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Monday, April 25, 2016

U: A to Z Blogging Challenge

For my 2016 A to Z Challenge, I’m sharing three facts for each letter. The genres I write and love to read are mostly science fiction and high or epic fantasy. In fantasy, there is often magic associated with crystals or metals. They also used herbs both for medicine and for magical spells. Each day I will post a short description of an herb or a mineral you might find in medieval or fantasy writings. For the record, most of the herbal remedies I’ve investigated are not recommended by the FDA. Many are actually poisonous and dangerous. As tribute to my second love, I will post a scientific fact that may deal with physics, biology or health science. And because another name for a writer is wordsmith, each day I’ll share a strange word that I would probably never use in my writing, but that amuse me in some way. So enjoy my trio of quick facts. And don’t forget to visit the IWSG site where we’ll share a writer’s resource for every day of the challenge.

 Uxoricide: The murder of a wife by her husband.

 True Unicorn Root was used by Native Americans to stimulate digestion and induce menstruation. I believe that means they might have used it to induce miscarriages.

 Universal Language is always an interesting conundrum when you write science fiction. Remember how the TV show Firefly had every speaking English and Chinese. Language experts claim the world is close to having a universal language if you mean a language a large percentage of the world understands. The British Empire once covered a large part of the known world so many people knew the language and in modern times, the influence of the USA has spread world wide. The internet, travel and the entertainment industry has helped spread the USA influence. So American English is widely understood across the globe.

 Do you think a husband murdering a wife needs a special word for that act? What do you think about the universal language idea? 

“ENGLAND AND AMERICA ARE TWO COUNTRIES SEPARATED BY A COMMON LANGUAGE." George Bernard Shaw
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26 comments:

  1. Alex J. CavanaughApril 25, 2016 at 6:52 AM

    Yeah, that special word is something I can't repeat here.
    Universal language is just easier in science fiction. At least when we're writing it. Subtitles don't work so well in books.

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  2. Tasha Duncan-DrakeApril 25, 2016 at 7:24 AM

    That word is a bit of a mouthful - that's probably why most people don't know it and just say a husband killed his wife. I doubt there will ever be a universal language that is completely universal, there will always be colloquialisms because that's how people roll. However, just like the US and the UK, I suspect we will end up with a language we can all get by in.
    Tasha
    Tasha's Thinkings | Wittegen Press | FB3X (AC)

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  3. Hilary Melton-ButcherApril 25, 2016 at 7:35 AM

    Hi Susan - the first one is interesting and not one I'd come across ... while a Universal Language - no thanks .. but I'm so glad I live in the English speaking world! George Bernard Shaw was (and is) right ... Cheers Hilary

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  4. M.J. FifieldApril 25, 2016 at 8:13 AM

    I had no idea that the murder of a wife by her husband had its own word.

    My significant other told me about a language called Esperanto that's described as a 'constructed international auxiliary' language. The man who created it intended for it to become a universal language.

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  5. mshatchApril 25, 2016 at 8:13 AM

    well, there's fratricide, the killing of one's brother or sister, and matricide, the killing of one's mother, etc. I wonder what the word is for a wife murdering her husband?

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  6. Maria ZanniniApril 25, 2016 at 8:36 AM

    Early in the 20th century, people attempted to teach Esperanto as an international language. It pops up in the news from time to time but it doesn't seem to have much hold.

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  7. JoApril 25, 2016 at 9:03 AM

    Interesting word. Never heard of True Unicorn Root Either. They tried to introduce a universal language many years ago. But yes, English, in one form or another, seems to have spread world wide especially since the internet.

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  8. Ann BennettApril 25, 2016 at 9:10 AM

    I have been surprised by some countries having so many English speakers. Malaysia comes to mind. I strongly suspect that some in India may have English as a first language in that it is used so widely. I know English was chosen as a compromise language in that there were 59 languages to choose from in India.
    Murder your wife. I'm surprised we haven't seen that word used in the news.

