Word of the Day - 3/19/12 - saturnine

saturnine

/sat-er-nahyn/ IPA: /ˈsætərˌnɑɪn/

Adjective

1. slow, lethargic, melancholy (in manner)

2. dark, dull, gloomy (in appearance)

3. being of Saturn's influence (astrological)

4. containing lead; related to saturnia, Latin word for lead poisoning

Ptolemy's Geocentric model of the universe 

Origin: Entered English in 1433, from French saturnin. Originally derived from Latin saturninus, the adjectival form of Saturnus, in reference to the planetary body Saturn. The meanings of somebody who is slow moving 
or something that is gloomy and dismal come from the limited astronomical knowledge of the Ancient Greeks and Romans. At this time, the most prevalent astronomical theory was the geocentric model, which featured Earth at the center of the universe, and Saturn as the last known planet to be orbiting Earth. Since Saturn is the furthest planet from Earth visible to the naked eye and since it seemingly orbited Earth the slowest, it came to represent slow, sluggish movement and a dark, dreary appearance.

Roman aqueduct

Saturnine also came to mean something containing the element lead because of the effects of lead poisoning throughout the Roman Empire. Lead was used to create Roman aqueducts, which meant most people drinking water collected from this system were exposed to high quantities of lead on a daily basis. The result was many cases of lead poisoning, particularly gout, which caused the victims to move slowly and deliberately, hence the adaptation of saturnia.

Usage: "Doc Daneeka was a very neat, clean man whose idea of a good time was to sulk. He had a dark complexion and a small, wise, saturnine face with mournful pouches under both eyes." - Joseph Heller, Catch-22 (1961)

Quote of the Day: "The most common lie is that which one lies to himself; lying to others is relatively an exception." Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900)