I really would like everyone's input on the name. After all, this is intended to be a communal blog, so I would like everyone to be comfortable with the name. If you would like it changed, please make your opinion known and I will change it without prejudice. But first I would like to explain my intention for the name "Dilettante Ball."
It is true that the word "dilettante" is generally used with negative connotations. It is used to describe "a person having a superficial interest in an art or branch of knowledge: a dabbler.(Webster's online)" However, there are other connotations. The etymology leads you back to the Latin word "dilectare" - which means "to delight." This is the same Latin root which gives us the word "delectable."
When taken in that context, I think the word takes on a much more pleasant connotation. It implies a person who delights in many branches of knowledge - an enthusiastic dabbler in multiple fields. I believe that we are all such people. In fact, that is one of my favorite things about the people who I have invited to participate in this blog. We all have our fields of expertise. I am a student of politics and a professional military officer, but I am constantly harassing Michelle, Dean and Amar with questions about finance and economics. Dean is a consultant and an economist by training, but probably knows more about Navy aircraft than I do. Steven is a doctor who should be a film director. Michelle is an investment banker who should be a chef. Sam is a doctor who should be a military officer and I am a military officer who should be...something else. God knows what. My point is, we all dabble...joyfully!
When coupled with the word "ball," the name not only achieves what I believed to be a pleasing and significant symmetry with the term "debutante ball" - a celebration of a young woman making her formal entrance into adult society - it also implies a celebratory gathering of like-minded dilettantes. It connotes a joyful assembly of people who take pleasure in dabbling in a wide variety of fields and an unrestricted array of ideas.
There you have it! If I have not convinced you that the title is worth keeping, then so be it. I have other ideas for titles. However, at the very least I hope I have convinced you that I chose my words for a reason and said exactly what I meant; Amar and Sam will recall our conversation at the Gibson and remember that that sort of thing is important to me. ;)
Love y'all! Please vote! Keep it or ditch it?
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Kind of like it actually.
ReplyDeleteCommodus gives it a thumbs up. I guess I actually did not recall the definition of dilettante correctly - I got your initial reference because I didn't know it had a negative connotation.
ReplyDeletey'know, rereading that post... sounds like nobody is doing what they want to do, hahahaha
ReplyDeleteI was eh on the name at first, but maybe that's because I didn't know what dilettante meant (getting dictionary.com words of the day emailed to me apparently has not helped whatsoever). I like it more following the explanation, but I really loved Diasporatic!
ReplyDeleteStill kind of like it. Has a nifty banner!
ReplyDeleteHmmm, well I'm going to be unnecessarily literal about this whole thing because I know you value words. Fundamental to your romantic notion of intelligent and precise language is a presumption that there is a perfect word (or set of words) for every thought. In language, good is the enemy of perfect.
ReplyDeleteLet me start by saying that I find the etymology of dilettante intriguing, but my primary concern in this post is the word's meaning today. Dilettante may be close to what you're getting at ("people who delight in many branches of knowledge), but the label involves a bit more. The dilettante's uniqueness arises in the fact that his or her interest in knowledge is *by definition* passing, amateur, flippant.
You're correct that dilettante is only a negative label by connotation, but the belief underlying that connotation is actually quite reasonable: someone who has a fleeting commitment to learn about a subject is unlikely to truly understand it
I realize that we'll dabble, that we'll broach topics briefly without really discussing in-depth. But is this the key characteristic that we want to define the blog? Can't we find the word that captures this intellectual curiosity, but allows us room for serious discussion?
Are we all merely dabblers?
Actually, doctoring is pretty awesome.
ReplyDeletedog you haven't doctored anything yet
ReplyDeleteI doctor shit all the time but it is not people
ReplyDelete