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Origin and history of arcana

arcana(n.)

"hidden things, mysteries," 1590s, a direct adoption of the Latin plural of arcanum "a secret, a mystery," an important word in alchemy, from neuter of adjective arcanus "secret, hidden, private, concealed" (see arcane). It was occasionally mistaken for a singular and pluralized as arcanas, because arcana is far more common than arcanum.

also from 1590s

Entries linking to arcana

arcane(adj.)

"hidden, secret," 1540s, from Latin arcanus "secret, hidden, private, concealed," from arcere "to close up, enclose, contain," from arca "chest, box, place for safe-keeping," from PIE root *ark- "to hold, contain, guard" (source also of Greek arkos "defense," arkein "to ward off;" Armenian argel "obstacle;" Lithuanian raktas "key," rakinti "to shut, lock").

arcanum(n.)

"a secret, a mystery," proper singular form of arcana (q.v.); in alchemy, a supposed great secret of nature, hence, generally, "the secret virtue" of anything.

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    Trends of arcana

    adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/ with a 7-year moving average; ngrams are probably unreliable.

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    Promethean
    ["Arcana of Science and Art," London, 1830]...
    word
    Old English word "speech, talk, utterance, sentence, statement, news, report, word," from Proto-Germanic *wurda- (source also of Old Saxon, Old Frisian word, Dutch woord, Old High German, German wort, Old Norse orð, Gothic waurd), from PIE *were- (3) "speak, say" (see verb). The
    secret
    late 14c., "that which is hidden from human understanding;" early 15c., "that which is hidden from general knowledge;" from Latin secretum "secrecy; a mystery; a thing hidden; secret conversation," also "retirement, solitude," noun from secretus "set apart, withdrawn; hidden, con
    resect
    "cut off or away, pare off," 1650s, from Latin resectus, past participle of resecare "to cut off, cut loose, curtail," from re-, here perhaps an intensive prefix (see re-), + secare "to cut" (from PIE root *sek- "to cut"). The surgical sense of "excising of some part," of a bone,
    information
    late 14c., informacion, "act of informing, communication of news," from Old French informacion, enformacion "advice, instruction," from Latin informationem (nominative informatio) "outline, concept, idea," noun of action from past participle stem of informare "to train, instruct,
    cabbala
    "Jewish mystic philosophy," 1520s, also quabbalah, etc., from Medieval Latin cabbala, from Mishnaic Hebrew qabbalah "reception, received lore, tradition," especially "tradition of mystical interpretation of the Old Testament," from qibbel "to receive, admit, accept." Compare Arab
    countersign
    "a military watchword, a signal given to a soldier on guard, with orders to let no one pass who does not first give that signal," 1590s, from French contresigne, from contre- "against" (see contra-) + signe "sign" (see sign (n.)). COUNTERSIGN. A watchword used by military bodies
    parole
    1610s, "word of honor," especially "promise by a prisoner of war not to escape if allowed to go about at liberty, or not to take up arms again if allowed to return home," from French parole "word, speech" (in parole d'honneur "word of honor") from Vulgar Latin *paraula "speech, d
    ignominious
    early 15c., from Latin ignominiosus "disgraceful, shameful," from ignominia "disgrace, infamy, loss of a (good) name," from assimilated form of in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + nomen (genitive nominis) "name" (from PIE root *no-men- "name"). The Latin spelling perhaps influ
    alacrity
    "liveliness, briskness," mid-15c., from Latin alacritatem (nominative alacritas) "liveliness, ardor, eagerness," from alacer (genitive alacris) "cheerful, brisk, lively;" a word of uncertain origin. Perhaps cognate with Gothic aljan "zeal," Old English ellen "courage, zeal, stren

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