Ancient Grains

A photograph in today’s Chronicle-Herald newspaper (Halifax) mentioned the Ceres Terminal in the port of Halifax, Nova Scotia.  The port of Halifax is still very busy, but I do not remember encountering this name before.  From a little research I was delighted to find on the company website a history of the name that does, indeed, go back to the Roman goddess of agriculture, Ceres. Even more interesting: if you click on the YTI flag on the upper right of the history page, you will see a list of working vessels, among which are names from mythology like Argus, Romulus, Aphrodite, and Atlas!

Grain has been on my brain lately, as I get to know some unfamiliar grains. I am happy to report that spelt, an ancient form of wheat, is delicious; this fact delights me, because spelt was the ingredient of much bread consumed by Roman soldiers! From Ceres we get the word cereal; the best cereal I have eaten recently is Spelt Flakes produced by Arrowhead Mills.  

Trojan Swimmers

A brief mention in the Halifax Chronicle Herald alerted me to HTAC, the Halifax Trojan Aquatic Club. Founded in 1967, the centennial anniversary of Canada, the club dominates the competitive swimming scene in Atlantic Canada. Although I could not find a reason for their choosing Trojans as their name, the phrase in English to work like a Trojan has meant to work tirelessly to achieve a goal, such as the Trojans faced in keeping off for ten years the combined forces of the Greeks. I guess these young athletes are swimming like Trojans, and good luck to them! One last note: the HTAC practices in the Dalplex, the athletic center at Dalhousie University in Halifax. The combining form -plex is very productive in English from the Latin verb plicō, plicāre meaning "I fold," and appearing in words like duplex (two-fold), multiplex (many-fold), complex (folded-with/together), and complexity (a folding-with/together), and slightly more disguised words like accomplice (one folded-together-to/toward), explicit (out-folded), implicit (in-folded), replicate(make fold again), simplicity (single-foldedness), multiplicity (many-foldedness), and complicitous (full of/having to do with folded together).