Julius Caesar
Declaration of Independence
Penney, Penny, Pence and Pennies
Football/Soccer
“America”
“American English”
“Noh”
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
Irregular Pronunciations
St.Augustine

Julius Caesar
06/07/01

        The calendar now being used in English-speaking countries is commonly called the Gregorian calendar, since it was promulgated by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582.  This new calendar eventually replaced the older calendar, known as the Julian calendar since it was instituted by Julius Caesar in 45 B.C.  In the ancient Roman calendar, the names of months were originally related to numbers, but the name of the seventh month was changed to honor Julius Caesar, who was born in that month and “July” is the name of the seventh month in the Gregorian calendar also.  “Caesar,” a Latin word meaning “hairy one” was the family name of Julius, who became a dictatorial military and political leader of Rome.  Although this word was used as the title of the emperor for subsequent Roman rulers, was transliterated into “kaiser” in German and “czar” in Russian, and may be used to signify an autocrat or dictator in English today, Julius Caesar himself never officially became an “emperor.”  His grandnephew, Caesar Augustus, became the first emperor of Rome and the name of the eighth month was changed to “August” in his honor.  When the name of the seventh month was changed to July, another day was added to that month, which now has 31 days also.  According to the 2nd chapter of the Gospel according to Luke, it was a result of a decree of Caesar Augustus that Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem and later, when asked whether the Jews should pay taxes to Caesar, Jesus noted that the coins his questioners were using bore Caesar’s portrait and instructed them to “give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s” (20:25).  (979)

Declaration of Independence
06/07/04

Declaration of Independence Political independence was not the aim of the original colonists from Great Britain who crossed the ocean to experience a new kind of life in a “new world.” It was after unjustified taxes were unilaterally imposed on them that they began to rebel and seek independence and on July 4, 1776 the Declaration of Independence was approved by representatives of the 12 colonies. That Declaration begins with these meaningful words: “When in the Course of human Events, it becomes necessary for one People to dissolve the Political Bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the Powers of the Earth, the separate and equal Station to which the Laws of Nature and Nature’s God entitle them, a decent Respect to the Opinions of Mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the Separation. We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness—That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed, that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute new Government . . .” At the heart of this document is the declaration that each person has certain unalienable rights and that governments derive their powers from the consent of the governed. In an age when kings were thought to rule by divine right, this was truly a revolutionary philosophy. (980)

Penney, Penny, Pence and Pennies
06/07/08

My wife and I are now living in the Penney Retirement Community in Penney Farms, Florida. Many people misspell the name “Penney” because they think of a coin rather than the philanthropist, J. C. Penney, who founded the community and whose name is also on many major department stores around the country. In British English, the plural of penny is “pence” and in the old British currency, a “shilling” was divided into 12 pence, but in the present system, 100 pence equals a British “pound.” In the United States of America, the basic unit is the dollar, which is made up of 100 cents or pennies. A recent news article reported that it now costs more than one cent to produce a penny. The monetary value of a penny is so low that many people simply throw them away, but others consider this small copper coin with the profile of Abraham Lincoln an important historic symbol. Since the coin has such little value and costs so much to produce, some citizens think it should be eliminated, but a group named Americans for Common Cents reflects the results of a poll that indicated that two-thirds of Americans want to keep the penny coin. Over the past decades, various metals have been used to produce pennies, including copper, bronze and zinc. In 1943, when copper was desperately needed for the World War II effort, even steel was used. In chapter 20 of the Gospel According to Matthew, Jesus told a story about the wages a landowner paid his workers for a day’s work. In that story, a Greek coin, a denarius, was translated as “ penny” in the classical English version of the Bible (commonly called the “ King James Version”). (981)

