I blow my nose at you, so-called Arthur King, you and all your silly English knnnigits!

I've heard that all 26 letters in the English alphabet are mute/silent in one word or another. I've included some examples, but am stumped on a few.  Any help with F or V?

A: bread, marriage, pharaoh
B: debt, subtle, thumb, numb
C: indict, yacht, scene
D: edge, handkerchief, Wednesday
E: more, height, steak, every
F: fifth ?
G: gnarled, reign, tight, gnome, foreign
H: ghost, heir, through, hour
I: business, seize
J: marijuana
K: knob, sackcloth, knife, knight, knee
L: half, salmon, would
M: mnemonic
N: column, hymn, autumn
O: country, laboratory, people, phoenix, jeopardy
P: cupboard, psychology, receipt, pneumonia
Q: lacquer, racquet
R: February
S: debris, island, aisle
T: gourmet, listen, tsunami
U: circuit, dough, gauge, guard, court
V: ? ? ?
W: answer, two, wrist, wrestle, wreck
X: faux
Y: prayer
Z: rendezvous

These are not the droids you're looking for.

Today I saw a comment on 1 Timothy 3:2 "Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife ..." (ESV)

He wrote: "In the Greek it literaly [sic] means 'one woman man.'"

I've heard this before, but is it true?

Well, no, not really, especially not in the way it's implied. The implication is that "man" & "woman" are more "literal" translations than "husband" & "wife."

But, "woman" & "wife" and "man" & "husband" are the same Greek words* (gynē & anēr respectively). So, the context would have to guide the use of woman or wife and man or husband.

Literally, it's anēr (man/husband) of one gynē (woman/wife), but the context in this instance would pretty soundly give you "husband" of one "wife."

I think the "man of one woman" bit is an unfounded way to try to say that a man really needs to be into his woman. I agree with that sentiment, but one cannot appeal to the original language to get there as a superior translation.

*My apologies for using the sloogey transliterated bit, but my blog doesn't seem to like the Greek font. But, if yours can read it, the Greek words are γυνή & ἀνήρ for woman/wife & man/husband respectively.

As the French say, that certain "I don't know what."

I keep on noticing the prevalence of Schadenfreude among my children. Yeah, they were not familiar with the term either. It's a German word referring to taking pleasure in someone else's misfortune. They love to see each other get in trouble or have bad things happen to them, but that's a post on depravity we'll save for another day.

But, for your learning pleasure, I share some other neat terms from the Fatherland, terms that tend to express an idea better than English might.

• An sich - in itself
• Backpfeifengesicht - German compound word for a face that should be hit
• Besserwisser - "better knower," somebody who knows better or best and who does not hesitate to inform the others about it; akin to a "know-it-all"
• Dasein - existence or being there, an entity's potentiality¹
• Doppelgänger - "double goer" - a ghostly double, look-alike, or clone of a person
• Dummkopf - "dummy head"
• Fahrvergnügen - enjoyment derived from driving
• Freispiel - free play or free game
• Gemütlichkeit - connotes the notion of belonging, social acceptance, cheerfulness, the absence of anything hectic and the opportunity to spend quality time
• Gesundheit - health
  
• Heilsgeschichte - salvation history, God's positive saving actions throughout history
• Hinterland - remote area, back country
  
• Kaputt - out of order
• Kitsch - cheap, sentimental, gaudy items of popular culture, trinkets
  
• Schadenfreude - pleasure in someone else's misfortune
• Schweinehund - "pig dog," common term of insult
  
• Sitz im Leben - setting in life, context
• Spielzeug - play thing, toy
  
• Übermensch - overman or superman²
• Verboten - forbidden
  
• Verstehen - understanding
• Wanderlust - a strong need or desire to travel
  
• Weltanschauung - world view
• Wunderbar - wonderful
• Wunderkind - wonder kid, miracle child
• Zeitgeist - spirit of the time

See also nunchi, a Korean word for the innate ability to sense what would be the wrong thing to say in a situation (and presumably the ability to then not say it).

¹ - Dasein was famously examined by Martin Heidegger in Being and Time. It is derived from da-sein, which literally means "being-there/here," though Heidegger was not fond of this translation. Heidegger chose this term as a synonym for "human entity" in order to emphasize the critical importance "being" has for our understanding and interpretation of the world.

