The upside down lowercase e for those of us from the mid 70s (72-76 or so) when green - was the beginning of our realizing the earth needed help. The small green upside down e was for “ecology”. We were the last of the hippie population, the flower children. We were searching for our identity. Recycling ♻️ recovery and our lives were just beginning.
Hopefully we had a least some ideas that were moved forward 🥰
How interesting, Pamela! I grew up in the 1970s but my family was pretty conservative and none of my older siblings were hippies, so it's probably not surprising that I don't recall the early use of the symbol. I think there is no doubt that Earth Day and the consciousness brought about back then have contributed enormously to conservation efforts! Now if I can deal with the anger I feel at finding out that global warming was a concept known to big oil as early as the 1950s where there was still time to really pivot away from what we have done to the earth... I'm working on it, but it is a seed of resentment that I must deal with and turn around into something positive.
I was in elementary school in the early 1960s. I think the Hooked on Phonics movement didn't start 'til the 1980s. All I could do was shake my head when it was being promoted as something brand-new and revolutionary.
Oh, thanks for grounding my mental timeline in history! Yes, that makes sense...all the hoopla about Hooked on Phonics was *much* later. I think a lot of people were shaking their heads! "Everything old is new" seems to come into my mind more often, the older I become...
Interesting! I remember hearing about phonics when it became THE thing, but it was some years after I was already reading. I remember briefly meeting the schwa as an interesting item, so sort of shrugged my shoulders as in, that's interesting but irrelevant, except that is has a cool symbol and name! We have others who have never been introduced to it at all. Fascinating stuff how early education differs due to age and geography, let alone country and language.
Kate Morgan Reade: As one, too, who loves languages and etymology, I REALLY thank you for this interesting philology. I am bilingual with German, and will spend time with etymology (Wortherkunft) in the Duden, Wahrig, the university-hosted Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache, and the online Grimm-Wörterbuch.
Your comical allusion to the caveman is not in vain.
"Wortherkunft" or etymology tells so much of human evolution.
Apparently, in Anglo-Saxon England, plenty of thatch was available, so they would "thatch" the roof. In German, the word for roof is "Dach" -- which is EXACTLY the same root word as our "Thatch". (Roof is apparently of Scandinavian roots.)
English retains the original meaning of "Gift"; in German, that meaning is incorporated in "Mitgift" (i.e., a dowery); but the German word "Gift" means . . . POISON.
Yes, from the same root word.
I have often puzzled over THAT evolution in meaning or behavior . . .
You are most welcome Stephen! Thank you for asking such a great question: it really resonated with other subscribers! I was chagrined that the word comes from Hebrew through German! Small world, eh? I thought you'd appreciate the irony of that. And yes, Zen-like is a perfect description. I was thinking the sound of no syllable saying nothing, lol.
This is so helpful. I read dictionaries as a child, and have a BA in English Lit. But I’ve always had trouble with sounds of letters; I could not truly learn to read from phonics. (I think it’s some weird neurodivergence thing.) So explaining schwa is so wonderful! Thank you! 🫶🏻
Ah, now that is an astute question, and not one I can answer with any authority. I know that in Hebrew, schewa can be silent or vocal, and that there are a lot of intricate rules for when and how to pronounce! This is one of those rabbit holes that can lead to an entire work of its own. Here are a few sources I found: https://yourhebrewtutor.com/2016/01/14/a-friendly-reminder-the-shewa/
The upside down lowercase e for those of us from the mid 70s (72-76 or so) when green - was the beginning of our realizing the earth needed help. The small green upside down e was for “ecology”. We were the last of the hippie population, the flower children. We were searching for our identity. Recycling ♻️ recovery and our lives were just beginning.
Hopefully we had a least some ideas that were moved forward 🥰
How interesting, Pamela! I grew up in the 1970s but my family was pretty conservative and none of my older siblings were hippies, so it's probably not surprising that I don't recall the early use of the symbol. I think there is no doubt that Earth Day and the consciousness brought about back then have contributed enormously to conservation efforts! Now if I can deal with the anger I feel at finding out that global warming was a concept known to big oil as early as the 1950s where there was still time to really pivot away from what we have done to the earth... I'm working on it, but it is a seed of resentment that I must deal with and turn around into something positive.
I was in elementary school in the early 1960s. I think the Hooked on Phonics movement didn't start 'til the 1980s. All I could do was shake my head when it was being promoted as something brand-new and revolutionary.
Oh, thanks for grounding my mental timeline in history! Yes, that makes sense...all the hoopla about Hooked on Phonics was *much* later. I think a lot of people were shaking their heads! "Everything old is new" seems to come into my mind more often, the older I become...
Public education curriculum is pretty much a swinging pendulum.
I was taught to read using the phonics method. Any lessons on vowels always included the schwa.
Interesting! I remember hearing about phonics when it became THE thing, but it was some years after I was already reading. I remember briefly meeting the schwa as an interesting item, so sort of shrugged my shoulders as in, that's interesting but irrelevant, except that is has a cool symbol and name! We have others who have never been introduced to it at all. Fascinating stuff how early education differs due to age and geography, let alone country and language.
When I was in elementary school, the schwa was a big part of my life (odd as that may sound).
Really? In what way?
Kate Morgan Reade: As one, too, who loves languages and etymology, I REALLY thank you for this interesting philology. I am bilingual with German, and will spend time with etymology (Wortherkunft) in the Duden, Wahrig, the university-hosted Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache, and the online Grimm-Wörterbuch.
Your comical allusion to the caveman is not in vain.
"Wortherkunft" or etymology tells so much of human evolution.
Apparently, in Anglo-Saxon England, plenty of thatch was available, so they would "thatch" the roof. In German, the word for roof is "Dach" -- which is EXACTLY the same root word as our "Thatch". (Roof is apparently of Scandinavian roots.)
English retains the original meaning of "Gift"; in German, that meaning is incorporated in "Mitgift" (i.e., a dowery); but the German word "Gift" means . . . POISON.
Yes, from the same root word.
I have often puzzled over THAT evolution in meaning or behavior . . .
Wow! Thank you, Kate! Very impressive, edifying and entertaining! I see it now, emptiness. Something Zen-like about it.
You are most welcome Stephen! Thank you for asking such a great question: it really resonated with other subscribers! I was chagrined that the word comes from Hebrew through German! Small world, eh? I thought you'd appreciate the irony of that. And yes, Zen-like is a perfect description. I was thinking the sound of no syllable saying nothing, lol.
This is so helpful. I read dictionaries as a child, and have a BA in English Lit. But I’ve always had trouble with sounds of letters; I could not truly learn to read from phonics. (I think it’s some weird neurodivergence thing.) So explaining schwa is so wonderful! Thank you! 🫶🏻
I'm so happy that you found this helpful, Mary!
Ah, now that is an astute question, and not one I can answer with any authority. I know that in Hebrew, schewa can be silent or vocal, and that there are a lot of intricate rules for when and how to pronounce! This is one of those rabbit holes that can lead to an entire work of its own. Here are a few sources I found: https://yourhebrewtutor.com/2016/01/14/a-friendly-reminder-the-shewa/
Also, does the place name Shewa relate to the diacritic in text? https://www.beta-israel.org/post/the-jews-of-north-shewa
Ah! So it's true what they say about early learning, and you were actually paying attention in Hebrew School. Thanks for the lesson!
Btw, you will be glad to know that there is baseball in the Torah: "In the big inning..."
It's an oldie but a goodie.
Oh brother, I started this, didn't I? I'm glad I hit you with the big inning. Schewas of Paris! LOL