Just for the record, I really hated to post something new today and push my lovely book trailer down the page. 😉 But alas, it is Monday, so time to educate! Today we’re delving into the world of science.
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| Lavoisier, considered the father of modern chemistry |
Though I don’t recall when, I semi-recently tried to use the word catalyst in my 1814-set Whispers from the Shadows, in the way we today often use it–figuratively, meaning something to cause a change. But my wordy-sense (sorry, watching Ultimate Spider-Man even now, and he keep gets a tingle, LOL) had me looking it up, and sure enough…
Catalyst is of course a chemistry word, which I knew. But I hadn’t recalled that it wasn’t used to mean a “substance which speeds a chemical reaction but itself remains unchanged” until 1902. So I certainly didn’t realize that the figurative sense didn’t come about until 1943.
What I really didn’t know was that it came from another, similar word, catalysis. This formation had the same meaning as catalyst since 1836, and before that meant “dissolution.”
Either way, not working in my book, LOL.
Hope everyone has a good week! My plans are to wrap up my main research for the third Culper book this week, and start writing next week–yay! =)
And in case you haven’t swung by lately, you may have missed my announcement that Ring of Secrets is available from ChristianBook.com! Click Here
And of course, don’t miss the aforementioned, totally giddyifing (sure, that’s a word) book trailer I got on Thursday!
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.
Never know, Joanne, there may be a direct Hebrew translation! LOL
Sure, giddyifing is a word – but can I use it in my biblical fiction? 😉
Interesting stuff for this word geek 🙂 Thanks!