art of devising, blazoning arms

[user_gary]

heraldry = The profession, study, or art of devising, granting, and blazoning arms, tracing genealogies, and determining and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms.

please explain the highlighged parts.

[Anglika]

Heraldy goes back to ancient times. It is the way in which an aristocrat identified himself. Each man had a shield on which was a design. With so many men having such coats of arms, someone had to keep a record, and provide new designs when they were needed. The people who do this are called "Heralds". In England, the College of Arms is the authority who does this:College of Arms In Scotland, these are the people: The Court of the Lord Lyon - Homepage

There were similar organizations throughout Europe.

[MarkHarrison]

Originally Posted by user_gary

heraldry = The profession, study, or art of devising, granting, and blazoning arms, tracing genealogies, and determining and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms.

please explain the highlighged parts.

Devising: To invent. "Device" (with a c) is the noun (something that has been invented.) "Devise" (with an s) is the verb (to invent). Device rhymes with "ice" (as in ice cream). Devise rhymes with "tries".

It's worth remembering these two, since they are a useful memory aid for learning that Practice (with a c) is a noun, and Practise (with an s) is a verb. (At least, in English English spelling - I'm not sure whether the two are spelt differently in American English.)


Granting: To give permission. Example "I grant you free passage". The word "grant" can also be used as a noun. "He received a grant to attend college."


Blazoning: OK, I'll concede that this is an unusual technical term. The verb "to blazon" strictly means to describe something in heraldic terms. The noun "blazon" means a description (in words) of a heraldic device. The noun "emblazon" is a picture of such a device.


Ruling on questions of rank or protocol: Ruling in the sense of "applying and explaining rules", like a judge gives "a ruling".


It's worth noting that most terms used in blazoning something are actually medieval French rather than English, since the Norman (ie - Northern French) Conquest of England in 1066 had replaced the prior Saxon hierarchy with an important class of Lords.


If you really want to impress your friends, then you can point out that Earl is the only remaining English (Saxon) title, and that the other ranks (Duke, Marquess, Viscount, Baron) are all Norman. A British Earl is equivalent to a French Comte (Count), hence "Earl and Countess".

Mark

[Delmobile]

Nope, it's "practice" for both noun and verb over here, although we do still devise our devices.

I remember two brothers who transferred into my high school from GB. The English teacher marked wrong a comma one of them had used according to what he'd been taught back home (there are some very slight differences, I believe). Poor Michael indignantly complained, "After all, it's OUR language!"

[Anglika]

Beware - Gary is still struggling with English. Do not confuse him with too much information!

[Delmobile]

Sorry - I should have PM'd Mark with the comma anecdote.