Carl Sagan: "The truth may be puzzling. It may take some work to grapple with. It may be counterintuitive. It may contradict deeply held prejudices. It may not be consonant with what we desperately want to be true. But our preferences do not determine what's true."
I read this quote and 'consonant' jumped out at me.
I puzzled over it: 'consonant'. Did they mean 'consistant'? Consonant is a letter which is not a vowel, right? At least that's always how I understood it.
Carl Sagan is smart though, and I am smart enough to realize that there are a lot of things in this world that I do not know, and so off I went on a google search.
The third definition of consonant reads: 'in agreement or harmony with'.
Huh.
PS: You're welcome.
I wonder if there's a relationship between that meaning of "consonant" and the definition involving letters. Are they called "consonants" because they "agree or are in harmony with" the vowels, and each other?
ReplyDeleteNow, Steve, that is interesting to think on.
DeleteThank you and he's so right. My preferences definitely don't change the truth. The truth is the truth and I have to figure out a way, we all have to figure out a way to deal with it. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteThank you! News to me.
ReplyDeleteIt's a nice word. I like it in that sense. I'm gonna try to use it soon.
ReplyDeleteAn interesting quote.
ReplyDeleteLanguage is fascinating too
and now I need to go and satisfy my curiosity about the second definition. :D
ReplyDeleteOoh - its the second one we already know - the first one is interesting!
ReplyDeleteI come across words like that at times and invariably after checking the usage is correct.
ReplyDeleteI just had to know what the word meant in the context it was used.
ReplyDeleteYou learn something new every day. Thank you. Now if I just didn't forget so much things would be much better.
ReplyDelete*sigh* Welcome to my world, Red.
ReplyDeleteSomehow, I knew this or at least more or less had it right.
ReplyDelete