From the Desk of Cheryl Hauer
I love words … big ones, little ones, long ones, short ones, verbs and adverbs, nouns and adjectives, I love them all. This morning, I was playing with a seasonal word: merry, and it seems that merry is a bit controversial. Some say that the word is of Old English origin and means exactly what we think it does: happy, joyful, pleasant, etc. But it turns out that there is another layer of meaning to the word that comes from an Anglo-Saxon heritage and predates its appearance in Old English literature. Another case of the evolution of language.
The word merry originally meant mighty, great, or valiant. Merry soldiers were not men in uniform out having a good time, they were fierce fighters who were strong and courageous. At a different point in history, for instance, David’s mighty warriors might have been known as his merry men. And a merry wind did not refer to a laughing breeze skipping joyfully through the trees. It was a gale, a strong and powerful squall.
So, since both meanings are correct, perhaps we should re-examine how we are using the word. I know it is really common during this season to say, “Have a merry Christmas and a happy New Year.” But maybe we should be saying, “Have a happy Christmas, a holiday filled with gaiety and joy at the birth of the Savior of the world; and a merry New Year, a life of power, might, and the courage to face the gales of life in His strength.” Just a thought.
Blessings and Shalom,
Issachar Community