² - Übermensch was made famous as a concept by Friedrich Nietzsche, who declared the Übermensch as a goal for humanity, overcoming the herd, in his book Also Sprach Zarathustra.

I have no idea to this day what those 2 Italian ladies were singing about. Truth is, I don't want to know. Some things are best left unsaid.

Every reader of this blog has been exposed to some Latin because the title Semper Reformanda is Latin for "Always Reforming."

It comes in handy at Providence Church because we embrace the "5 solas" of the Reformation: Sola Scriptura, Sola Gratia, Sola Fide, Solus Christus, and Soli Deo Gloria (id est, Scripture Alone, Grace Alone, Faith Alone, Christ Alone, to God's Glory Alone).

I never took Latin growing up and had to learn it while at Oxford University as a grad student. I began to compile a list of useful expressions.

So, as a public service announcement, I share with you 2 Latin lists. Mine is primarily concerned with ecclesiastical Latin, or that which refers to the church and theology.

Do you have any helpful Latin that might have been missed?

1. Neatorama's Latin You Should Know:

"Why do you need these Latin phrases? Well, like Latin teachers always say, Latin lives on in plenty of English words and phrases. But mostly, it’s worth learning a bit of Latin because omnia dicta fortiori, si dicta Latina: everything sounds more impressive when said in Latin."

2. Gunny's Latin List:

• A posteriori - from the latter
• A priori - from the former
• Acta non verba - actions, not words
• Ad hominem - to the man
• Ad infinitum - To infinity
• Addendum - thing to be added
• Affidavit - he asserted
• Agenda - Things to be done
• Agnus Dei - Lamb of God
• Alibi - elsewhere
• Alma mater - nourishing mother
• Alter ego - other I
• Amor vincit omnia - Love conquers all
• Anno Domini - In the year of the Lord
• Ante - before
• Ante Bellum - before (the) war
• Ante meridiem (a.m.) - before midday
• Antediluvian - before (the) flood
• Ars gratia artis - art for art's sake
• Ava Maria - Hail, Mary
• Bona fide - In good faith
• Bonum commune - The common good
• Carpe Diem - Sieze the day
• Christus Dominus - Christ the Lord
• Christus Rex - Christ the King
• Circa (ca.) - around
• Coena Domini - The Lord’s Supper
• Cogito ergo sum - I think therefore I am
• Communio - Communion
• Communio sanctorum - Communion of saints
• Confer (cf.) - Bring together, Compare
• Consensus non facit veritatem - Consensus does not make truth
• Consummatum est - It is consummated (finished, completed)
• Contra naturam - Against nature
• Contra mundum - Against the (thinking of the) world
• Cor Unum - One Heart
• Coram Deo - In the presence of God, Before (the face of) God
• Corpus Christi - Body of Christ
• Creatio ex nihilo - Creation out of nothing
• Credenda - Things to be believed
• Credo - I believe
• Cum grano salis - With a grain of salt
• Cum laude - With praise
• Cur Deus Homo - Why God Man (Why God Became Man), book by Anselm
  
• De facto - in fact
• De jure - by law
• Dei verbum - Word of God
• Deo gratias - Thanks be to God
• Deo volente - God willing
• Deus - God
• Deus nihil facit inane - God does nothing in vain
• Dies irae - Day of wrath
• Domine - O Lord
• Dominicae cenae - The Lord’s Supper
• Dominus - Lord, master
• Dominus illuminatio mea - The Lord is my light
• Dominus vobiscum - The Lord be with you
• Donum vitae - Gift of life
• Ductus exemplo - Leadership by example
• Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori - It is always sweet and fitting to die for one's country/fatherland
  
