Mother Earth and Tara Plantation
In contrast to the Eastern myth of Pangu separating chaos to create the world, Western deities also emerged. According to Hesiod's Theogony, before all things came into being, the universe was a formless void, with only Chaos existing. In English, "chaos" means "a state of complete disorder and confusion"; chaotic means "in a state of chaos."
After countless years, the ancient god Chaos inexplicably gave birth to several children through asexual reproduction. Among them, the most important was the Earth Goddess, Gaia. Gaia, in turn, created a host of children, even giving birth to the sky, Uranus, who became her husband. This remarkable Earth Mother is known as Terra in Roman mythology. In English, the root terr- means "earth" or "land." Related words include:
- terra: land, earth (e.g., The Terracotta Army)
- terrace: a leveled area on a hillside (e.g., rice terraces)
- terrain: the physical features of an area of land
- terrestrial: relating to the earth or land
- territorial: relating to territory
- Mediterranean: (literally) the sea in the middle of the land
- territory: an area of land under the jurisdiction of a ruler or state
Those who have seen Gone with the Wind will remember the indomitable spirit of Scarlett O'Hara and her optimism that "tomorrow is another day." While the fall of Atlanta didn't faze her, the fate of her family's plantation, Tara, made her understand the true meaning of war. The impending destruction of Tara made Scarlett realize what was truly indispensable in her life. At that moment, she felt the profound value of the land. She remembered her father's words: "Land is the only thing in the world that amounts to anything." Interestingly, "tara" in English slang means "goodbye!" Its pronunciation is similar to terra (land). The author's longing for Tara represents a love for the land and a reluctant farewell to the plantation lifestyle and the institution of slavery. This connection can help us remember that the root terr- relates to "land."
Interesting Fruits
While some believe names are just labels, a novel and appealing name can add value. For instance, "strawberries" sold in supermarkets often command a higher price than roadside "berries." The Chinese "kiwifruit," after a journey abroad, returned as a "sea turtle" (returnee) under names like "奇异果" or "Chinese gooseberry," seeing its value multiply. Similarly, "grapes" marketed as "提子" often sell for more.
Speaking of grape, it is related to strawberry, blueberry, and blackberry. In Old English, grape was winberige: win meaning "vine" and berige meaning "berry" – literally "vine berry." However, after the Norman Conquest in the 11th century, many French words entered English. While farmers continued to use winberige, their Norman lords used grappe, from an Old French word meaning "a bunch of fruits," originally from a Germanic word for a hook used in harvesting grapes. Grape evolved from grappe.