Hello and welcome to the English Language Clinic. Last week I discussed the meaning of the word ?serendipity?. This week I?d like to look at a word which sounds similar: ?serenity?, meaning ?peace and calm?. The origins of this word can be traced back to the Latin ?serenus?, meaning ?peaceful, calm or clear?. ?Serenus? was used to describe weather conditions, and from it we take the adjective ?serene?. It was not until 1635 that ?serene? was used to describe people. The noun ?serenity? also comes from this Latin root, via the Old French ?serenite?, meaning ?clearness?.

The weather related origins of the word ?serenity? account for the two ways in which it is used. When used in relation to a person, it means the absence of emotional disturbance. When ?serenity? is used in relation to other natural phenomena, such as the weather or an ocean, it means that there is an absence of movement or agitation. Synonyms of both meanings include ?calmness?, ?placidity?, ?quietude? and ?tranquility?.

The idea of stillness, as representing a state of mind to which one should aspire, can be seen in other words and phrases. Buddhism refers to an untrained mind as being like a ?chattering monkey?, constantly moving from branch to branch (thought to thought); it cannot keep still (the opposite being a state known as ?passaddhi?) . Words used to describe the opposite of having a still (serene) mind include being ?restless?, ?agitated?, ?frenetic? and ?unsettled?.

?Serenity? is more than just peacefulness, it is something more profound and in that sense more difficult to define exactly; maybe that?s what the monkey is trying to do. Please send your comments, queries and questions to me, at [email protected]?

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