Words are like people. They're alive. Every one is unique. Every one has its own spirit.
If words are like people, dictionaries are like the written roll-call and reading them summons their presence. I love reading dictionaries and getting better acquainted with words.
Given my love for words and dictionaries, I ask you to join me in this little indulgence as we spend some time being mindful of the word "spirit".
The Free Dictionary lists fourteen definitions of spirit at
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/spirit
1.
a. The vital principle or animating force within living beings.
b. Incorporeal consciousness.
2. The soul, considered as departing from the body of a person at death.
3. Spirit: The Holy Spirit.
4. A supernatural being, as:
a. An angel or a demon.
b. A being inhabiting or embodying a particular place, object, or natural phenomenon.
c. A fairy or sprite.
5.
a. The part of a human associated with the mind, will, and feelings: Though unable to join us today, they are with us in spirit.
b. The essential nature of a person or group.
6. A person as characterized by a stated quality: He is a proud spirit.
7.
a. An inclination or tendency of a specified kind: Her actions show a generous spirit.
b. A causative, activating, or essential principle: The couple's engagement was announced in a joyous spirit.
8. spirits A mood or an emotional state: The guests were in high spirits. His sour spirits put a damper on the gathering.
9. A particular mood or an emotional state characterized by vigor and animation: sang with spirit.
10. Strong loyalty or dedication: team spirit.
11. The predominant mood of an occasion or a period: "The spirit of 1776 is not dead" (Thomas Jefferson).
12. The actual though unstated sense or significance of something: the spirit of the law.
13. An alcohol solution of an essential or volatile substance. Often used in the plural with a singular verb.
14. spirits An alcoholic beverage, especially distilled liquor.
The Merriman-Webster on-line dictionary lists fourteen slightly different definitions here: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spirit
1: an animating or vital principle held to give life to physical organisms
2: a supernatural being or essence as
a : capitalized : Holy Spirit
b : soul 2a
c : an often malevolent being that is bodiless but can become visible; specifically :
ghost 2
d : a malevolent being that enters and possesses a human being
3: temper or disposition of mind or outlook especially when vigorous or animated
4: the immaterial intelligent or sentient part of a person
5 a : the activating or essential principle influencing a person
b : an inclination, impulse, or tendency of a specified kind : mood
6 a : a special attitude or frame of mind
b : the feeling, quality, or disposition characterizing something
7: a lively or brisk quality in a person or a person's actions
8: a person having a character or disposition of a specified nature
9: a mental disposition characterized by firmness or assertiveness
10 a : distillate 1: as (1) : the liquid containing ethanol and water that is distilled from an alcoholic liquid or mash —often used in plural (2) : any of various volatile liquids obtained by distillation or cracking (as of petroleum, shale, or wood) —often used in plural
b : a usually volatile organic solvent (as an alcohol, ester, or hydrocarbon)
11 a : prevailing tone or tendency
b : general intent or real meaning
12 : an alcoholic solution of a volatile substance
13 : enthusiastic loyalty
14 : capitalized Christian Science : God 1b
The on-line Oxford Dictionary lists five definitions here:
http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/spirit
1. the non-physical part of a person which is the seat of emotions and character; the soul:
- we seek a harmony between body and spirit
- the non-physical part of a person regarded as their true self and as capable of surviving physical death or separation:a year after he left, his spirit is still present
- the non-physical part of a person manifested as an apparition after their death; a ghost:
-a priest performed a rite of exorcism and the wandering spirit was ousted
- a supernatural being:
- shrines to nature spirits
- (Spirit) short for Holy Spirit.
2. [in singular] the prevailing or typical quality, mood, or attitude of a person, group, or period of time:
- I hope the team will build on this spirit of confidence the university is a symbol of the nation’s egalitarian spirit
- [with adjective] a person identified with their most prominent quality or with their role in a group or movement: he was a leading spirit in the conference
- (often spirits) a person’s mood or attitude: the warm weather lifted everyone’s spirits
- he confessed in a spirit of self-respect
- [mass noun] the quality of courage, energy, and determination:
his visitors admired his spirit and good temper
3. the real meaning or the intention behind something as opposed to its strict verbal interpretation:
- the rule had been broken in spirit if not in letter
4. (usually spirits) chiefly British strong distilled alcoholic drink such as brandy, whisky, gin, or rum.
-[mass noun, with modifier] a volatile liquid, especially a fuel, prepared by distillation: aviation spirit
- archaic a solution of volatile components extracted from something, typically by distillation or by solution in alcohol: spirits of turpentine
5. archaic a highly refined substance or fluid thought to govern vital phenomena.
If you're still with me, here are some initial observations about the definitions above:
1. In all of the definitions spirit is invisible to us, non-sensible.
2. The definitions about spirit being the animating energy or force apply to all living things visible and invisible to us and assume that beings can be categorized as either living or not.
3. The definitions about spirit being a mood or character trait acknowledge that spirit-as-animating-energy can have have differing qualities. Even words themselves can have spirit/character/meaning in addition to their alphabetic characters.
4. Several of the definitions spirit speak of spirits existing apart from physical bodies. Gods, goddesses, angels, demons, sprite, and fairies are examples of such beings. Some of these incorporeal spirits can inhabit persons, places or things.
5. Some of the definitions assume that there is a natural and a supernatural realm and assign spirits to the supernatural realm.
In my next post, I'll ask some questions about these definitions and share a working definition of spirit for this blog.
What I find fascinating in that a single word can come to have so many different definitions, including some that attempt to define human attributes and some that refer to essences wholly outside of the human realm. Now how did a single word come to take on both human and extra-human characteristics, I wonder?
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me that some of the difficulty in working with the notion of spirit lies in the very fact of these diverse definitions. One can never be sure in a conversation about “spirit” that two people are talking about precisely the same thing. Is it your notion to try and come up with a more universal understanding of spirit? Or perhaps of spirit within a predefined context? I wonder if the reason why there hasn’t been more scientific study of spirit lies in the fact of diverse definition. How does one formulate an hypothesis if one cannot settle on an agreed-upon, common definition of what is being tested?
You make some interesting observations regarding the word “spirit” in this blog. There are definitions quoted here that are quite corporeal indeed—all of those that in any way refer to alcoholic beverages and other volatile distillates. These are sensible, though they may make us nonsensical. As for the rest, I look forward to seeing how, or if, you fit these together as you expand your ideas about “spirit”.
Sara, yes, one of the things I want to do is raise readers' awareness of how many different meanings the word spirit has. Yes, I agree that unless we ask we can't know how another person is using the word. It's easy to assume, but unless we ask we don't know. I think you make a good point about multiple definitions being one possible barrier to scientific investigation. However, it's common practice for researchers to define terms for the purpose of their study. For the purposes of this blog I'm working with the definition of "that which animates". Thanks for reading and commenting!
DeleteYes, I've read your working definition, and am still considering my thoughts about this as a definition. I do hope to make some further comments on your definition. Thanks for an interesting and thought-provoking blog, Mark.
ReplyDelete