A to Z Challenge 2015: A - A Song of Ice and Fire/A Game of Thrones

Happy April 1st, all you amazing A to Z Challangers! Today is the official beginning of the 2015 April A to Z Blogging Challenge, so welcome, welcome one and all!

As I revealed in my theme reveal, I'm switching it up a bit from the themes I have used in the past, and just focusing on great stories.

I like to focus more on visiting new blogs and meeting new bloggers than I do on my own posts, so I'll be keeping mine short and sweet, and just sharing a few details about some of my favorite stories that correspond with the letter of the day. So here we are, today's 2015 April A to Z Blogging Challenge story for the letter A:

A Song of Ice and Fire/A Game of Thrones

Technically, the name of the whole series is A Song of Ice and Fire. A Game of Thrones is the name of the first volume in the series, but Game of Thrones is also the title of the TV adaptation, so I've included it in the title of this post to avoid any confusion.

I love this story, obviously, but these challenge posts are the place to really go off about why, so I'll just include the plot synopsis from Wikipedia:

The story of A Song of Ice and Fire takes place in a fictional world in which seasons last for years on end. Centuries before the events of the first novel (see backstory), the Seven Kingdoms on the continent Westeros had been united under the Targaryen dynasty. As A Game of Thrones begins, it has been 15 years since the feudal lords led by Robert Baratheon killed the last Targaryen ruler and made Robert king.

The principal story chronicles a power struggle for the Iron Throne of Westeros after King Robert's death in A Game of Thrones. Robert's son Joffrey immediately claims the throne with the support of his mother's family, House Lannister. When Lord Eddard Stark, King Robert's "Hand" (chief advisor) discovers that Joffrey and his siblings are the offspring of incest by siblings Jaime and Cersei Lannister, Eddard is executed for treason and Robert's brothers Stannis and Renly lay separate claims to the throne. Several regions of Westeros attempt self-rule: Eddard Stark's eldest son Robb is proclaimed King in the North, while Balon Greyjoy re-establishes an independent Kingdom in his region, the Iron Islands. This so-called 'War of the Five Kings' is in full progress by the middle of the second book, A Clash of Kings.

The second story takes place on the northern border of Westeros, where an eight-thousand-year-old wall of ice defends Westeros from the Others. The Wall's sentinels, the Sworn Brotherhood of the Night's Watch protect the realm of Westeros (land of the seven kingdoms), whereas the "Free Folk" or "wildlings" are humans living north of the Wall. The Night's Watch story is told primarily through Jon Snow, who is introduced as the bastard son of Eddard Stark,[5] and who joins the Watch, rising quickly through the ranks. In the third volume, A Storm of Swords, this story becomes entangled with the civil war.

The third story is set on an eastern continent named Essos, and follows Daenerys Targaryen, isolated from the others until A Dance with Dragons. On Essos, Daenerys rises from a pauper sold into marriage, to a powerful and intelligent ruler. Her rise is aided by the birth of three dragons from eggs given to her as wedding gifts: used initially as symbols, and later as weapons.

Author: George R.R. Martin

And for the TV Show, here is the summary from IMDB:

Several noble families fight for control of the mythical land of Westeros.

Creators: David Benioff, D.B. Weiss
Stars: Lena Headey, Peter Dinklage, Emilia Clarke

That's it! Hopefully the rest of these won't be so long. Be sure to visit my A to Z Challenge 2015 Assistants: Sylvie from Life from An Optimist's Point of View, and Carrie-Anne Brownian/Ursula Hartlein from Welcome to My Magick Theatre, and then I'm off to visit all the blogs!

A to Z Challenge 2013: Z - Zephyr

Zephyr

zeph·yr [zefər] n. 1. A gentle, mild breeze. 2. (often capitalized) Literary. The west wind.

Synonyms: breeze, gentle wind, air

Etymology: mid-14c., from Old English Zefferus, from Latin Zephyrus, from Greek Zephyros "the west wind" (sometimes personified as a god), probably related to zophos "the west, the dark region, darkness, gloom." Sense of "mild breeze" is c.1600.

And with that, the challenge has ended. May your pride at surviving such a feat blow you like a gentle breeze through the rest of the months of the year (pun not intended, but hilarious).

There are a few bloggers, in particular, I would to thank for the incredible efforts they pour into this labor of love.

Arlee Bird. Founding father, fearless leader, intrepid blogger. Lee dreamed up the April A to Z challenge, and it is to him and him alone that all of us owe our deepest gratitude. I would probably know hundreds, if not thousands, less bloggers than I know today if it were not for Lee.

