Urning

Urning
 n.— «Karl Ulrichs was a civil servant in the small city-state of Hanover…As early as 1862 he had coined the word “Urning” to describe a male sexually attracted to other males, which he believed derived from a kind of intersexuality in some brains. The English translation is “Uranian.” This term&mash;based on a myth in Plato’s “Sym posium” that referred to a god dess of men who love men—was picked up and used throughout Europe and England.» —“The love that dared to speak its name” by Leslie Feinberg Workers World (New York City) June 10, 2004. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)

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Further reading

Stub Your Toe (episode #1606)

Advice about college essays from the winner of a top prize for children’s literature: Kelly Barnhill encourages teens to write about experiences that are uniquely their own, from a point of view that is theirs and no one else’s. Plus, why do we say...

If Grandma Had Wheels (episode #1603)

While compiling the Oxford English Dictionary, lexicographer James Murray exchanged hundreds of letters a week with authors, advisors, and volunteer researchers. A new collection online lets you eavesdrop on discussions about which words should be...