Mysteries of vernacular: Jade - Jessica Oreck and Rachael Teel
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0:13 - 0:15Mysteries of vernacular:
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0:18 - 0:19Jade,
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0:19 - 0:22a hard, typically green stone.
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0:22 - 0:24Until relatively recently,
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0:24 - 0:25gemstones were believed
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0:25 - 0:28to have magical, medicinal properties,
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0:28 - 0:29and nothing was more effective
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0:29 - 0:33at treating a kidney disorder than jade.
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0:33 - 0:35In the 16th century,
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0:35 - 0:37the Spanish returned from the New World
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0:37 - 0:40with the mineral in their cargo holds
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0:40 - 0:43and christened it, "piedra de la ijada,"
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0:43 - 0:44or loin stone.
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0:45 - 0:48It quickly became popular
throughout Europe, -
0:48 - 0:50both as a cure for internal ailments
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0:50 - 0:53and as a decorative ornament
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0:53 - 0:56and was renamed jade by the French,
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0:56 - 0:58a word that was borrowed by the English
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0:58 - 1:01and remains in use to this day.
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1:01 - 1:03In the 19th century,
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1:03 - 1:05French mineralogists discovered
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1:05 - 1:06that jade was being used
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1:06 - 1:09to describe two distinct minerals:
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1:09 - 1:12jadeite, which takes its name from jade,
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1:12 - 1:15and the more common nephrite,
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1:15 - 1:18the root of which is the Greek
word nephros, -
1:18 - 1:20meaning kidney.
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1:20 - 1:23In addition to describing
these two minerals, -
1:23 - 1:26jade also has an English homonym.
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1:26 - 1:29With roots that predate the popularity
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1:29 - 1:30of the lustral gemstone,
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1:30 - 1:32jade was used to refer to
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1:32 - 1:35either a disreputable woman
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1:35 - 1:37or a broken-down horse.
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1:37 - 1:41Thus, the word jaded, meaning worn out
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1:41 - 1:42or lacking enthusiasm,
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1:42 - 1:45has nothing to do with the gemstone,
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1:45 - 1:48and instead, comes from the archaic,
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1:48 - 1:50equine-related definition.
- Title:
- Mysteries of vernacular: Jade - Jessica Oreck and Rachael Teel
- Description:
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View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/mysteries-of-veracular-jade-jessica-oreck-and-rachael-teel
Now known for its beauty and green hue, the stone jade was previously thought to espouse magical properties, such as kidney treatment. Jessica Oreck and Rachael Teel explain the word's travels from 15th century to Spain to today (and why the word jaded is unrelated by root).
Lesson by Jessica Oreck and Rachael Teel, animation by Jessica Oreck.
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TED-Ed
- Duration:
- 02:08
Krystian Aparta edited English subtitles for Mysteries of vernacular: Jade - Jessica Oreck and Rachael Teel | ||
Jessica Ruby approved English subtitles for Mysteries of vernacular: Jade - Jessica Oreck and Rachael Teel | ||
Jessica Ruby edited English subtitles for Mysteries of vernacular: Jade - Jessica Oreck and Rachael Teel | ||
Jessica Ruby accepted English subtitles for Mysteries of vernacular: Jade - Jessica Oreck and Rachael Teel | ||
Jessica Ruby edited English subtitles for Mysteries of vernacular: Jade - Jessica Oreck and Rachael Teel | ||
Andrea McDonough edited English subtitles for Mysteries of vernacular: Jade - Jessica Oreck and Rachael Teel |