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The Anglican Church in Tasmania Search |
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a healthy church...transformingLIFE |
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Editor's angle
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Be honest, who doesn't want to hear the latest gossip? Royal weddings, state budgets, celebrity dramas, dodgy dealings…the list is endless. Glossy magazines thrive on it. 'Gossip' is a very old word with a modern meaning that is rather different from the original. It originated around 1014 and denoted a 'close relative or kinsman', someone with whom one could talk intimately, often about spiritual matters, as one would today with a mentor or adviser. It comes from two Anglo-Saxon words 'God' (with its obvious meaning) and 'sibb' meaning relation. The word 'Godsibb' meant a godparent or baptismal sponsor. From 'sibb' we get our contemporary word 'sibling'. In 2004 the word 'gossip' means almost the opposite, referring to the broadcasting of rumours and misinformation, often of a 'spicy' and hurtful nature. What a turnaround in meaning! But maybe we can do our bit for our rich and versatile mother tongue by using both attributes of the word 'gossip' in spreading the 'gos-pel' - 'the good story'. We can combine the Dark Ages meaning of chatting about spiritual matters with close kin and the 21st Century meaning of sharing the latest news with friends and strangers. Get the goss - gossip the gospel! |
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