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  9. L. Diane WolfeApril 25, 2016 at 9:50 AM

    I wonder if unicorn root is what my great-great grandmother took? The story was passed down that she was visited by an Indian woman who took a look at her three toddlers and said "Too many, too fast," and then brewed a concoction which my great-great grandmother drank. She never had another child.

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  10. bettyApril 25, 2016 at 9:55 AM

    I think it would be good to have a universal language. My biggest gripe about languages in general is when someone moves to a new country and then doesn't learn the language of the country, especially if they have been in that country for ears.

    I hope my husband never decides to practice uxoricide!

    betty

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  11. NicolaApril 25, 2016 at 10:29 AM

    Music and mathematics are international languages. And a smile is international :) I love the word uxoricide. New one for me.

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  12. UnknownApril 25, 2016 at 11:14 AM

    I was familiar with "uxorious" meaning an excessive devotion to one's wife but your word is a bit more startling!!!

    @Kathleen01930
    Meet My Imaginary Friends
    #AtoZchallenge

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  13. MikeApril 25, 2016 at 11:28 AM

    Interesting words

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  14. i b aroraApril 25, 2016 at 11:39 AM

    what about murder of a husband? only love can be a universal language

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  15. RobinApril 25, 2016 at 12:37 PM

    When you consider that most people in Europe speak several languages (English is usually one of them), and that other countries often pick up English as their second language... not surprising that if there were one it would be English. I guess that makes Americans lucky, because way too many people in this country can BARELY speak it, much less another language.

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  16. cleemckenzieApril 25, 2016 at 12:51 PM

    Don't the police always suspect the husband first?

    And remember Esperanto? That didn't work out very well so English forged ahead to do the job. Of course, English in one country isn't necessarily the same in another one. I can't understand my British cousins sometimes and they can't understand me.

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  17. Charity BradfordApril 25, 2016 at 1:24 PM

    What a fun idea for a theme! Isn't the word murder enough?
    As for the Universal language, I do think we will get to that point. It will come about simply because the internet and other technologies are shrinking our world every day. In my own science fiction, I haven't used the UL idea yet. My guys use nanotechnology to reprogram their brains to learn new languages.

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  18. messymimiApril 25, 2016 at 1:28 PM

    There are specific words for murdering your brother, sister, mother, father, cousin, etc. It's a bit weird, they all come from the Latin i think.

    A universal language would be nice, that's why Esperanto was invented.

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  19. Pat HattApril 25, 2016 at 1:31 PM

    Universal language is always easier when writing. Not sure that needs a word, just throw the scumbag in jail. haha

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  20. Michelle WallaceApril 25, 2016 at 1:50 PM

    Music is THE universal language!
    My first time hearing the word Uxoricide.
    So what's the word for the murder of a husband by his wife?
    Writer In Transit

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  21. J E OneilApril 25, 2016 at 4:38 PM

    I actually once did a post involving the word mariticide, which just happens to be the murder of a husband. I wonder why they're so different. Kind of funny, huh? :)

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  22. nashvillecats2April 25, 2016 at 5:59 PM

    Three good words, the first I'd never heard before .
    Great post Susan.
    Yvonne.

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  23. Sarah FosterApril 25, 2016 at 6:42 PM

    I think it's interesting that there are so many different words for different types of murder. Never heard of that one, though!

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  24. Shonna SlaytonApril 25, 2016 at 6:57 PM

    I've never been good with learning languages, so I like the idea of a universal one. Your blog today shares a common thread with one of my A to Z posts about Nellie Bly racing around the world in the late 1800s. (I is for Imperialism) She noted how all the ports were British, and she had no trouble communicating.

    @ShonnaSlayton from
    Author Shonna Slayton: A to Z of the 1800s

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  25. AnonymousApril 25, 2016 at 7:01 PM

    Uxoricide- I learned a new word today! Thanks.

    ~Ninja Minion Patricia Lynne aka Patricia Josephine~
    Story Dam
    Patricia Lynne, Indie Author

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  26. Joylene Nowell ButlerApril 25, 2016 at 8:31 PM

    maybe himoricidal? Though, mariticide does make more sense.

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