Wednesday, November 27, 2019

10 Fleshy Words

10 Fleshy Words 10 Fleshy Words 10 Fleshy Words By Maeve Maddox Latin words meaning flesh and fleshly (carnis, carnalis), have given English several words, some of which refer to human flesh and some to the flesh of animals. 1. carnage noun: a heap of dead bodies, especially of men killed in battle. The Anglo-Saxon poem â€Å"The Battle of Maldon† describes the carnage that ensues when the local militia confronts Viking raiders. The fates of several Anglo-Saxon warriors are depicted- notably that of Earl Byrhtnoth: he dies valiantly, urging his soldiers forward and commending his soul to God. Carnage is also used in a non-military context to describe the bloody aftermath of any killing event: Firefighters have described the carnage and confusion they found when they arrived on the scene of the Paddington rail crash in which 31 people died. 2. carnal adjective: pertaining to the body. In Medieval Latin, a frater carnalis was a biological brother. In modern usage, carnal refers to the sensual or sexual aspects of the body. The noun is carnality and the adverb is carnally. Detectives  charged  the 27-year-old with felony  carnal knowledge  of a juvenile. In religious thought, carnal is the opposite of spiritual. A carnal mind is not necessarily a sinful mind. However, all sin is carnal. A carnal mind is simply a mind that is governed entirely by the senses. 3. carnation adjective: a light rosy pink; noun: a flower, scientific name Dianthus, which may be shades of pink or red. The plural carnations is used as an art term: â€Å"those parts in a painting that represent the naked skin.† Vecelli observed that a colorist ought to manipulate white, black and red, and that the carnations cannot be done in a first painting, but by replicating various tints and mingling the colors. 4. carnelian noun: a flesh-colored, deep red, or reddish-white variety of chalcedony; adjective: of the color of a carnelian. My stepmother was, if rather richly, always plainly dressed, in the sober Quaker mode; almost  her  only ornament was a large  carnelian brooch, set in flowered flat gold. 5. carnival noun: originally, the medieval religious celebration preceding Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. The word derives from a phrase meaning â€Å"the putting away of flesh.† In modern usage, a carnival is any season of feasting, revelry, or indulgence. In North American English, a carnival is a fun fair with rides and entertainment booths. 6. carnivore noun: (Latin carnivorus, â€Å"flesh-eating†) A carnivore is an animal that eats only meat. People whose diet includes meat are often jokingly referred to as carnivores, in contrast to vegans and vegetarians. My husband and children are carnivores, and yes, I do prepare their food for them. 7. carnivorous adjective: (Latin carni, â€Å"flesh† + vorus, â€Å"devouring†) The accent is on the second syllable. Since neither humans nor chimpanzees are truly carnivorous- most traditional human societies eat a diet made up mostly of plant foods- we are considered omnivores. Note: An omnivore feeds on a diet of both plant and animal origin. 8. charnel house noun: (Old French charnel) a house for dead bodies; a house or vault in which the bones of the dead are piled up. Recently in the Orkney Isles in Scotland, a charnel house has revealed more than 1,000 human bones. 9. incarnation noun: the action of incarnating; the fact of being incarnated or â€Å"made flesh† The  Incarnation  in traditional Christianity is the belief that the second person of the Trinity, also known as God the Son or the Logos (Word), â€Å"became flesh† by being conceived in the womb of Mary. 10. incarnate adjective: clothed or invested with flesh; embodied in flesh; in a human (or animal) bodily form. Until the latter half of the T’ang dynasty, some emperors had even claimed to be the  Buddha incarnate. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Compared "to" or Compared "with"?Work of Art Titles30 Nautical Expressions