Football/Soccer
06/07/11

Many different kinds of balls are used in a variety of sports: baseballs, basketballs, volleyballs, footballs, tennis balls, golf balls, etc. In my American English dictionary, “football” has three definitions. The first describes what is commonly called “American football,” played with an oval-shaped ball with two pointed ends. The second is “rugby football,” which originated in Rugby, England and is played with a similar-shaped ball. The third is “soccer,” played with a round ball, which is usually kicked or maneuvered with the feet or the head. This word was derived from a shortened and altered form of “association football.” Soccer has not been a very popular sport in the United States of America and it was while I was in Japan that I found out that, outside the U. S. A., “football” usually means “soccer.” American interest in soccer has increased, however, during the recent, popular World Cup tournament in Germany. This tournament has been held every four years since 1930; winning the “World Cup” has become one of the most aggressively pursued prizes in sports. This trophy has been won by only seven countries, all of which are located in Europe or South America. This year, millions of viewers around the world saw Italy beat France in an overtime period. Since our 8-year-old grandson, who is now living with us, is an avid soccer player and fan, we also have been watching games on television, both in Japan and at home. In I Corinthians 9:24-25, it is written:“in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize. Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.” (982)

“America”
06/07/14

Readers of these “Timely Words” messages have probably noticed that when I refer to the country in which I was born and raised and of which I continue to be a fairly loyal citizen, I use the more formal, longer name, “United States of America.” The reason is to avoid the arrogant implication that the term “America” signifies only “my country,” one of over 20 countries in North, Central and South America and, consequently, that “American” denotes something or someone related to that particular country. According to the English language dictionary I usually use (The American Heritage Dictionary, published in 1982), “American” may relate to: 1) the U. S. A., 2) North or South America (the Western Hemisphere), or 3) the Indians inhabiting America. “ Indians,” the name that has been used for centuries for Native Americans, is rooted in the mistaken assumption of Christopher Columbus, in 1492, that he had reached the Indies of Asia, his anticipated goal, when he docked his ship on an island in the Caribbean Sea. Some years later, the name “America” was applied to these newly discovered continents by a German mapmaker and geographer after reading the accounts of another Italian navigator, Amerigo Vespucci, who had arrived in this land after Columbus and called it Mundus Novus--the “New World. ” “America” was also used to mean the British colonies in North America, but the Declaration of Independence, written in 1787, was approved by “the representatives of the United States of America.” Having lived for many years outside of my homeland, I see events from a different perspective than many of my peers. (983)

“American English”
06/07/18

English was the native language of most of the colonists who came from the “ old world” in Europe to the “new world” in the Western Hemisphere. However, as these English-speaking colonists came into contact with people who spoke Dutch, French, Spanish, or Native American languages, their pronunciation, grammar and meanings of words were sometimes affected, so certain differences developed between the traditional English of their homeland and of the new world. New words were introduced and some old words that had become obsolete in England continued to be used. Samuel Johnson, the English author and lexicographer who published his Dictionary of the English Language in 1756, used the term “ American dialect” as an insult, but in 1789, the American author and lexicographer, Noah Webster, wrote: “The reasons for American English being different than English English are simple: As an independent nation, our honor requires us to have a system of our own, in language as well as government.” Of course, in the “new world” also, over the years, dialectical differences developed related to geographic areas (northeast, south or west) and we may often recognize from what area a person comes by listening to the pronunciation and colloquial expressions he/she uses. At the present time, English has become a kind of international language, but there are not only differences between British English and American English. There are differences between Canadian and Australian and American English as well. We must recognize, however, that true communication does not depend on language alone. We are communicating by our attitudes and actions, which sometimes “speak louder than words.” (984)

“Noh”
06/07/21

In English, “no,” the opposite of “yes,” signifies refusal, denial or disagreement. In Japanese, it may be a simple particle that serves as a kind of preposition and in my Japanese-English dictionary, there are 11 different definitions of this term. When the vowel is elongated, there are ten different Chinese characters in my Japanese dictionary it may represent, one of whose basic meaning is “ability” or “talent”. This is also the character used for a classical Japanese drama, including music and dancing, performed in a highly stylized manner by elaborately dressed actors on an almost bare stage. All the actors are male, but those taking the parts of females hide their own faces behind wooden masks, as does the main character of the drama. Instrumental music is provided by three drums and a flute. There is also a chorus, which frequently sings lines appropriate for the main character while he dances or mimes the actions. Noh dramas move very slowly, are virtually plotless and tragic in mood. A script of a few hundred lines may be stretched into an hour-long stage play. It is common for an actor to speak lines that seem meant for another actor or to finish up another actor’s speech; and an actor may speak of himself in the third person. The effect of these devices is to objectify and universalize what otherwise is a highly emotional and personalized experience. Noh dramas have been performed since the 14th century. My wife and I have attended a few performances but understood very little. When viewing such dramas (as when reading the Bible), the situation at the time of the writing, the nature of the writing and the aim of the writer must be considered in order to understand the meaning. (985)

Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
06/07/24

A nation or state governed by the people may be called a “commonwealth.” A group of states related to Great Britain has been called the Commonwealth of Nations, but there are some “commonwealths” within the United States of America also. It is the official title of the states of Kentucky, Virginia, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. Puerto Rico, one of the islands between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, is also a commonwealth on U. S. A. territory. July 25th is a national holiday in that “rich port,” celebrating its founding as a commonwealth and its adoption of a new constitution on July 25, 1952. The island had been ceded to the U. S. A. by Spain in 1898, following the Spanish-American War, but according to its present constitution, Puerto Rico is a self-governing commonwealth voluntarily associated with the United States. Puerto Ricans have U. S. citizenship, but are exempt from federal taxes and do not take part in U. S. presidential elections. They have the same three branches of government (executive, legislative and judicial) as the national government and also elect a resident commissioner who is sent, with a voice but no vote, to the U. S. Congress in Washington. This unique arrangement between Puerto Rico and the U. S. A. is permanent as long as it is agreeable to both parties. It can be changed by mutual consent and there continue to be different views among Puerto Ricans regarding whether the present status should be continued, whether they should become the 51st state or whether they should become independent. Like all moral and political problems, both positive and negative factors must be considered to reach a wise decision for the benefit of all. (986)

Irregular Pronunciations
06/07/28

Every language has its own, peculiar pronunciations of its written script, but English seems to be particularly peculiar in this area. I remember years ago being told that “fish” could be spelled g-h-o-t-i by using the pronunciations of those letters in the following words: “rough,” “women” and “nation.” Recently, while teaching a class about the Biblical understanding of “love,” I explained that, in Japanese, “love” is pronounced “ai.” Then, I noted the various words in English that have the same pronunciation but different spellings and meanings. The first word that came to mind was the pronoun denoting the speaker, which is composed of only one letter—a capital I. Many people tend to use this word too much as they speak about themselves and their accomplishments. A second word, spelled e-y-e, signifies the organ of vision. This is an amazing part of the body which naturally adjusts itself in relation to distance, brightness and color. How different our lives become if our eyes do not function properly. A third word, spelled a-y-e, denotes an affirmative vote. Political parties in the House of Representatives or Senate are always hoping to get a majority of the ayes to pass certain legislative proposals. Finally, I also noted how the same pronunciation is found at the beginning of the following two words that end in s-l-e. An “aisle” is a passageway between rows of seats in a church or auditorium and an “isle” is simply another word for “island,” particularly a small one. It is very strange that the same pronunciation can be indicated by such different letters. In Japanese, on the other hand, there are many different pronunciations of the same Chinese character. (987)

St.Augustine
06/07/31

     The oldest continually occupied European settlement in North America is the city of St. Augustine, located on the east coast of the state of Florida, less than an hour’s drive from our community.  My wife and I have visited that city a number of times for various reasons and recently, we took our grandson, granddaughter and daughter-in-law who have been visiting us from Japan to that city. The city is named after a famous person in the history of the Christian Church whose  influence continues to be recognized in both Protestant and Roman Catholic churches even today.  Augustine was born in the year 354 in what is now the north African country of Algeria.  His mother was a Christian, but as a young adult he rejected the moral and doctrinal teaching of the church until he was influenced by the character and writings of Ambrose, the bishop of Rome, and made his decision to become a Christian.  In his Confessions, his most famous writing, he describes the dissolute life he lived before and the great change that took place as a result of his conversion.  Later, Augustine became a priest and a bishop and influenced the people of his day and later with his writings, which included more than one hundred books.  He lived a monastic life and from his writings evolved rules that continue to be followed by many monks and nuns today.  In his writings, including the famous The City of God,which presented a Christian view of history, he refuted many heresies that threatened the church and many theologians consider him the founder of theology.  He emphasized charity, or love, as the foundation for perfection and taught that people having true love could do as they willed.  (988)