What's the definition of the word 'blarophant'?I
was reading a bit of the history of the Salt Lake Tribune and saw this
word in use. I had never seen it before. A net search
revealed nothing but the one-time use of the word which I had
discovered, no definition, not even someone hazarding a guess at its
meaning.Search Google for the word and you'll find pages with the same reference I found but no definition, not even on Wikipedia or Yahoo Answers. None! I couldn't even find the word in my copy of the unabridged Webster's Dictionary. Strange, very strange. I did find a clue to its meaning, though. The editors of that erstwhile vitriolic treatise, upon the death of Brigham Young, said, "... his public addresses [were] the greatest farrago of nonsense" and that "He was blarophant." (The Salt Lake Tribune, August 30, 1877) Wiktionary says 'farago' means "a confused variety of miscellaneous things" but had no suggestions for the word "blarophant" which took me on another net chase to discover there is no such word. They made it up! Still, I wondered, "But what did it mean to them?" Another net chase and I think I've run down the answer. Definition of BLAROPHANTThe root word is "blare", easy to lookup:blare = 1. A loud sound. 2. Dazzling, often garish. To this, the authors added the suffix "phant." Sometimes used as a suffix, "phant" is the root word of "phantasm." phantasm = something seen but having no physical reality; a phantom or apparition. This comes from the Greek word "phaínō" meaning "I show, demonstrate." ConclusionSo there you have it. And unless things change, this page will give the only definition of "blarophant" you will find on the internet. They were just calling Brigham Young a blowhard, a windbag, but wanted to sound more intellectual so they made up a word. This proves the old addage that you should "Never use a big word when a dimutive phrase will suffice."~ Ron.V ~ |