated with a melancholy nature. The word “melancholy,” which we still use to mean sad or depressed, comes from the Latin word for black bile, melancholicus. And though we use “splenetic” (from the Latin for “spleen”) to mean ill-tempered, it used to mean melancholic. Phlegm—cold and wet – was associated with winter; the word encompassed all white or clear secretions (mucus, saliva, pus, sweat) and was associated with the brain. Those under the influence of phlegm were said to be reserved and quiet, and we still use the word “phlegmatic” to describe someone with a slow or reserved temperament. Sanguine, choleric, bilious, melancholy, splenetic, phlegmatic: Which one would describe you? What sort of humor are you in today?
The supposed characteristics of these humors – hot or cold, wet or dry, and associated with the seasons of the year – were correlated to human character and thought, and “excesses” of one or another were believed to influence behavior and temperament. Early medical practices such as bloodletting, cupping, and purges were used in efforts to restore the supposed balance between these humors and so to restore mental and physical equilibrium. Though these practices were supplanted long ago by rational, science-based medicine, our language retains words that trace back to these old beliefs. Here’s how: Blood – hot and wet – was associated with spring, and was believed to be the source of energy. People under the influence of blood were said to be sanguine (from Latin sanguin-, blood), and we still use “sanguine” to mean eager and optimistic. Yellow bile, called choler – hot and dry—was associated with summer, and was thought to originate in the gallbladder, vomit, and feces. People with excess bile were said to be aggressive, angry, and decisive, and we still use “choleric” to mean irritable or quick to anger. And we use “bilious” to describe an ill-tempered or peevish person. Black bile – cold and dry – was associated with autumn. An excess of black bile was associated with a melancholy nature. The word “melancholy,” which we still use to mean sad or depressed, comes from the Latin word for black bile, melancholicus. And though we use “splenetic” (from the Latin for “spleen”) to mean ill-tempered, it used to mean melancholic. Phlegm—cold and wet – was associated with winter; the word encompassed all white or clear secretions (mucus, saliva, pus, sweat) and was associated with the brain. Those under the influence of phlegm were said to be reserved and quiet, and we still use the word “phlegmatic” to describe someone with a slow or reserved temperament. Sanguine, choleric, bilious, melancholy, splenetic, phlegmatic: Which one would describe you? What sort of humor are you in today?
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