Monday, November 8, 2010

Demotic

Demotic \dih-MOT-ik\ , adjective;
1. Of or pertaining to the common people; popular
2. Of or pertaining to the ordinary, everyday, current form of language; vernacular
3. Of, pertaining to, or noting the simplified form of hieratic writing used in ancient Egypt between 700 b.c. and a.d. 500

According to Etymonline.com:
The word dates to 1822 and comes from Greek demotikos ("of or for the common people, in common use") which derives from demos ("common people", originally "district"). Demos comes from Proto-Indo-European *da-mo- ("division"), from the base *da- ("to divide").


*Today's word and the first definition were both taken from Dictionary.com's 'Word of the Day' for Monday, November 8

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