When did the word symbol emerge in late Middle French?
The word symbol emerged in late Middle French around 1380 as a theological term within the Roman Catholic Church. It originally signified a formula used as a synonym for the credo.
Questions about Symbol
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What year did François Rabelais record the shift of symbol from religious to secular usage?
François Rabelais recorded this shift in his work Le Quart Livre published in 1552. These specific religious definitions eventually faded from secular usage during the mid-16th century.
How did Carl Jung define the difference between signs and symbols?
Carl Jung defined a sign as standing for something known like a word representing its referent. He described a symbol as something unknown that cannot be made clear or precise.
In what year was English first recorded using the meaning something which stands for something else?
English first recorded the meaning something which stands for something else in 1590 within Edmund Spenser's Faerie Queene. This marks the transition to modern dominant meanings describing natural facts evoking associations with abstract concepts.
Why do false etymologies create problems in understanding symbols today?
False etymologies often create problems analogous to those found in historical misinterpretations. The history of a symbol remains one factor among many determining current understanding within society.