rarefied \RAIR-uh-fide\ (adjective) - 1 : of,
relating to, or interesting to a select group : esoteric 2 : very
high
"Cartography is one of those rarefied fields, like vexillology (the study of flags) and tea tasting, at which only a select few can actually earn a living."
"Rarefied" was formed from the verb "rarefy," which derives from a combination of the Latin "rarus" ("thin" or "rare") with "facere" ("to make") and has meant "to make thin" since the 14th century. In its original uses back in the 1600s, the adjective "rarefied" was on the lean side too; it meant "made less dense" (as in "the fog lifted and we could breathe more easily in the rarefied air"). By the 16th century, "rarefy" had gained the sense "to refine or purify." Over time "rarefied" followed suit; by the 1940s it was being used to mean "only for the select."
"Cartography is one of those rarefied fields, like vexillology (the study of flags) and tea tasting, at which only a select few can actually earn a living."
"Rarefied" was formed from the verb "rarefy," which derives from a combination of the Latin "rarus" ("thin" or "rare") with "facere" ("to make") and has meant "to make thin" since the 14th century. In its original uses back in the 1600s, the adjective "rarefied" was on the lean side too; it meant "made less dense" (as in "the fog lifted and we could breathe more easily in the rarefied air"). By the 16th century, "rarefy" had gained the sense "to refine or purify." Over time "rarefied" followed suit; by the 1940s it was being used to mean "only for the select."
Charles Mims
_______________________________________________ Sndbox mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://a8.mewebdns-a8.com/mailman/listinfo/sndbox_sandboxmail.net
