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Traditionally, a university had four faculties, the lower or artists faculty, and the three higher faculties of theology, law and medicine. Students would start
by fhars 14y ago
Traditionally, a university had four faculties, the lower or artists faculty, and the three higher faculties of theology, law and medicine. Students would start in the artists faculty learning the seven liberal arts (grammar, rhetoric, logic, arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy (including astrology)) to become a magister artium (M.A.) and then go to one of the higher faculties to get their doctorate (Th.D, LL.D or M.D., respectively). Philosophy and science (née natural philosophy) developed in the artists faculty and over time became important enough to grant the artists faculty the right to grant doctorates, too, with philosophy leading the way. That's why many science faculties, which split off of the artists faculty over the centuries still grant the title of a doctor of philosophy.
Ah, and the first three of the liberal arts that were the first thing a student learned, grammar, rhetoric and logic, were called the trivium, hence the modern word "trivial" for obvious things everyone should know.
- andrewljohnson 14y agoReally cool comment, I love finding interesting trivia in forums.
- svasan 14y ago> 'interesting trivia' In the above - grammar, rhetoric, logic - formed the "trivium" and - arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy - formed the "quadrivium". Also "trivium" represented the place where three roads would intersect. People would meet here and exchange pleasantries and gossip. That is how you get the current meaning of the word "trivia".
- stollercyrus 14y agoThat's really cool. Thanks for sharing.
- znowi 14y agoThank you. I enjoyed reading this. Would be nice if you wrote a little blog post on the subject :)
- groue 14y agoVery interesting, thanks. http://atilf.atilf.fr http://atilf.atilf.fr and Dictionnaire historique de la langue Française both see two meanings for the French "trivial": one is common as in commonplace, and the other is common as in gross and vulgar. The first comes from /trivialis/, as fhars says. The latter comes from /trivium/, the crossroads. I don't know if English also has the second meaning: vulgar.