Saturday, November 23, 2019

The Aztec Triple Alliance

The Aztec Triple Alliance The Triple Alliance (1428-1521) was a military and political pact among three city-states who shared lands in the Basin of Mexico (what is essentially Mexico City today): Tenochtitlan, settled by the Mexica/Aztec; Texcoco, home of the Acolhua; and Tlacopan, home of the Tepaneca. That accord formed the basis of what was to become the Aztec Empire that ruled Central Mexico and eventually most of Mesoamerica when the Spanish arrived at the very end of the Postclassic period. We know quite a bit about the Aztec Triple Alliance because histories were compiled at the time of the Spanish conquest in 1519. Many of the native historical traditions collected by the Spanish or preserved in the towns contain detailed information about the dynastic leaders of the Triple Alliance, and economic, demographic, and social information comes from the archaeological record. The Rise of the Triple Alliance During the late Postclassic or Aztec Period (AD 1350-1520) in the Basin of Mexico, there was a rapid centralization of political authority. By 1350, the basin was divided into several small city-states (called Altepetl in the Nahuatl language), each of which was ruled by a petty king (Tlatoani). Each altepetl included an urban administrative center and a surrounding territory of dependent villages and hamlets. Some of the city-state relationships were hostile and plagued by nearly constant wars. Others were friendlier but still competed with one another for local prominence. Alliances between them were built and sustained through a vital trade network and a commonly shared set of symbols and art styles. By the late 14th century, two dominant confederations emerged. One was led by the Tepaneca on the western side of the Basin  and the other by the Acolhua on the eastern side. In 1418, the Tepaneca based at Azcapotzalco came to control most of the Basin. Increased tribute demands and exploitation under the Azcapotzalco Tepaneca led to a revolt by the Mexica in 1428. Expansion and the Aztec Empire The 1428 revolt became a fierce battle for regional domination between Azcapotzalco and the combined forces from Tenochtitlan and Texcoco. After several victories, the ethnic Tepaneca city-state of Tlacopan joined them, and the combined forces overthrew Azcapotzalco. After that, the Triple Alliance moved quickly to subdue other city-states in the basin. The south was conquered by 1432, the west by 1435, and the east by 1440. Some longer holdouts in the basin include Chalco, conquered in 1465, and Tlatelolco in 1473. These expansionist battles were not ethnically-based: the bitterest were waged against the related polities in the Puebla Valley. In most cases, the  annexation of communities simply meant the establishment of an additional layer of leadership and a tribute system. However, in some cases such as the Otomi capital of Xaltocan, archaeological evidence indicates that the Triple Alliance replaced some of the population, perhaps because the elites and commoner people fled. An Unequal Alliance The three city-states sometimes operated independently and sometimes together. By 1431, each capital controlled certain city-states, with Tenochtitlan to the south, Texcoco to the northeast and Tlacopan to the northwest. Each of the partners was politically autonomous. Each ruler king acted as the head of a separate domain. But the three partners were not equals, a division that increased over the 90 years of the Aztec Empire. The Triple Alliance divided booty recovered from their wars separately. 2/5 went to Tenochtitlan, 2/5 to Texcoco, and 1/5 (as the latecomer) to Tlacopan. Each leader of the alliance divided his resources among the ruler himself, his relatives, allied and dependent rulers, nobles, meritorious warriors, and to local community governments. Although Texcoco and Tenochtitlan began on a relatively equal footing, Tenochtitlan became preeminent in the military sphere, while Texcoco retained prominence in law, engineering, and the arts. Records do not include reference to Tlacopans specialties. Benefits of the Triple Alliance The Triple Alliance partners were a formidable military force, but they were also an economic force. Their strategy was to build on pre-existing trade relations, expanding them to new heights with state support. They also focused on urban development, dividing the areas into quarters and neighborhoods and encouraging an influx of immigrants into their capitals. They established political legitimacy and fostered social and political interactions through alliances and elite marriages within the three partners and throughout their empire. Archaeologist Michael E. Smith argues that the economic system was taxation, and not tribute since there were regular, routinized payments to the Empire from the subject states. This guaranteed the three cities a consistent flow of products coming in from different environmental and cultural regions, increasing their power and prestige. They also provided a relatively stable political environment, where commerce and marketplaces could flourish. Domination and Disintegration The king of Tenochtitln soon emerged as the supreme military commander of the alliance  and made the final decision on all military actions. Eventually, Tenochtitln began to erode the independence of first Tlacopn, then that of Texcoco. Of the two, Texcoco remained fairly powerful, appointing its colonial city-states and able to fend off Tenochtitlns attempt to intervene in Texcocan dynastic succession right up until the Spanish conquest. Most scholars believe that Tenochtitln was dominant throughout most of the period, but the effective union of the alliance remained intact through political, social, and economic means. Each controlled their territorial domain as dependent city-states and their military forces. They shared the expansionist goals of the empire, and their highest-status individuals maintained individual sovereignty by inter-marriages, feasting, markets and tribute sharing across alliance borders. But hostilities among the Triple Alliance persisted, and it was with the help of Texcocos forces that Hernan Cortes was able to overthrow Tenochtitln in 1591.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Consolidation and Reflective Statement 350 words Coursework

Consolidation and Reflective Statement 350 words - Coursework Example My success formula is simply doing exhaustive research, privately going through the learning materials repeatedly, and later endorsing the read information through discussions. I comprehensively researched and answered all questions in the online library and career service quiz correctly. The discussion skills I perfected enabled me to work effectively on the workshop group blog. Additionally, the discussions equipped me with all-round information applicable in the evaluation process in a workshop group wiki. To complete the portfolio, I worked essentially by discussing with people, and deliberating many internet materials, journals, books and some materials that had been done by other students relating to the topic. Difficulties were imminent because I had not been involved in any research of such magnitude during my previous education, which was mostly based on question and answer. Time was a challenge because extensive researching needs relatively longer duration. To overcome the challenges, I sort help from a number of people who guided me on how to gather information perfectly. In the same way, I used various applications to create work schedules and manage time. In overall, this was a very educative experience. It offered an opportunity for practically experiencing working under different scenarios. I developed a number of skills and knowledge in the process. For instance, now I am a better timekeeper and a good portfolio manager. Above all, I established a critical mind, which will be of great assistance to me throughout my life and professional