SUB rosa meetings have become a fashion in these interesting times. The Latin sub rosa means, literally, under the rose, but it is used in English for in secret, in strict confidence. How much space is there under a rose? Going by events around us, plenty and enough to spare.

Anyway, coming back to the point, legend has it that Harpocrates, Greek god of silence and secrecy, was presented with a rose by Cupid as an inducement not to reveal the secrets of Venus’s dalliances. This led to the use of the innocent rose as the symbol of silence and confidentiality, and the practice grew (perhaps originally in Germany) of actually carving a rose into the ceiling of banquet halls, to warn guests not to divulge their secrets under the influence of liquor. A symbolic rose was also placed over confessionals. No wonder our august leaders are often seen ceiling-gazing!

The French tete-a-tete literally means head-to-head. At first in the 16th century, it was used much as head-to-head, to denote single combat, one-on-one. By the 17th century, it had come to mean an intimate or private conversation between two people, metaphorically with their heads together, and this is how English borrowed it at the end of the 17th century. Its adverbial use (as in dine tete-a-tete) came with it and it was not long before it was being used as an adjective as well. It is also used for a sort of sofa, typically S-shaped, on which two people can sit facing each other.

A code of silence, a secret pact is often referred to as Omerta. Omerta entered the language when the Sicilian mafia brought its activities to America. It denotes the mafia’s code of conduct and in particular the injunction not to give away the secrets of the mafia’s doings. Those who break silence can expect no mercy. The word comes from the Italian humilita ‘humility’ and referred originally to that part of the mafia code that enjoined humility or submission on the part of the members towards the leader. It appeared in English at the start of the 20th century in the sense of a secret pact or agreement.

Another Italian loan word sotto voce means, literally, under the voice, hence in a low voice, in an undertone. Sotto comes from the Latin subtus meaning below, underneath. English borrowed in the 18th century, in two distinct modes: First as a general term, with the connotation of speaking quietly in order to avoid being overheard, and second as a musical term, signifying to be sung or played very softly, as to be barely audible.

Tap-root

The Hindi kambakht is today a form of abuse. The root carries no such connotation. Bakht comes from the Persian and means part or section. Later, it came to mean somebody’s lot or destiny. Kam, again Persian, means less or little. Thus kambakht referred to an unfortunate or unlucky person who evoked sympathy, not contempt. Now-a-days, one contemptuously refers to somebody as kambakht.

—Deepti