Etymological Search of "fantasy"

fantasy (n.) early 14c., "illusory appearance," from O.Fr. fantaisie (14c.) "vision, imagination," from L. phantasia, from Gk. phantasia "appearance, image, perception, imagination," from phantazesthai "picture to oneself," from phantos "visible," from phainesthai "appear," in late Greek "to imagine, have visions," related to phaos, phos "light," phainein "to show, to bring to light" (see phantasm). Sense of "whimsical notion, illusion" is pre-1400, followed by that of "imagination," which is first attested 1530s. Sense of "day-dream based on desires" is from 1926.

The etymological definition of my favorite genre of fiction is incredibly revealing of my person. I have said before that I am an aesthete, involving imagination and vision. I have also said that my head is in the clouds, which involves the "day-dream based on desires" portion. "Whimsical" is a perfect word to describe me, which I looked up in the dictionary and it didn't have too revealing of an etymological history, so I tried similar words, like quirky or eccentric, until I found "weird."

weird O.E. wyrd "fate, destiny" (n.), lit. "that which comes," from P.Gmc. *wurthis (cf. O.S. wurd, O.H.G. wurt "fate," O.N. urðr "fate, one of the three Norns"), from PIE *wert- "to turn, wind," (cf. Ger. werden, O.E. weorðan "to become"), from base *wer- "to turn, bend" (see versus). For sense development from "turning" to "becoming," cf. phrase turn into "become." The modern sense of weird developed from M.E. use of weird sisters for the three fates or Norns (in Germanic mythology), the goddesses who controlled human destiny. They were usually portrayed as odd or frightening in appearance, as in "Macbeth," which led to the adj. meaning "odd-looking, uncanny," first recorded 1815.

I had no idea that up until Shakespeare's Macbeth, weird was just another word for destiny or fate. Or, "to turn, wind." (note "wind" is the first part of my last name.) So weird meant fate, until the use of the three fates, or Weird Sisters, in MacBeth led to it being used as "odd-looking, uncanny." This is truly fascinating, as it is a slightly derogatory adjective now, though it is also used among circles like mine as an affectionate description. Also fascinating is that the "Weird Sisters" are minor characters in JK Rowling's Harry Potter series. I didn't even know they were based on historical literary/mythological characters. Her genius amazes me more and more every day.

So, note that the etymology of "fantasy" described my personality completely, and led me to "weird", which cast certain light on the history of my oddity and had links to my name and my Harry Potter obsession. Fun associations abound!

Emma Watson.

Harry Potter is a defining feature of my childhood. Yes, I stood in line for those last 3 books at their midnight releases at my local bookstore. Yes, I have already purchased tickets for the first installment of the last movie (Coming out A WEEK from tonight!!!!!!) Perhaps it's odd to define oneself by the fiction one reads. But I have always been quite a bit odd.

Moving on, Emma Watson has grown up in the spotlight as Hermione Granger. Yes, I am actually enough in touch with reality that I know to separate the two. But I have grown to respect Watson as an actress and as a person. Not only has she been an integral part of the visualization of my favorite book series, but she has branched out besides that as well. The later picture of her is from an Italian Vogue spread done a couple of years ago in which the entire fashion/celebrity world went, "whoa! She's grown up! What a fashionable young woman!" She has gone on to be a face of Burberry and is know for her forays into the fashion world. I also respect what she did when filming Harry Potter wrapped, even though the fashion world went bonkers: cut her hair all off. She had been under contract to never cut her hair for a decade, and now that she can do it, she did! She also goes to Brown University, and I respect any star that values education above fame.