Alex J. Cavanaugh. Ninja. Captain (Pirate?). Friend. Alex is the master of the linky list, and I'm pretty sure he does about 4 times as much work as any other co-host. He is the grease that keeps the challenge running.

Jeremy [Retro-Zombie]. Designer. Entrepreneur. Editor. I probably owe Jeremy more than anyone, personally. Jeremy designs all the graphics for the challenge, and while it might have been my little idea to use an original graphic for each letter, it was Jeremy who did all the work to make them (and who therefore owns the copyright). It was due solely to his efforts that my posts looked so good (assuming you thought they'd looked good, if you didn't then Jeremy's to blame).

A to Z Challenge 2013: Y - Yeoman

Yeoman

yeo·man [yōmən] n. 1. An attendant, servant, or lesser official in a royal or noble household. 2. A petty officer or noncommissioned officer in the Royal Navy or Marines in charge of signals. 3. A farmer who cultivates his own land, especially a member of a former class of small freeholders in England.

Synonyms: beefeater, yeoman of the guard

Etymology: c.1300, "attendant in a noble household," of unknown origin, perhaps a contraction of Old English iunge man "young man," or from an unrecorded Old English *geaman, equivalent of Old Frisian gaman "villager," from Old English -gea "district, village," cognate with Old Frisian ga, ge, from Proto-Germanic *gaujan.

Sense of "commoner who cultivates his land" is recorded from early 15c.; also the third order of fighting men (late 14c., below knights and squires, above knaves), hence yeomen's service "good, efficient service" (c.1600). Meaning "naval petty officer in charge of supplies" is first attested 1660s. Yeowoman first recorded 1852: "Then I am yeo-woman O the clumsy word!" [Tennyson, "The Foresters"]

How does one word end up with so many distinct meanings? Strange, eh?

Well we've only one more day left now. Just keep swimming.

A to Z Challenge 2013: X - Xanthous

Xanthous

xan·thous [zænθəs] adj. Of the color intermediate between green and orange in the color spectrum; of something resembling the color of an egg yolk.

Synonyms: yellow, yellowish

Etymology: 1829, from Greek xanthos "yellow," of unknown origin. Prefix form xantho- is used in many scientific words; cf. xanthein (1857) "soluble yellow coloring matter in flowers," Huxley's Xanthochroi (1867) "blond, light-skinned races of Europe" (with okhros "pale"), xanthophyll (1838) "yellow coloring matter in autumn leaves."

Man, there are seriously very few words that start with X that have interesting etymologies. Enjoy your day off!

A to Z Challenge 2013: W - Widdershins

Widdershins

wid·der·shins [widərˌSHinz] adv. In a direction contrary to the sun's course, considered as unlucky; counterclockwise.

Synonyms: counterclockwise

Etymology: 1510s, chiefly Scottish, originally "contrary to the course of the sun or a clock" (movement in this direction considered unlucky), probably from Middle Low German weddersinnes, literally "against the way" (i.e. "in the opposite direction"), from widersinnen "to go against," from wider "against" (see with) + sinnen "to travel, go," from Old High German sinnen, related to sind "journey" (see send).

And with that, have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

A to Z Challenge 2013: V - Vicarious

Vicarious

vi·car·i·ous [vīˈkerēəs] adj. Felt or undergone as if one were taking part in the experience or feelings of another.

Synonyms: substitute, surrogate, empathetic

Etymology: 1630s, from Latin vicarius "substitute, deputy" (adj. and n.), from vicis "turn, change, exchange, substitution," from PIE root *weik-, *weig- "to bend, wind" (cf. Sanskrit visti "changing, changeable;" Old English wician "to give way, yield," wice "wych elm;" Old Norse vikja "to bend, turn;" Swedish viker "willow twig, wand;" German wechsel "change"). Related: Vicariously.

I believe the root, which is even earlier, is Vicar: c.1300, from Old French vicaire, from Latin vicarius "substitute, deputy," noun use of adj. vicarius "substituting," from vicis "change, turn, office" (see vicarious). The original notion is of "earthly representative of God or Christ;" but also used in sense of "person acting as parish priest in place of a real parson" (early 14c.).

Words are so cool. We're nearing the end now. How is everyone faring?

A to Z Challenge 2013: U - Undulation

Undulation

un·du·la·tion [ʌndjuˈleɪʃn] n. 1. A regular rising and falling or movement to alternating sides; movement in waves. 2. A wavelike form, outline, or appearance.

Synonyms: wave

Etymology: 1640s, from Medieval Latin *undulatio, from Late Latin undulatus "wavy, undulated," from undula "wavelet," diminutive of Latin unda "wave" (see water).

