What is Soup
What is soup. What makes a liquid worthy of holding the name soup. Does the liquid have to be hot? Contain some sort of solid? The possibilities are endless. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines soup as something (as a heavy fog) having or suggesting the consistency or nutrient qualities of soup or in terms a liquid food. My argument here is what about a warm fruit puree or compote. These have their own names… but in reality they are just soup. They hold nutritional value and often have solid substance. I know you may be thinking this is a bit of stretch but what I am getting at is who determines what food is named.
Who determined that a hot dog is not a sandwich or that a taco isn’t simply an open faced burrito? All of these questions have been pondering the minds of millions of Americans and have sparked quite the debate. It started out as a joke among friends, arguing back and forth over who is right about the different categories. Aside from these controversial conspiracies, very seldom do people think “who named this substance that I am about to digest.” This is such an intriguing concept to think about when considering how many “names” we come in contact with every day. Who decided they have the authority to name a liquid substance soup… and did they know the impact they would have.
The word soup actually comes from the French word soupe which is derived from the Vulgar Latin word suppa. Suppa is defined as “bread soaked in broth”. In contrary the word restaurant was first used in France to refer to an inexpensive soup sold my street vendors. So in the 16th century the word soup and restaurant were understood as the same subject. I find this extremely interesting and it makes me question how many other names started out meaning something completely different.
Buzzfeed wrote an article on “25 Everyday Things You Didn’t Know Had Names” which is where my pondering began. Did you know that the white crescent part of the top of your nails is called a “lunule”? Or that tiny medal part on an old fashion pencil is called a “ferrule”? If your second toe is longer than your big toe its considered “Mortons Toe”. Who in the world is Morton and was he the first ever to have a toe longer than his big toe? These questions are fascinating to me and makes me wonder how many objects hold names derived from something we could never imagine.
Assuming you haven’t studied the philosophy of language these examples should be baffling. Upon doing some quick research I found that there really isn’t an explanation to these questions. My goal wasn’t to confuse you- or make you question the name of the chair you are sitting or the last meal you ate. My goal was to help you question and appreciate the world around you. Spark up a debate with a friend or research the meaning and history of a name. Giggle to yourself the next time you pick up a banana or give it your own name. The opportunities are endless when you take a second to step back and recreate your own reality.
