Barb requested I investigate the word capricious and I discovered some interesting things in its history. Thanks Barb.
In the Spring, when we made our plans for planting the garden, I discovered an old package of radish seeds from 2010. On a capricious decision I decided to put them in the ground on a small plot near the house, beside the parsley, with the attitude that if they grew, they grew, and if not, I wouldn’t be upset. Well, wonder of wonders, they grew, and I actually sampled a radish the other day. Many of the plants have gone to seed, I don’t know why. But a few grew nicely and the one I tried tasted very good, if you like radishes.
Capricious describes actions governed or characterized by a sudden, impulsive, and seemingly unmotivated notion. The noun caprice means a disposition to do things impulsively or on a whim. Last week, by sheer caprice, she quit her job and went on a month-long hike around and throughout Luxembourg.
Capricious is derived from the Italian word capriccio, originally referring to a sudden shiver of horror, not a sudden desire to do something, as we use it today. Capriccio is a combination of the Italian capo, meaning head, and riccio, referring to a hedgehog. (If you do not know, a hedgehog is a small mammal with spines that do not detach easily, as do the quills of a porcupine. When threatened a hedgehog rolls into a small ball shape.) The association was that someone who shook in fear or horror was described as a ‘hedgehog head,’ meaning that their hair stood on end like the spines of a hedgehog.
Francesco Alunno, an Italian lexicographer in the 1500s, noted both the hedgehog connection with horror and the meaning with the current association of a whim. He wrote (translated), “and a sudden and unreasoning inclination is called capriccio, such as seems to come in the manner of goats, which all leap if one leaps. Likewise those shudders, shivers of cold that appear at the beginning of a still doubtful fever are called capricci.” However, the association of capriccio with horror became rare after the 18th century in Italian.
Inconstant, fickle, mercurial, unstable, and capricious all imply lacking firmness or steadiness in purpose or devotion.
Inconstant implies an incapacity for being direct or sure and an inherent tendency to change. He was an inconstant friend who came in and out of her life periodically.
Fickle suggests unreliability because of changeability. Professional sports teams soon discover how fickle fans can be when a losing streak goes on and on.
Mercurial means a rapid changeability in mood. All the employees of the department were anxious about their jobs because of the boss’s mercurial temperament.
Unstable implies an incapacity for remaining in a steady course and applies especially to a lack of emotional balance. He was too unstable for consideration for the leadership of the party.
Capricious suggests motivation by sudden whim or fancy and stresses unpredictability. As a food critic she was very capricious in her reviews.
When flying kites it is not easy dealing with the capricious winds on the prairies.
Frequent gamblers must remember that Lady Luck is a capricious mistress who always offers but rarely comes through.
To plan ahead in this era of increasing tariffs is not easy for the investor because the patterns of the stock market are capricious and very complex at the best of times.
Both Donald Trump and Robert Kennedy Jr. are very capricious when it comes to trying to predict what will come next.
It seems that when the granddaughters come for a visit, as they will soon again, it is hard to shop for their favourite foods as their capricious appetites can change from visit to visit. We often find that what we have purchased to satisfy them is now labeled with “not my favourite” anymore. Oh, the joys of grandparenting and aiming to please capricious children’s tastes.
Columnist John Kreutzwieser loves to research words and writes this weekly Word Wisdom column for Moose Jaw Express/MooseJawToday.com. He has an interest in the usage, origin, and relevance of words for society today. Greek and Latin form the basis of many words, with ancient Hebrew shedding light on word usage.
John would like to know if anyone has a sincere interest in a relevant word that he could possibly research for an upcoming column. If so, please send your requests to [email protected] . Words will be selected according to relevance and research criteria. We cannot confirm that all words will be used.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
