Words and their stories: Belittle
<p><span word="Today">Today</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="word">word</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="belittle">belittle</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="used">used</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="Thomas">Thomas</span> <span word="Jefferson">Jefferson</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="third">third</span> <span word="president">president</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="United">United</span> <span word="States">States</span>.</p><p><span word="Many">Many</span> <span word="years">years</span> <span word="ago">ago</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="French">French</span> <span word="naturalist">naturalist</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Count">Count</span> <span word="de">de</span> <span word="Buffon">Buffon</span>, <span word="wrote">wrote</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="books">books</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="natural">natural</span> <span word="history">history</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="books">books</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="great">great</span> <span word="success">success</span> <span word="even">even</span> <span word="though">though</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="critics">critics</span> <span word="did">did</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="them">them</span>. <span word="Some">Some</span> <span word="critics">critics</span> <span word="said">said</span>, “<span word="Count">Count</span> <span word="Buffon">Buffon</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="poet">poet</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="scientist">scientist</span>.”</p><p><span word="Thomas">Thomas</span> <span word="Jefferson">Jefferson</span> <span word="did">did</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Count">Count</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="natural">natural</span> <span word="wonders">wonders</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="New">New</span> <span word="World">World</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="seemed">seemed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="Jefferson">Jefferson</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Count">Count</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="gone">gone</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="way">way</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="speak">speak</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="natural">natural</span> <span word="wonders">wonders</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="America">America</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="unimportant">unimportant</span>.</p><p><span word="This">This</span> <span word="troubled">troubled</span> <span word="Thomas">Thomas</span> <span word="Jefferson">Jefferson</span>. <span word="He">He</span> <span word="too">too</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="naturalist">naturalist</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="well">well</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="farmer">farmer</span>, <span word="inventor">inventor</span>, <span word="historian">historian</span>, <span word="writer">writer</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="politician">politician</span>. <span word="He">He</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="seen">seen</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="natural">natural</span> <span word="wonders">wonders</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Europe">Europe</span>. <span word="To">To</span> <span word="him">him</span>, <span word="they">they</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="important">important</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="those">those</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="New">New</span> <span word="World">World</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="seventeen">seventeen</span> <span word="eighty">eighty</span>-<span word="eight">eight</span>, <span word="Thomas">Thomas</span> <span word="Jefferson">Jefferson</span> <span word="wrote">wrote</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="home">home</span> <span word="state">state</span>, <span word="Virginia">Virginia</span>. <span word="While">While</span> <span word="writing">writing</span>, <span word="he">he</span> <span word="thought">thought</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="natural">natural</span> <span word="beauty">beauty</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="then">then</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="words">words</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Count">Count</span> <span word="de">de</span> <span word="Buffon">Buffon</span>. <span word="At">At</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="moment">moment</span>, <span word="Jefferson">Jefferson</span> <span word="created">created</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="word">word</span> – <span word="belittle">belittle</span>. <span word="He">He</span> <span word="said">said</span>, “<span word="The">The</span> <span word="Count">Count</span> <span word="de">de</span> <span word="Buffon">Buffon</span> <span word="believes">believes</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="nature">nature</span> <span word="belittles">belittles</span> <span word="her">her</span> <span word="productions">productions</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="side">side</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Atlantic">Atlantic</span>.”</p><p><span word="Noah">Noah</span> <span word="Webster">Webster</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="word">word</span> <span word="expert">expert</span>, <span word="liked">liked</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="word">word</span>. <span word="He">He</span> <span word="put">put</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="English">English</span> <span word="language">language</span> <span word="dictionary">dictionary</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="eighteen">eighteen</span>-<span word="oh">oh</span>-<span word="six">six</span>. ‘<span word="Belittle">Belittle</span> – <span word="to">to</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="small">small</span>, <span word="unimportant">unimportant</span>.’</p><p><span word="Americans">Americans</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="already">already</span> <span word="accepted">accepted</span> <span word="Jefferson">Jefferson</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="word">word</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="started">started</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="use">use</span> <span word="it">it</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="seventeen">seventeen</span> <span word="ninety">ninety</span>-<span word="seven">seven</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Independent">Independent</span> <span word="Chronicle">Chronicle</span> <span word="newspaper">newspaper</span> <span word="used">used</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="word">word</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="describe">describe</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="politician">politician</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="paper">paper</span> <span word="supported">supported</span>. “<span word="He">He</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="honorable">honorable</span> <span word="man">man</span>,” <span word="the">the</span> <span word="paper">paper</span> <span word="wrote">wrote</span>, “<span word="so">so</span> <span word="let">let</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="opposition">opposition</span> <span word="try">try</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="belittle">belittle</span> <span word="him">him</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="much">much</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="please">please</span>.”</p>
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