Discuss cordial here.

adjective

1) Cheering or comforting the heart; reviving, invigorative, restorative.

“He only took cordial, in which we infused sometimes purgatives.” - Wiseman

2) Proceeding from the heart; sincere, earnest, hearty.

” . . . gave them on almost every occasion a cordial support.” - Macaulay

3) Warm, affectionate, hearty, sincere, without hypocrisy.

noun

1) Anything which tends to cheer or comfort the spirits.

2) An aromatized and sweetened spirit, employed as a beverage.

3) A medicine which increases the force of the heart, or strengthens the circulation.

4) A medicine given to restore or increase the strength, to revive the spirits, and generally to cheer and comfort a person in a state of depression.

[Low Latin cordialis = partaining to the heart, from Latin cor (genitive of cordis) = the heart.]

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I suspect that the meanings of nice, to stimulate the heart and the sweet drink are all related as the word root, I think, of cordial, is ‘heart’ - even if we do spell ‘cardiac’ with an ‘a’ today. I may be wrong. “Cardia” is a transliteration of the Greek for heart - so there’s not help there.

There was a time when it was thought all thinking was also in the heart. The heart was the center of almost all the body’s activities. Some thought the soul resided there as well.

cordial
c.1386, from M.Fr. cordial, from M.L. cordialis “of or for the heart,” from L. cor (gen. cordis) “heart” (see heart). Original sense of n. was “medicine, food, or drink that stimulates the heart;” adj. meaning “heartfelt, from the heart” is c.1477.

I think you’re write, Language Maven. Also compare French couer and Spanish corazón.

Welcome to the forum.

saparris - 28 June 2009 06:57 PM

Also compare French couer

You mean coeur.  (I tried to enter the oe ligature but couldn’t get it for some reason.)

The Bible is my cordial. Reading it gives me relief in times of stress or need.

You mean coeur.  (I tried to enter the oe ligature but couldn’t get it for some reason.)

I tried to enter coeur, but my fingers rebelled.

saparris - 29 June 2009 06:27 AM

You mean coeur.  (I tried to enter the oe ligature but couldn’t get it for some reason.)

I tried to enter coeur, but my fingers rebelled.

You South Caroliners are always rebelling at something, no wonder your governor is such a persona non grata.

But we’re so cordial until you make us mad. After that, we pretty much just shoot you.

But you’re always mad, and only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the noon day sun, and append sout’caroliners.

Might would. Might wouldn’t. Depends on what else we’re fixin to do.

In the noonday sun? 
Don’t burp, enough methane around.

It’s been a very uncordial day. Hot, humid weather. Long, sad funeral. And a dearth of casseroles. My wife’s uncle was a vet, though, so there was a flag folding and presentation and the grave site. Always impressive.

I am sorry.  Been to plenty of funerals myself, with the flag folding, taps, etc. Some classmates from “Nam, etc.
Take a nice cool bath/shower, have a Kudzu julep, go to bed early, forget the governor, MJ, FF, BM, EM, etc. Just let the arms of Morpheus embrace you.

A good idea. The death of old folks brings back so many memories of when they were not-so-old folkss—the good times before the aches, pains, and illnesses.

Living alone, I get that all the time, don’t need a funeral to spark it.  But don’t go to too many funerals any more.