I really wanted to do undulate, because verbs are just cooler than nouns, but the etymology for undulate was: see undulation. Boring.

A to Z Challenge 2013: T - Tacit

Tacit

tac·it [tasit] adj. Implied or inferred without direct expression; understood.

Synonyms: implied, understood, inferred, unspoken

Etymology: c.1600, from French tacite, from Latin tacitus "that is passed over in silence, done without words, assumed, silent," prop. past participle of tacere "to be silent," from PIE root *tak- "to be silent" (cf. Gothic þahan, Old Norse þegja "to be silent," Old Norse þagna "to grow dumb," Old Saxon thagian, Old High German dagen "to be silent"). The musical instruction tacet is the 3rd person present singular of the Latin verb.

You gotta love a word with such diverse origins.

NOTE: The time has come to begin considering the A to Z Challenge Reflections Post (we're nearing the end, people)!

We will be doing a reflections post again this year and invite all participants of the Challenge to join us.

• What did you enjoy about the Challenge?
• What could we do better next year?
• What issues did you encounter? (Word verification, unable to comment, long posts, etc.)
• Did you encounter many non-participants? (With help from our minions, we tried really hard to clean the list this year.)
• Theme or no theme – what seemed to work better? Did you find any great themes?
• Did you have fun and will you participate again next year?

Your Reflections can be posted anytime from May 3 through May 10. The Linky List will go live May 3 and we ask you to add the link to your post, not your website, once you have posted. The Challenge hosts read every one so we know where to improve for next year.

A to Z Challenge 2013: S - Sibilant

Sibilant

sib·i·lant [ˈsibələnt] adj. Of, characterized by, or producing a hissing sound like that of (s) or (sh).

Synonyms: hissing

Etymology: 1660s, from Latin sibilantem (nominative sibilans), present participle of sibilare "to hiss, whistle," possibly of imitative origin (cf. Greek sizein "to hiss," Lettish sikt "to hiss," Old Church Slavonic svistati "to hiss, whistle"). The noun meaning "speech sound having a hissing effect" is from 1788.

A to Z Challenge 2013: R - Revise

Revise

re·vise [riˈvīz] v. 1. To prepare a newly edited version of (a text). 2. To reconsider and change or modify: I have revised my opinion of him.

Synonyms: change, review, modify, reconsider, re-examine

Etymology: 1560s, "to look at again," from Middle French reviser, from Latin revisere "look at again, visit again," frequentative of revidere (past participle revisus), from re- "again" (see re-) + videre "to see" (see vision). Meaning "to look over again with intent to improve or amend" is recorded from 1590s. Related: Revised; revising. The Revised Version of the Bible was done 1870-84; so called because it was a revision of the 1611 ("King James") translation, also known as the Authorized Version.

Highly appropriate for us writers, and very timely for myself, in fact.

A to Z Challenge 2013: Q - Quagmire

Quagmire

quag·mire [kwagˌmī(ə)r] n. 1. Land with a soft muddy surface. 2. A difficult or precarious situation; a predicament.

Synonyms: 1. mire, morass, quag, slack 2. predicament, difficulty, quandary

Etymology: 1570s, from obsolete quag "bog, marsh" + mire (n.). Extended sense of "difficult situation, inextricable position" is recorded by 1766.

Sorry this is so late today. It's been a crazy week.

A to Z Challenge 2013: P - Penultimate

Penultimate

pe·nul·ti·mate [peˈnəltəmit] adj. Last but one in a series of things; second last: "the penultimate chapter of the book."

Synonyms: next-to-last (more a phrase-as-word, but hey, whatever)

Etymology: 1670s, from penultima (n.) on model of proximate.

Well that's boring, let's look at Penultima: 1580s, from Latin penultima (syllaba), "the next to the last syllable of a word or verse," from fem. of Latin adjective penultimus "next-to-last," from paene "almost" + ultimus "final" (see ultimate).

There we go. My understanding of this word was not quite right until today.

A to Z Challenge 2013: O - Occult

Occult

oc·cult [əˈkəlt] n. Occult practices or techniques: a student of the occult. v. To conceal or cause to disappear from view. adj. Of, relating to, or dealing with supernatural influences, agencies, or phenomena.

Synonyms: n: supernatural, v: eclipse, adj: mystic, orphic, mysterious, mystical, secret

Etymology: adj: 1530s, "secret, not divulged," from Middle French occulte and directly from Latin occultus "hidden, concealed, secret," past participle of occulere "cover over, conceal," from ob "over" (see ob-) + a verb related to celare "to hide," from PIE root *kel- "to hide" (see cell). Meaning "not apprehended by the mind, beyond the range of understanding" is from 1540s. The association with the supernatural sciences (magic, alchemy, astrology, etc.) dates from 1630s.

