render (2009-08-05)

Part of Speech: verb

Pronunciation: ['ren-dê(r)]

Definition: The major meanings of this word are: (1) to give, deliver, or present (render assistance, render a decision, render an apology); (2) to melt down and/or extract in liquid form (render fat, oils, cider); (3) to create a work of artistic, dramatic, or musical interpretation (Thelonius Monk rendered "'Round Midnight" beautifully); (4) to coat with plaster or stucco; (5) to make or cause (render someone helpless). There are probably more.

Usage: Patricia Tancred, to whom we are grateful for rendering us today's word, thought three of the meanings of that word could be captured in a single sentence, "Helmut, when he had finished rendering the pig of its lard, rendered his house with stucco, and rounded off the day by rendering Beethoven's Ninth on his ukulele." The sentence renders me speechless (a rare state). Apparently, the Australians around Patricia lead lives more colorful than we folk here 'Up Over.'

Suggested Usage: The noun is "rendition" or "rendering." Someone who renders is a renderer. "Rendition" is generally restricted to reference to musical and dramatic rendering: "The Philadelphia Orchestra's rendition of Schumann's symphonies is exquisite."

Etymology: "Render" was borrowed from rendre, the Old French reflex of Latin *rendere a variation of reddere "to give back," from re- "reverse of" + dare "to give." Latin "dare" also provided donum "gift," from which we derived "donate" and "donor." The same root in Russian became dat' "give" from which dacha "summer home" and samizdat "self-publisher" (from iz-dat' "give out = publish") come. From Greek dosis "that which is given" we get "dose" and "lobster thermidor," from French "Thermidor," the 11th month of the calendar of the French Revolution, based on Greek therme "heat" + doron "gift."