Word for the Wise, September 1

[Uadzit]

Topic: Tarzan yell

Today we mark the 1875 birth of Edgar Rice Burroughs. Burroughs lived a long and productive life, dying in bed at the age of 74 while reading a comic book.

Edgar Rice Burroughs created Tarzan. The son of British peers, Tarzan was reared by apes and went on to find love and adventure with his beloved Jane.

Through spinoffs from his writings, Burroughs also is responsible for giving us the Tarzan yell, actor Johnny Weissmuller's once trademarked, always memorable, ululating sound. In the language devised by Burroughs for his native apes, Tarzan meant "white skin"; in the language native to Burroughs, yell has—since at least the 14th century—referred to a "scream" or "shout." Other than the fact that the verb preceded the noun into our lexicon, there's not an awful lot to say about the origin of yell.

However, in addition to the Tarzan yell, we did manage to dig up a few other characteristic shouts or cries, including the rebel yell – a prolonged high-pitched yell traditionally given by Confederate soldiers during the U.S. Civil War—and the scalp yell—the shout of a Native American made before, while, or after scalping an enemy.

Yell also has the sense naming a usually rhythmic shout or cheer consisting of a specified set of syllables or words used to encourage or support athletic teams; this is the cheerleading yell that gives us the yell leader—"cheerleader," of course.

Questions or comments? Write us at wftw@aol.com Production and research support for Word for the Wise comes from Merriam-Webster, publisher of language reference books and Web sites including Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition.  

[chessiejo]

didn't he also write books about adventures on Mars?