Talk:trivial
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What are the grounds for putting the clause "and women stop to gossip" in the Etymology? As far as I can tell, trivial comes simply from trivium and refers to the basic, easy nature of the study of grammar, rhetoric, and logic, as opposed to the more sophisticated, more important subjects in the quadrivium: arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and music. Isokrates 18:44, 7 August 2006 (UTC)
- Since the reference to female gossip was introduced by Anon 213.208.107.91, it seemed reasonable to cut the questionable words from the Etymology till we get a justification for them. Isokrates 18:55, 7 August 2006 (UTC)
- Many moons ago when I took latin I looked into the etymology of trivia, since it is so clearly latin derived. Most accounts seem to agree that it is related to the choice of topic when conversing at a crossroads. Whether it is gossip for gossip's sake (crossroads were where people gathered and could trade gossip) or due to paranoid secrecy (crossroads were where people gathered so you never discussed anything of merit there) is lost. I only mention it because I think the most interesting part of etymology isn't what the root words were but rather why they evolved the way they did. Most etymology is guesswork, because few people ever record this information. I don't like the vaguely inflamatory reference to women gossiping (as though men didn't), but it seems like removing it entirely has eliminated something of value. --Speed8ump from 65.190.129.36 00:21, 2 December 2006 (UTC)
- I am not unconditionally against keeping the reference. I just think there should be some basis for keeping it, i.e. facts rather than whimsical speculation. Isokrates 21:43, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
- Many moons ago when I took latin I looked into the etymology of trivia, since it is so clearly latin derived. Most accounts seem to agree that it is related to the choice of topic when conversing at a crossroads. Whether it is gossip for gossip's sake (crossroads were where people gathered and could trade gossip) or due to paranoid secrecy (crossroads were where people gathered so you never discussed anything of merit there) is lost. I only mention it because I think the most interesting part of etymology isn't what the root words were but rather why they evolved the way they did. Most etymology is guesswork, because few people ever record this information. I don't like the vaguely inflamatory reference to women gossiping (as though men didn't), but it seems like removing it entirely has eliminated something of value. --Speed8ump from 65.190.129.36 00:21, 2 December 2006 (UTC)