Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On The Word "Ehre" (Honour), And Its Derivatives,
origin , and partly to the initiative of the Benedictine monks . Subsequent writers have blindly followed his lead , and Fallou ' s theory of 1848 is substantially the received explanation amongst Germans to-day . He and they rely greatly on evidence , some of it documentary , and some acquired viva voce from German workmen of
the present time . Much of this evidence consists of examinations , greetings , & c , in dialogue form , and generally of archaic phraseology . To the purely English student this testimony is only available by means of translations more or less imperfect , and it is evident that an inadequate translation must seriously diminish our power of
arriving at a just conclusion . It will further be conceded that if certain words in the original German are constantly rendered by expressions which partake of the very nature of our modern Freemasonry , we shall be induced to attach great importance to these phrases , and that a translation ( which although slightly inaccurate
might be good enough for general purposes ) may in such cases conduce to our forming a wrong opinion . In all these dialogues , whether authenticated or not , there is no word in more frequent use thanS / ire ( honour ) , and its derivativesfflirbar , Ehrsam , JShrlicli , JUhrbarlceit , & c , and it is worthy of enquiry whether their accepted translation is quite satisfactory . Bhrbar is
generally rendered worshipful ; and as the master was ordinarily designated Wirbarer Meister we get the constant repetition of the wellknow formula Worshipful Master . That two societies , the Steinmetzen and the Freemasons , should apparently use the same address to their president , naturally induces the inference that they must be connected ;
but I hope to show not only that worshipful is not an exact rendering of Wirbar , but further that the word worshipful can not be adequately given in German . Worshipful is derived from the Anglo Saxon woertli and scype , signifying a state of worth . From this , "to worship " would originally mean to render to each one his worth or
due . It has since acquired a more extended signification as to worship God . But the Germans cannot worship God . They have Gott verehren , anbeten , loben , dienen , preisen , & c , i . e ., to honour , pray to , piaise , serve , laud , & c , God ; but our worship includes in one word all these and more . Of these German expressions , the one which
most nearly approaches our worship is Anbeten , which means etymologically " to pray to , " but has acquired the extended signification of "to adore . " From this we obtain Anbetungswicrdig , worthy of adoration , adorable ; but apart from the fact that this German adjective is too cumbersome for constant use , it must be admitted that to adore and adorable are not perfect equivalents of to worship and worshi pful .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On The Word "Ehre" (Honour), And Its Derivatives,
origin , and partly to the initiative of the Benedictine monks . Subsequent writers have blindly followed his lead , and Fallou ' s theory of 1848 is substantially the received explanation amongst Germans to-day . He and they rely greatly on evidence , some of it documentary , and some acquired viva voce from German workmen of
the present time . Much of this evidence consists of examinations , greetings , & c , in dialogue form , and generally of archaic phraseology . To the purely English student this testimony is only available by means of translations more or less imperfect , and it is evident that an inadequate translation must seriously diminish our power of
arriving at a just conclusion . It will further be conceded that if certain words in the original German are constantly rendered by expressions which partake of the very nature of our modern Freemasonry , we shall be induced to attach great importance to these phrases , and that a translation ( which although slightly inaccurate
might be good enough for general purposes ) may in such cases conduce to our forming a wrong opinion . In all these dialogues , whether authenticated or not , there is no word in more frequent use thanS / ire ( honour ) , and its derivativesfflirbar , Ehrsam , JShrlicli , JUhrbarlceit , & c , and it is worthy of enquiry whether their accepted translation is quite satisfactory . Bhrbar is
generally rendered worshipful ; and as the master was ordinarily designated Wirbarer Meister we get the constant repetition of the wellknow formula Worshipful Master . That two societies , the Steinmetzen and the Freemasons , should apparently use the same address to their president , naturally induces the inference that they must be connected ;
but I hope to show not only that worshipful is not an exact rendering of Wirbar , but further that the word worshipful can not be adequately given in German . Worshipful is derived from the Anglo Saxon woertli and scype , signifying a state of worth . From this , "to worship " would originally mean to render to each one his worth or
due . It has since acquired a more extended signification as to worship God . But the Germans cannot worship God . They have Gott verehren , anbeten , loben , dienen , preisen , & c , i . e ., to honour , pray to , piaise , serve , laud , & c , God ; but our worship includes in one word all these and more . Of these German expressions , the one which
most nearly approaches our worship is Anbeten , which means etymologically " to pray to , " but has acquired the extended signification of "to adore . " From this we obtain Anbetungswicrdig , worthy of adoration , adorable ; but apart from the fact that this German adjective is too cumbersome for constant use , it must be admitted that to adore and adorable are not perfect equivalents of to worship and worshi pful .