• E pluribus unum - from many (comes) one
• Ecce Homo - behold the man
• Emeritus - veteran, worn out
• Ergo - Therefore
• Errare humanum est - To err is human
• Et alii (et al.) - and others
• Et cetera - and other things
• Et tu, Brute? - and you (too), Brutus?
• Evangelium - Gospel
• Evangelium vitae - Gospel of life
• Ex cathedra - from the chair
• Ex officio - from the office
• Ex opere operato - from the work performed/worked
• Ex post facto - from a thing done afterward
• Exempli gratia (E.g.) - For the sake of an example
• Exsurge Domine - Rise up Lord
• Extra ecclesia nulla salus - Outside of the Church there is no salvation
• Fama habet - Rumor has it
• Fiat - Let it be done
• Fiat lux - Let there be light
• Fiat voluntas tua - Thy will be done
• Fides quaerens intellectum - Faith seeking understanding
• Gloria in excelsis Deo - Glory to God in the highest
• Gloria Patri - Glory be to the Father
• Gratia - Grace
• Hoc est enim corpus meum - This is my body
• Ibidem (ibid.) - In the same place
• Id est (I.e.) - That is
• Imago Dei - Image of God
• In absentia - In (one’s) absence
• In aeternum - In eternity
• In loco parentis - In the place of a parent
• In persona Christi - In the person of Christ
• In toto - In totality
• In vino veritas - in wine there is truth
• Laudate Dominum - Praise the Lord
• Laus Deo - Praise be to God
• Lex rex - The law is king
• Lex talionis - Law of retaliation
• Liberum arbitrium - Free will
• Magna carta - Great Paper
• Magna cum laude - With great praise
• Magnum opus - (A/The) great work
• Mea culpa - My fault, my bad
• Missio Dei - Mission from God
• Modus operandi - Manner of working
• Modus vivendi - Way of living
• Ne plus ultra - no(thing) more beyond
• Nihil ex nihilo fit - Nothing from nothing comes
• Nolo contendere - No contest, I do not wish to contend
• Non Nobis Domine - Not Unto Us, O Lord
• Non sequitur - It does not follow
• Nota bene - Note well
• Omnia vincit amor - Love conquers all
• Onus probandi - The burden of proving
• Opere citato (Op. cit.) - In the work cited
• Opus Dei - Work of God
• Ora pro nobis - Pray for us
• Pacem in terris - Peace on earth
• Pater Noster - Our Father
• Pater peccavi - Father, I have sinned
• Pax Christi - Peace of Christ
• Pax et bonum - Peace and goodness
• Peccatum originale - Original sin
• Per diem - Per day
• Per ipsum - Through him
• Per se - By itself
• Per unitatem vis - from unity (comes) strength
• Perfectus - Complete, finished, perfect, excellent
• Persona non grata - person not pleasing
• Pietas - Piety
• post meridiem (p.m.) - after midday
• Post mortem - After death
• Post partum - After birth (bearing)
• Post scriptum (P.S.) - Written afterwards
• Prima Donna - first lady; egotistical one
• Prima facie - At first sight
• Pro - Before, in front of, on behalf of, in place of
• Pro bono (publico) - For the (public) good
• Pro rata - In proportion
• Pro tempore - For the time being
• Quid pro quo - Something for something (in exchange)
• Redemptionis donum - Gift of redemption
• Redemptor hominis - Redeemer of humankind
• Redemptoris missio - Mission of redemption
• Reductio ad absurdum - Reduction to the (point of the) absurd
• Requiescat in pace (R.I.P.) - Rest in peace
• Rigor mortis - Stiffness of death
• Sacramentum - Sacrament, sign of a sacred thing
• Salvator mundi - Savior of the world
• Sanctus - Holy
• Sapere aude! - Dare to know
• Scripturam ex Scriptura explicandam esse - Scripture is to be explained from Scripture
• Sed contra - But on the contrary
• Semper fidelis - Always faithful
• Semper idem - Always the same
• Semper paratus - Always prepared
• Sic et non - thus and not; yes and no
• Simul iustus et peccator - Being at the same time justified & sinner
• Similtudo Dei - Likeness to God
• sine qua non - without which not, that which is necessary
• Sola fide - Faith alone
• Sola gratia - Grace alone
• Sola Scriptura - Scripture alone
• Soli Deo Gloria - To God alone the glory
• Solus Christus - Christ alone
• Status quo - Situation as it is
• Summum bonum - The highest good
• Textus receptus - The received text
• Ut unum sint - That they may be one
• Veni, Vidi, Vici - I came. I saw. I conquered.
• Verbatim - word for word
• Verbum Dei - Word of God
• Veritas - Truth
• Veto - I forbid.
• Via Crucis - Way of the Cross
• Videlicet (Viz.) - Clearly, evidently, namely
• Vincit veritas - Truth conquers
• Vinculum matrimonii - Bond of matrimony
• Vita - Life
• Vita aeterna - Eternal life
• Viva voce - Live voice (something done orally)
• Volo, non valeo - I am willing, (but) I am not able
• Voluntas - Will (desire)