JustThinking.us

Xenophobia:

From the Greek words ξένος (xénos, foreign) + φόβος (phobos, fear) + -ia.

An exaggerated or abnormal fear of strangers or foreigners.

A strong antipathy or aversion to strangers or foreigners.

 

Oikophobia:

From the Greek words oikos meaning a “house,” “family,” “people,” or “nation” and phobos.

An abnormal fear of the home, or of a house.

Recently expanded to mean an extreme or irrational fear or dislike for one's own people, home, nation and culture.

The Wiffer, upon hearing about the clamor for a more uplifting posting, heartily agreed and sarcastically suggested the following for the new JustThinking.us logo.

I thought that was a bit harsh, but it did get me thinking.

From the free dictionary, the definition and etymology (origin) for the noun mortgage is as follows:

Mortgage - A temporary, conditional pledge of property to a creditor as security for performance of an obligation or repayment of a debt.

From Middle English - morgage, and from Old French : mort - dead,

from Vulgar Latin - mortus, from Latin - mortuus, past participle of mori - to die;

plus gage - pledge (of Germanic origin).

Word History: The great jurist Sir Edward Coke, who lived from 1552 to 1634, has explained why the term mortgage comes from the Old French words mort, "dead," and gage, "pledge."

It seemed to him that it had to do with the doubtfulness of whether or not the mortgagor will pay the debt.

If the mortgagor does not, then the land pledged to the mortgagee as security for the debt "is taken from him forever, and so dead to him upon condition.

And if he doth pay the money, then the pledge is dead as to the mortgagee. 

Also, from Merriam-Webster, among the definitions for the noun bond are the following:

Bond - something that binds or restrains : Fetter

A binding agreement : Covenant

A band or cord used to tie something.

One who acts as bail or surety. 

An interest-bearing certificate of public or private indebtedness.

The etymology for the word bond is shared with that for the noun Bondage, a synonym for Slavery.