A Lesson in Historical Linguistics

Over the centuries, some words change their meanings drastically, while others maintain the same meanings even 2000 years later. Case in point: the Latin word DUX, which under the Romans meant LEADER, and is the source for the English word DUKE. In the 8th century, it became the name for the leader of Venice, the first among the oligarchs, whose title in the dialect of the day was DOGE. 100 years ago, exactly the same title was given to the leader of Italy as a whole, updated in modern Italian to IL DUCE. (In German, which generally does not import words, the equivalent title was translated as FÜHRER.) It was thought that the political philosophies represented by those two titles were long dead and discredited, but alas, the recent revival of the term DOGE, with the meaning still unchanged, has proven that they are alive and well.

Glen Cram

I was born in London England in 1952, and become an immigrè to Canada when I was 8 years old. I grew up in Montreal during the tumultuous events of the 60s and 70s, studying anthropology, linguistics and art at McGill University, and imagining a life where I could pursue my creative interests full time. During this time I travelled extensively in Europe, Asia and the Middle East, reveling in the vast and varied history and art of such diverse cultures.
On graduating I went teaching native students in northern Quebec, where I met my lovely wife Roma. We moved to Toronto, where we had our two great kids, Sarah and Matthew, and I went to work designing websites for various media (Reuters, the Globe and Mail, MacLaren McCann) and financial organisations. Although I still dabbled in art, I had all but forgotten my dream of actually doing what I wanted for a living. Then I discovered the Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron, which showed me that I could in fact be both an artist and a success. I took courses in painting and sculpture, learning the classical techniques and applying them to my own interests and talents, until I felt confident enough to offer my services on a commission basis. I now run an Artist’s Way Meetup group, where I try to offer people in my situation the belief in themselves to follow their artistic heart and become who they really know themselves to be.

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February 6, 2025

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