 |
|
The diary down the
ages DIARIES have flooded the markets once again. The word diary originates from the Greek ephemerides meaning "lasting for a day". The origin of the diary thus takes us back to the days when this word indicated the day to day positions of heavenly bodies. It simply dealt with the influence of planets upon human life. The diaries were then prepared on bhoj patra (birch leaves). Only a few persons who knew about the workings of heavenly bodies possessed diaries at that time. In ancient days farmers depended on predictions made by diary specialists. Such predictions helped the farmers decide what to sow and on what day and time to sow it. This helped them get the maximum yield. Such predictions almost always proved accurate. Gradually the diary occupied a prominent place in religious circles. Wars were fought as per predictions made with the help of the diary. The Romans would prepare daily record of certain events to be followed. Thus they improved upon what the Greeks did with the diary. The British and the
French learnt about the use of the diary from the Romans. They also made
fresh additions to it. They changed its style, size and stature. The
format of their diary was unique. They added a literary flavour to it.
Daniel Defoe, its first innovator, adopted the diary as a fine literary
form in his Journal of the Plague Year in 1722. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
It was during the Renaissance period that the diary came to be treated as something confidential and secret. Even family members and close relatives of an individual were not allowed to read his or her diary without permission. With this new phase in the use of the diary, its shape and size also changed. The pages of the diary no longer remained small. They would not only bear the day and the date but would also carry sufficient blank space below. That space was used for personal notings, including secret matters of the individual. Today’s diary is a modified form of the diary used in the Renaissance period. The present-day diary is also used as a planner. It is used for planning the whole year’s activities. Each page bears the name of the month, date, day, including the lunar cycles. It has a blank square space below each date which is used for noting the plans and appointments for the day. It is useful for executives, businessmen, administrators, etc. Today, the table diary is another modified form of the diary. It can also be used as a planner. This diary carries loose sheets of small size. Each page bears a different date. These pages are joined with the help of a horseshoe-shaped metal clip and can be placed on the table. It is very useful to note in advance the scheduled programmes for a particular day. Today the diary has become a necessity. Its use is no longer the luxury it once used to be. Even outdated diaries are not useless. School-going children love to use their parents’ unused diaries. Housewives, too, end up using unused diaries for making lists of ration items, recording the monthly budget, etc. The modern diary comes in attractive
and pleasing covers, shapes and sizes. In this cyber age, we have a
digital diary as well. The mobile phone also carries a diary with it. |
 |
 |
