Learn By Heart: The Origin of this Common Idiom
Many times, when one memorizes something, it is referred to as "learning by heart." But why is it attributed to the heart and not to the head? It seems to be due to a mistaken analysis of anatomical functions made by the ancient Greeks
The ancient Greeks believed that the heart, the most noticeable internal organ, was the seat of intelligence and memory, as well as emotion. This belief was passed down through the ages and became the basis for the English expression learn by heart.
Learn by heart was used by Chaucer in Troilus and Criseyde (1374), and must have been proverbial long before that.
"To record" reminds us again of this ancient belief in the heart as the seat of the mind. When writing wasn't a simple act, things had to be memorized; thus we have the word record, formed from the Latin re (meaning "again") and cor (meaning "heart"), which means exactly the same as to learn by heart.
Saturday, August 28, 2010 at 11:42AM
Reader Comments (5)
I LOVE your blog! You always have the most interesting things that make me smile :) This one is so cool-I had to share it :) xoxo
I have to agree... I love your blog!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I so love this...i believe i hold my fondest memories in my heart. sometimes my brain gets cluttered but the things i hold dear always stay right there in my heart. xo <3
Think with your head, not your heart... Uk Phone Sex is the way to go!
I just loved this story. Actually I have never heard about before…
Thanks for sharing your words…
Phone Sex