bathos (2008-10-30)

Part of Speech: noun

Pronunciation: ['bæ-thos]

Definition: A dramatic fall from the exalted to the commonplace in a ludicrous manner, usually because of a common foible; banality.

Usage: In recent US history, no event has held more bathos than President Nixon's resignation and departure from the Whitehouse in 1974. However, similar events continue to occur all around us, "Phil Anders and his wife worked hard to get him into the highest public offices, but what a bathetic end his appetite for personal pleasure brought him to."

Suggested Usage: The adjectival form of today's word is "bathetic," analogous to "pathetic" which comes from "pathos." Watch out for the confusion of these two words. Pathos is any quality or situation that elicits pity. "Pathos" is the Greek word for suffering but in English "pathetic" refers only to people and situations deserving pity. A bathetic person may arouse pity, too, but because of a dramatic fall from grace caused by a flaw of character or failure in action.

Etymology: From the Greek bathos "depth," a derivative of PIE *gwadh-, also underlying Sanskrit gahate "submerge" and a Celtic words like bàite "drowned" and baist "baptize." The Greek stem is also found in bathymetry "measurement of depth" and bathysphere "a spherical vessel for probing extreme water depths." Read "How is a Hippo like a Feather" in our library for another helping of PIE.