The funny, mint-looking seed head and flower of veronica. Photo by Elisa / Unsplash
Good morning. Today is quartidi, the 4th of Messidor, Year CCXXXI. We celebrate la véronique, a medicinal weed that grows pretty little flowers.
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Speedwell is known as Veronica in most places and languages – for its association with the saint whose veil retained the image of Christ after wiping his face – including its Latin taxonomical name. It's a funny little plant that's partly a grass (for the way it seeds), partly an herb (for its edible leaves), partly a flower, and sometimes considered a weed. It's related to the more beloved and well-known foxglove and snapdragon. The English nickname comes as a bit of a warning that the petals of the flowers will fall off speedily after they're picked, so don't try to improvise a hasty bouquet with them when you're courting.
The word "speed" is one of those hidden metaphors that make English so fun. The word originally had nothing to do with going quickly, although that meaning started to slowly accrete in the 13th century. Before then, and upon its entry into Old English via various Germanic and Scandinavian sources, the word meant success and achievement. In fact, it was a noun, like "trophy" or "goal." One got one's speed if well deserved.
What's interesting to me is how this shift happened, both linguistically and culturally, and why we find success synonymous with being first.
