Where does the word normal come from?
The irony of this word is we tend to use it primarily when we sense an absence of the condition it represents; so naturally, it’s been the focus of many headlines and will continue to be so, as many predict the state of the “new normal.”
In the word “normal” we see another closely related word: “norm”; they both derive from a Latin root that has geometric essence. Remember back in school, your math teacher told you to draw a “normal” i.e. a straight line? Well that’s because in addition to “regular,” “normal” also denotes “a line that is perpendicular to a surface.” And in fact, that latter definition hearkens back closer to its Latin root, norma, literally meaning “carpenter’s square.”
Relatedly, did you ever wonder why the little tool we used to draw those straight lines, or normals, was called a “ruler”? In addition to denoting the exercise of authority over people, “rule” also means “to mark with parallel straight lines.” And, it turns out, it shares a root with the word “regular”: Latin regula meaning “straight piece of wood.”
Finally, the third familiar cousin here, “ordinary,” shares a root with the word “order”: ordo meaning “row, line, rank.”
One logical explanation for why the concept of norms/rules/orders is intertwined with that of straight lines is: “If you put a ruler next to a line, you can tell right away if it’s crooked. A rule or regulation sets a standard, so everyone knows if you ‘break the rule’.” A rule is “a pattern to be followed” and “someone who sets the rules for others to follow is called a ruler.”
How boring would life be, if all objects were dominated by straight lines. If everything always went according to some ruler’s plan. Even the word “plan” derives from similar, rigid origins: “plane surface,” on which diagrams, including blueprints, are drawn (“plan” means map in French).
People, especially children, often seek exciting adventures in fictional stories; it’s not a coincidence that the word used to describe the books containing these — “novel” — also means “new.”
When used as a prefix, “extra” means “outside or beyond,” versus its meaning as a noun of “very.”
Sometimes, when given the choice between extra ordinary and extraordinary, I’ll gladly choose the latter.
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