Friday, January 11, 2013

Appetenda

Meaning: to be sought

Usefulness: 2 (The to be formation makes these words slightly difficult to use.  "It's Friday night, so cocktails are appetenda!" However, the sermon mentioned on Monday is now complete: that which is to be believed, done, fled from, feared, and sought. I think this could also be a useful way to plan your life - what are my credenda, facienda, fugienda, timenda and appetenda? There's a self-book in that, I'm sure.)

Logofascination: 1 (from petĕre, to seek, appetenda is word-cousins with appetite, centripetal, compete, repeat, petition, petulant, ... and so on.)

In the wild: No.

Degrees: 2

Connections: appetenda - appetite

Which is used in: Logopandecteision. As a special Friday treat, some of Sir Thomas' poetry. From the end of the Fourth Book, a poem for anyone with a mortgage.
The Scripture says that three things always crave,
The raging sea, the barren womb, and grave;
I dare not adde to Scripture, but I say,
That creditors do crave far worse then they.
When I have render'd by mortalitie
To the grave her due, she craves no more of me;
No strong desire can make me satisfy't,
Nor yawning womb command my appetite:
Besides there's pleasure here, in debt there's none,
And when once laid in grave all grief is gone.
No sea constrains you to entrust your frayl
Plank to the waves, or forceth to hoise sayl;
Or yet, suppose it could against your will,
There's hopes of calm, or of a harbour still;
There's storm on storm when creditors do crave,
And every interest a rolling wave.
O let me debtor be to th' other three,
Free me from Farcher, Fraser, Fendrasie!
Those last three were the creditors, obviously.  "I dare not adde to Scripture, but..." apparently he does. It's not the greatest of poetry, but I do like the line about the grave, and 'There's hopes of calm, or of a harbour still'. And the ease with which he brings Scripture and sex into a poem about debt; style points have to be awarded there, surely. 

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