Arete

1. Arete The Vocabulary of Sport

2. The Vocabulary of Sport  game < ME game(n) < OHG gaman “glee”  sport < disport < L dis + portare “to carry away” “to divert or amuse oneself”  disport Chaucer. The Parlement of Foules. And in a privee corner, in disporte, Fond I Venus and hir porter Richesse. Chaucer. Wife of Bath’s Prologue He hadde a book that gladly nyght and dayfor his di{s}port he wolde rede alway Milton. Paradise Lost. IX. 1041-1043 There they their fill of love and love's disport Took largely, of their mutual guilt the seal The solace of their sin. Proverbs 10.23 (King James Version) It is as sport to a fool to do mischief. Judges 16.25 (King James Version) And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make us sport. And they called for Samson out of the prison house; and he made them sport; and they set him between the pillars.

3. Evolution of the word “Sport”(from the Oxford English Dictionary) sport < disport < L dis + portare “to carry away” 1. a) A pleasant pastime; entertainment or amusement; recreation; diversion (1440) b)      Amorous dalliance or intercourse (1550) c)       Pastime afforded by the endeavour to take or kill wild animals, game or fish. (1653) e)       In the proverbial expression the sport of kings, originally applied to war-making, but later extended to hunting and horse-racing (1668) d.)     Participation in games or exercise, especially those of an athletic character or pursued in the open air; such games or amusements collectively (1863) 2. a)  in sport, in jest or joke, by way of fun or diversion; not seriously or in earnest (1440) b)      Jest, jesting; mirth or merriment (1671)

4. “Sport” Around the World Most other modern languages derived their word from the English word: Ukranian                spórt Modern Greek       Spor Italian                    sport German Sport Dutch                    sport Gaelic                   spors Turkish                 spor Rumanian              Spórt Japanese                supotsu

5. Other Important Sports Terms recreation to remake, recreate diversion to turn aside, divert contest/contestant struggle for victory or superiority from Latin for “testifying or witnessing together” compete/competition/competitor struggle or rivalry contest for prize from Latin for “seeking together” gynmasium from Greek for “naked” arete Greek word for excellence, virtue ludus Latin word for game or school

6. Greek Athletic Vocabulary sense of competition (agon) for a prize (athlos) agon—agony athlos—athlete athletes"someone who competes for a prize (athlos)” areteGreek word for excellence, virtue  kaloskagathos"good and noble"   The terms “sport” and “game” imply leisure and amusement which do not apply to Greek athletics.   Greeks did not know the ideal of “being a good sport.” Greek culture was highly competitive. Rather they believed that  A nice guys finish last. A winning isn’t the main thing, it’s the only thing. Show me a good loser and I’ll show you a loser. Greeks did not limit such competition to athletics. There were also poetic and musical competitions as well.  

7. Philosophy of SportMens sana in corpore sano (“a sound mind in a sound body”) • a medium of self- or life-fulfillment • excess strength and the root of creative living • play • an aesthetic phenomenon • ethical training • a model of an “achieving society” • a reaction compensating for and adjusting to the conditions of living in a world of industrial labor • a sign-world • a safety-value for aggression, instinctive reaction for the preservation of the race, and discharge through appetency • a means in the class struggle of increasing production and overcoming alienation • symbolized father-son conflict and substitute narcissistic satisfaction For further development of these ideas, see Philosophies of Sport.