April 4, 2005
On the etymology of the word cardinal (from the Online Etymology Dictionary):
1125, "one of the ecclesiastical princes who constitute the sacred college," from L. cardinalis "principal, chief, essential," from cardo (gen. cardinis) "that on which something turns or depends," originally "door hinge." Ecclesiastical use began for the presbyters of the chief (cardinal) churches of Rome. The adj. sense of "chief, principal" in Eng. is attested from c.1440. Cardinal numbers (1591) are the primitive "one, two, three," etc. as opposed to ordinal numbers "first, second, third," etc. Cardinal points (1549) are "north, south, east, west." The cardinal virtues (c.1300) were divided into natural (justice prudence, temperance, fortitude) and theological (faith, hope, charity). The N.Amer. songbird (Cardinalis virginianus) is attested from 1678, so named for its resemblance to the red robes of the cardinals.I don't know why I was surpsied to find that the birds and even the cardinal numbers are named for the Catholic kind, but I was. More about cardinals here.
The Fontaine des 4 points Cardinaux near St. Sulpice in Paris uses a visual pun. Four cardinals are depicted and they each face a cardinal point North, South, East or West.
Fascinating.
Post a comment