posted March 12, 2008 10:28 AM              

saturnine: "gloomy, morose, sluggish, grave," 1433, lit. "born under the influence of the planet Saturn," from M.E. Saturne (see Saturn). Medieval physiology believed these characteristics to be caused by the astrological influence of the planet Saturn, which was the most remote from the Sun (in the limited knowledge of the times) and thus coldest and slowest in its revolution.

martial: c.1374, from L. martialis "of Mars or war," from Mars (gen. Martis), Roman god of war. Martial law first recorded 1533. Martial arts, 1933, translates Japanese bujutsu.

consider: 1375, from O.Fr. considerer, from L. considerare "to look at closely, observe," lit. "to observe the stars," from com- "with" + sidus (gen. sideris) "constellation." Perhaps a metaphor from navigation, but more likely reflecting Roman obsession with divination by astrology. Tucker doubts the connection with sidus, however, since it is "quite inapplicable to desiderare," and suggests derivation instead from the root of Eng. side meaning "stretch, extend," and a sense for the full word of "survey on all sides" or "dwell long upon." Considerable "pretty large" is from 1651; considerate "thoughtful of others" is from 1700.

disaster: 1580, from M.Fr. desastre (1564), from It. disastro "ill-starred," from dis- "away, without" + astro "star, planet," from L. astrum, from Gk. astron. The sense is astrological, of a calamity blamed on an unfavorable position of a planet.

jovial: 1590, from Fr., from It. joviale, lit. "pertaining to Jupiter," from L. Jovialis "of Jupiter," from Jovius (used as gen. of Juppiter) "Jupiter," Roman god of the sky. The meaning "good-humored, merry," is from astrological belief that those born under the sign of the planet Jupiter are of such dispositions. In classical L., the compound Juppiter replaced Old L. Jovis as the god's name. Jovian, in ref. to the planet Jupiter, is from 1794.

influenza: 1743, borrowed during an outbreak of the disease in Europe, from It. influenza "influenza, epidemic," originally "visitation, influence (of the stars)," from M.L. influentia (see influence). Used in It. for diseases since at least 1504 (cf. influenza di febbre scarlattina "scarlet fever") on notion of astral or occult influence. The 1743 outbreak began in Italy. Often applied since mid-19c. to severe colds.

aspect: c.1386, an astronomical term, "relative position of the planets as they appear," from L. aspectus "seeing, looking, appearance," pp. of aspicere "to look at," from ad- "to" + specare "to look." Meaning "the look one wears, the appearance of things" arose 1590s.

mercurial: 1390, "pertaining to the planet Mercury" (see Mercury). Meaning "sprightly, volatile, quick" (1593) is from supposed qualities of those born under the planet Mercury, probably partially by association with quicksilver.

juncture: 1382, "place where two things are joined," from L. junctura "a joining, uniting, a joint," from junctus, pp. of jungere "to join" (see jugular). Sense of "point in time" first recorded 1656, probably from astrology.

equation: c.1400, from L. æquatus, pp. of æquare "make even or uniform, make equal," from æquus "level, even, equal." Earliest use in Eng. was of astrological calculation, then "to make equal;" meaning "to regard as equal" is early 19c. Equation is c.1386 in astrology; the mathematical sense is from 1570.

reception: 1390, in astrology, "effect of two planets on each other;" sense of "act of receiving" is recorded from c.1489, from L. receptionem (nom. receptio) "a receiving," from receptus, pp. of recipere (see receive). Sense of "ceremonial gathering" is 1882, from French. Receptionist "person hired to receive clients in an office" is recorded from 1901.

posted March 12, 2008 10:58 AM            

St Martial is the patron saint of Limoges.