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Don't ask me where I read this, but I have firmly lodged in my head the "information" that Elizabeth Barrett Browning coined the word iconoclast. That is, until I checked wiktionary to confirm, and I discover it long predates her. We got it from Byzantine Greek via French.
However, here I read that the first use of the word in the metaphorical sense of "one who attacks orthodox beliefs or institutions" (as opposed to the literal smashing of graven images) dates from 1842. This would fit neatly into EBB's lifespan. Was she the one who gave us what has since become the usual meaning of the word? -- Jack of Oz [pleasantries] 09:11, 13 January 2015 (UTC)
Language desk | ||
---|---|---|
< January 12 | << Dec | January | Feb >> | January 14 > |
Welcome to the Wikipedia Language Reference Desk Archives |
---|
The page you are currently viewing is an archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current reference desk pages. |
Don't ask me where I read this, but I have firmly lodged in my head the "information" that Elizabeth Barrett Browning coined the word iconoclast. That is, until I checked wiktionary to confirm, and I discover it long predates her. We got it from Byzantine Greek via French.
However, here I read that the first use of the word in the metaphorical sense of "one who attacks orthodox beliefs or institutions" (as opposed to the literal smashing of graven images) dates from 1842. This would fit neatly into EBB's lifespan. Was she the one who gave us what has since become the usual meaning of the word? -- Jack of Oz [pleasantries] 09:11, 13 January 2015 (UTC)