08 December 2009

The implications of being "born in a manger"


A very interesting video, expressing some thoughts that are not commonly heard.  Not discussed by this narrator is the possibility that the manger was also filled with water and used for the birthing itself, rather than just as a crib.

After viewing it, I began to wonder if there was any connection between "manger" and "mangy."

"Manger" is from ME/MF mangier from L mandiucare = "to chew, eat" (as explained in the video), while "mangy" is the adjectival form of "mange" (skin disease) from MF manjewe = "itch."

However manjewe is derived from mangier; I can't imagine how that happened - perhaps through alternate definitions of the words.

3 comments:

  1. Do you know why the baby Jesus was laid in a manger after he was born?

    They had HMO Nazareth.

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  2. I've always assumed that something mangy looked as if it had been chewed up, thus connecting it to "manger." But then I make lots of etymological connections and rarely do the research to verify them.

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  3. I really liked that piece! Thanks for posting it.

    Sometimes, I think people get way too worked up about religion - folks get wrapped around the axle regarding theology, whatever, when the point is really quite simple.

    Jesus loves us more than we can imagine. I know it's easy to make fun of Him, almost everyone does. But when you sit down and really read what He thought and said, it becomes hard to dismiss him. There is something captivating about his spirit - something that makes you feel welcomed in his presence. I realize that is not a fashionable thought but I think a lot of people feel that way.

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