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Why is the journal of the Medieval Academy of America called “Speculum”: A device used to “examine hollow openings in your body, like your vagina, anus, ears or
by helsinkiandrew 3y ago
Why is the journal of the Medieval Academy of America called “Speculum”: A device used to “examine hollow openings in your body, like your vagina, anus, ears or nostrils”
EDIT: oh, perhaps the medieval genre of speculum literature:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speculum_literature https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speculum_literature
- kemayo 3y agoIt's a word with multiple meanings, though admittedly the one you mention is the most common modern one. Presumably, given that it's a journal and about medieval studies, it's a reference to speculum literature: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speculum_literature https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speculum_literature
- thih9 3y agoI guess we can only speculate.
- mellosouls 3y agoYes, it is related to the usage there (and is listed on that page). But here's the definitive answer from the publication itself: "SPECULUM, this mirror to which we find it appropriate to give a Latin name, suggests the multitudinous mirrors in which the people of the Middle Ages liked to gaze at themselves and other folk — mirrors of history and doctrine and morals, mirrors of princes and lovers and fools." From the preface to the first volume, linked at the top here: https://www.medievalacademy.org/page/MAAHistory https://www.medievalacademy.org/page/MAAHistory Ps: word origin: from Latin: mirror, from specere to look at https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/speculum https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/speculu...