Isn't that one interesting? To be perfectly honest, I had no idea it could also be a verb.

We're over half way done now, and today is my day to post at the A to Z blog again. Please stop by and say hi!

On a more serious note, I'm posting at The Kindness Project as well today, reacting, in the only way I know how, to the tragedy that occurred in Boston on Monday. Don't feel obligated to read it, but if you have time, it might lift your spirits a little.

A to Z Challenge 2013: N - Necromancy

Necromancy

nec·ro·man·cy [nekrəˌmansē] n. The practice of supposedly communicating with the spirits of the dead in order to predict the future.

Synonyms: none

Etymology: c.1300, nygromauncy, "divination by communication with the dead," from Old French nigromancie "magic, necromancy, witchcraft, sorcery," from Medieval Latin nigromantia (13c.), from Latin necromantia "divination from an exhumed corpse," from Greek nekromanteia, from nekros "dead body" (see necro-) + manteia "divination, oracle," from manteuesthai "to prophesy," from mantis "prophet" (see mania). Spelling influenced in Medieval Latin by niger "black," on notion of "black arts." Modern spelling is a mid-16c. correction. Related: Necromantic.

A to Z Challenge 2013: M - Magi

Magi

ma·gi [māˌjī] n. pl n sing ma·gus 1. (Non-Christian) the Zoroastrian priests of the ancient Medes and Persians. 2. (Christian) the wise men from the East who came to do homage to the infant Jesus (Matthew 2:1-12) and traditionally called Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar.

Synonyms: Wise Men, sage, seer

Etymology: c.1200, "skilled magicians, astrologers," from Latin magi, plural of magus "magician, learned magician," from Greek magos, a word used for the Persian learned and priestly class as portrayed in the Bible (said by ancient historians to have been originally the name of a Median tribe), from Old Persian magush "magician" (see magic). Related: Magian.

This one is interesting to me, because being an old D&D'er, I always thought Magi was just another word for Wizard.

A to Z Challenge 2013: L - Lycanthropy

Lycanthropy

ly·can·thro·py [līˈkanTHrəpē] n. in folklore, the magical ability to assume the form and characteristics of a wolf.

Synonyms: none

Etymology: 1580s, a form of madness (described by ancient writers) in which the afflicted thought he was a wolf, from Greek lykanthropia, from lykanthropos "wolf-man," from lykos "wolf" (see wolf (n.)) + anthropos "man" (see anthropo-). Originally a form of madness (described by ancient writers) in which the afflicted thought he was a wolf; applied to actual transformations of persons (especially witches) into wolves since 1830 (see werewolf).

I'm sure we're all pretty familiar with this fun word, but it's always cool to see the etymology.

Note: today is my day to post at the main A to Z blog, so please come check out my post for L!

A to Z Challenge 2013: K - Kenosis

Kenosis

ke·no·sis n. Christianity The relinquishment of the form of God by Jesus in becoming man and suffering death.

Synonyms: none

Etymology: from Greek kenosis "an emptying," from kenoein "to empty," from PIE *ken- "empty." From Phil. ii:7. Related: Kenotic.

A to Z Challenge 2013: J - Jaded

Jaded

jad·ed adj. Tired, bored, or lacking enthusiasm, typically after having had too much of something.

Synonyms: wearied, tired, exhausted

Etymology: "bored by continual indulgence," 1630s; past participle adjective from jade (v.).


Note: this one's for Candace.

A to Z Challenge 2013: I - Incubus

Incubus

in·cu·bus n. an evil spirit supposed to descend upon and have sexual intercourse with women as they sleep.

Synonyms: daemon, daimon, demon, devil, fiend

Etymology: c.1200, from Late Latin (Augustine), from Latin incubo "nightmare, one who lies down on (the sleeper)," from incubare "to lie upon" (see incubate). Plural is incubi. In the Middle Ages their existence was recognized by law.

Like Eurythmics, also a band.

A to Z Challenge 2013: H - Heft

Heft

heft [heft] v. - lift or carry (something heavy) n. - the weight of someone or something

Synonyms: verb: raise, lift, heave, weigh noun: weight, heaviness, ponderosity, burden

Etymology: verb: "to lift," 1660s, from heft (n.). Related: Hefted; hefting. noun: mid-15c., "weight, heaviness, quality of weight," from heave on analogy of thieve/theft, weave/weft, etc.; also influenced by heft, obsolete past participle of heave.

I find it utterly fascinating that the noun is older than the verb. Isn't that interesting?