Despite the fact that the adjective longus can be used to express lack (longe esse ab aliqua re, i.e. distance as lack), there does not seem to be any Romance equivalent to Germanic and English long as verb meaning to yearn for (as across distance). BUT, there is the fascinating possibility that desire (de-sidero) is originally related to a sense of uncrossable distance in the sense of being away from the stars (cf. considerare). Elena Lombadi's Syntax of Desire goes into this.
Would love to hear more thoughts about how desire itself and in general may be con-sidered as containing a reference to distance, place, space. Or as Erin Labbie put it last night at the beginning of her paper: "Courtly love is always already elsewhere."
Information and discussion related to the club's activities and medievalist life around the city.
4 comments:
Thanks for your post re: the etymology of longing Nicola! The blending of longing and desire is often seen in the old french vacillation between the terms. Desirous and longing are often used synonymously. Yet, I wonder if longing does present a stronger sense of distance or space than desire implies?
I've done a quick review of some of the linguistic sources, and longing is traced to belonging, which does signify a sense of being able to have or to reach the object. If something belongs to someone, then it is a thing to be held right? Longing then might lead to the sense that the thing is potentially attainable. Desire, though, might continue to signify the impossible distance between two entities. I'm still thinking this through as you can see.
Sorry!
I accidentally posted that comment multiple times.
I'm new at this. I deleted the duplicate messages.
Yours, Erin
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