words, naming and usages

ongoing discussion of suitable terminology for a local gathering of seekers:

this is, so far, an open, rambling exploration of words

chum

Sounds too much like "beer buddies"

"chum meeting" does not have the right connotation! :-)

chum is what they throw in the water to attract sharks - a bunch of cut up, bleeding, fish

chum is kind of English - heard it in My Fair Lady on the weekend

Note the footnote at the end. Chamber-fellow.

sounds kind of old school - chamber just means room

chum1 [chum] noun (plural chums) 1.friend: a close friend (informal) 2.way of addressing man: used as a term of address for a man (dated informal) verb (past chummed, past participle chummed, present participle chum·ming, 3rd person present singular chums) 1.intransitive verb be friends: to be friends with somebody, or behave in a friendly way toward somebody 2.intransitive verb share room with somebody: to share a room with somebody, for example, in a school dormitory (dated) 3.transitive verb Scotland go with: to accompany somebody somewhere (regional) [Late 17th century. Origin uncertain: probably short for chamber-fellow . Originally the slang word for a roommate at Oxford University.] Encarta® World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999

fellow

low-class person - yikes!

But note the Fellow is rather high-classed!

Since "fellow" has a variety of meanings, we can fashion it from the defs that most suit us.

fellow fel·low [féllo] noun (plural fel·lows) 1.man or boy: a man or boy 2.boyfriend: somebody’s boyfriend (dated informal) 3.one of pair: either one of a pair of objects 4.companion: a companion or colleague (dated) 5.equal: somebody or something of the same rank or quality 6.low-class person: somebody considered to be socially inferior, especially in belonging to the working class or not having money (archaic) 7.EDUC graduate student: a graduate student who is supported by a university department to teach or do research •a research fellow adjective being in same group: belonging to the same group, occupation, rank, or location [Old English feolaga “partner,” from Old Norse félagi, from fé “money” and a prehistoric Germanic base meaning “to lay down.” The underlying idea is “somebody laying down money in a joint venture.”] Encarta® World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999

friend

Friend

friends has all the great connotations - esp., the Quakers use it capitalized: Friends - official name: the Religious Society of Friends

gathering

god

God

G-d

meeting

fellowship

people

peers

how about peer? - like in a peer network - since it implies a democratic equal - only thing is, in England a "Peer" means one of the aristocracy

Fellow

But note the Fellow is rather high-classed!

I like the tie-in with education.

yeah, maybe a seeker Fellow would be equivalent to our "guide"

Fellow Fel·low (plural Fel·lows) noun member of learned society: a member of a learned or scientific society • Fellow of the American College of Surgeons Encarta® World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999

citizen

citizen? - That's what the French called each other during and after the Revolution - to imply again democratic equality - yeah, citizen excludes people new to the country

society

society - social - among others, not alone

Society used instead of "church" by some Unitarians

Quakers are the Religious Society of Friends

comrade

buddy, buddies

room

chamber

Has a good connotation - good connotation is that we are Friends within this room (the church or meeting hall), but we don't know who are friends in the outside world - (until we see them give the secret sign, of course)

[comment re definition of chum]: Note the footnote at the end. Chamber-fellow.

pals

camarade

Fellow translates to Camarade

chambre

reunion, Fr: Réunion

reunion - union - joined - re - again - joined again - (every Sunday at 10)

society, Fr: société

amis

service

worship

we should probably use a different word, as usual, instead of "worship" and "service"

meeting for fellowship

Meeting for fellowship... hmm, sounds good

are their any negative connotations to "fellowship"?

gathering for sharing

2 -"ings" - sounds repetitively redundant

meeting

How about just "Meeting"?

that's what the quakers call their thing - meeting

Not as strong as "worship!"

quaker meeting or Friends meeting

How about "the gathering of fellows?"

sexist connotation

like the womyn-haters boys club!

I mean, I like it okay, but can't scare the chix away

Just asked [fem] -- she doens't think "fellows" or "fellowship" sounds too sexist.

I think we can introduce the concept of female fellows.

fem-fellows - femmows - fellows and femmows

sounds a little sex specific - but I still like it

a meeting of fellows

(implies beer and cigars, etc.)

My mind keeps going back to "a meeting of Fellows"

sounds good, except when capitalized, it implies that high meaning

And yes, high meaning, and why not? It is something to aspire to.

It's just that no one uses "fellows" anymore. - sounds like its from the 30's or 40's

"a meeting of peers"

peer meeting

(doesn't imply anything spiritual or special, though)

Well, hmm... - "peer meeting" sounds too bland.

a meeting of buddies :-)

hey, man, let me get you a brewski

worship

yeah, worship is kind of hard core

the word "people" somewhere

Réunion d'amis. -- meeting of friends.

Réunion d'Amis

reunion - union - joined - re - again - joined again - (every Sunday at 10)...d'amis - of friends - friends has all the great connotations - esp., the Quakers use it capitalized: Friends

Société d'amis. -- society of friends

Réunion de la société d'amis

angel

damn, damnation

demon

devil

fate

God

heaven

meditation

prayer