 |
| Palermo: Fishing Net in Mondello by Dedda71 |
When one is writing a series about a secret espionage organization, one frequently finds oneself using modern words to describe this group. And then one must constantly check oneself and go, “Aw, man! That wasn’t around yet!”
One such word is network. Though historians will use the word network to describe the widespread Culper Ring, they certainly wouldn’t have used it themselves. It’s been a word since the 1500s, don’t get me wrong–a word that meant “net-like arrangement of thread or wires.” So you could have a network of string tangled around your feet. A network of rope with which to catch fish. And . . . yeah, that was pretty much it. 😉
By 1839, the word saw it’s first expansion and was applied to any inter-locking system. Like railways, canals, roads. From there the word traveled with us into the radio age and got applied to “a broadcasting system of multiple transmitters.” And then, finally, in 1947 that was taken a step further to a group of people who are connected.
Yeah, definitely not using that one in The Culper Series.
I hope everyone enjoys their first day of October! This signals the busiest month of my year . . . and of course, it’s the month I intend to finish Whispers from the Shadows, which will require another 40-50,000 words written. So feel free to say a prayer for me as I balance writing time with family fun every weekend.
Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary.
Your words of the week and how they've evolved are always interesting.
On a side note: I didn't even know they still fish in Mondello. We go there once in a while for a stroll along the beach. Maybe I'd need to get up earlier to see those fishermen…
Yay! Another "Word of the Week" by Roseanna White! It's the best kind!
I had to stick with "ring" and "organization." =) And THANKS!
Definitely praying as you write, Roseanna. What word ARE you using to describe it?