MDMD2: Ort

[Dave Monroe]

"'Peace, Grandam,-- reclaim thy Ort.  The Learned One has yet to sink
quite that low.'  The Dog, with an expressive swing of his Head, makes
a dignified Exit, no more than one wag of the Tail per step." (M&D,
Ch. 3, p. 26)

analects, n.

Pronunciation: Brit. /ˈanəlɛkts/, U.S. /ˈænlˌɛk(t)s/

Forms: α. 16–18 analecta. β. 16– analects.

Etymology: < post-classical Latin analecta literary gleanings,
collections of fragments or extracts (1593 in a work title, or
earlier) < ancient Greek ἀνάλεκτα, neuter plural of ἀνάλεκτος select,
choice < ἀνά- ana- prefix + λεκτός chosen (see lectotype n.), after
ἀναλέγειν to pick up, gather up. With sense 1 compare classical Latin
analecta slave who collected the crumbs after a meal.

The form analecta is particularly frequent when referring to extracts
from classical Greek and Latin writers.

With use with spec. reference to the Analects of Confucius (e.g. quot.
1861 at sense 2b) compare Chinese Lún Yǔ, the title of the book in
Chinese < lún, apparently a variant of lùn discourses + yǔ saying,
dialogue. The use of the word Analects to render the Chinese title
apparently originated in the translation by James Legge in his The
Chinese Classics (1861) I. 137, where he discusses the various
possible translations of the title.

†1. In pl. Discarded fragments of food, esp. those gathered after a
meal; morsels, scraps, crumbs. Obs.

1623 H. Cockeram Eng. Dict., Analects, crums which fall from the table.

a1643 W. Cartwright Ordinary iii. v. 49 in Comedies, Tragi-comedies &
Poems (1651), No gleanings James? no Trencher Analects?

1721 N. Bailey Universal Etymol. Eng. Dict., Analects, Analecta,
fragments gathered from Tables.

1816 Scott Antiquary I. xiv. 312, I love the reversion of a feast
better than the feast itself. I delight in the analecta, the
collectanea, as I may call them, of the preceding day's dinner.
 2. In pl.
 a. Literary or philosophical fragments or extracts; (a name for) a
collection of such extracts, an anthology. Also occas. in sing.: an
extract, or a compilation of these. Now rare.

1641 (title) A manuall or analecta being a compendious collection out
of such as have treated of the office of Justices of the Peace.

1651 N. Biggs Matæotechnia Medicinæ Praxeωs 213 The errors and
ignorances‥have not bin sucked and elaborated (like the Bee) so much
out of, either the poison of somes [sic] dotages and uncertain
principles, or others Florilege and Analect.

1652 in J. Mede Diatribæ Pars IV To Rdr. sig. A3v, Those Analecta or
learned notes found in scattered Papers under the Authours own hand.

1770 G. Carey (title) Analects in verse and prose.

1779 H. Thrale Thraliana 1 Sept. (1942) i. 403, I have forgotten
whether I ever mentioned in this Analect Book that, [etc.].

1843 H. G. Liddell & R. Scott Greek Lex. Pref. xi, Antipater Sidonius:
in Brunck's Analecta.

1904 Washington Post 11 Dec. 2/1 (heading) The stage from various
aspects, with analects from greater minds.

1982 Times Lit. Suppl. 12 Nov. 1253/1 For readers such as these even
the slightest analect must be a thing of the very highest value.

1986 T. Mo Insular Possession xv. 149 Couched‥in a hortatory tone not
dissimilar to the precepts and analects of the sages.

b. spec. With capital initial: (the name of) a collection of the ideas
of Confucius gathered by his disciples, and forming the basis of the
philosophy of Confucianism.

1861 Sat. Rev. 30 Nov. 563 A few of the sage's sayings, selected from
thousands‥to be found in the Confucian Analects.

1916 Harvard Theol. Rev. 9 454 Unshaken faith in Heaven, to which he
[sc. Confucius] gave frequent expression, as we find recorded in the
Analects.

1981 R. Dawson Confucius iv. 51 In the Analects, chung certainly meant
‘doing one's best for’ rather than blind obedience to the dictates of
one's superior.

1990 S. Winchester Pacific (1992) 259 This code, summed up in the
Analects—or in the various now semi-official books of Confucian
aphorisms‥suggested conduct in every field of human endeavour.

http://www.oed.com/view/​Entry/6997

Cf. James Boswell, The Life of Samuel Johnson (1791) ...

"I told him that I had dined lately at [Samuel] Foote's.  'Pray, Sir,
is not Foote an infidel?' JOHNSON. 'I do not know, Sir, that the
fellow is an infidel; but if he be an infidel, he is an infidel as a
dog is an infidel; that is to say, he has never thought upon the
subject.' BOSWELL. 'I suppose, Sir, he has thought superficially, and
seized the first notions which occured to his mind.'  JOHNSON. 'Why
then, Sir, still he is like a dog, that snatches the piece next him.
Did you never observe that dogs have not the power of comparing?  A
dog will take a small bit of meat as readily as a large, when both are
before him.'"

http://www.waste.org/mail/?list=pynchon-l&month=0109&msg=59965