From G. H. Darwin [3 June 1867]1
Tr: Coll.
Monday
Dear Papa,
I have asked a good classic about some word for Pangenesis,—he seems to thing Atomogenesis wd be all right, from the classical point of view—& wd mean the genesis of ultimate particles, litterally of particles wh: cannot be subdivided.2 I found a word [G[kuttaros]G] wh: wd make Cyttarogenesis, the word meaning the cell of a plant—but then altho’ used by a good author it is rare as might be expected, & of course wd not convey any meaning to anyone who was not a good classic.3 This man said he wd see if he cd find any more words but I have not asked him since. I do’nt think you cd get any common word for tissue or cells.
I shd say from the little notion I have about pangenesis that atomo-g. wd represent it better, unless you have particular objection to your cells or gemmules being called atoms i.e indivisible particles.— If I hear more I will write again.—
We have had some most goloptious weather since Mama &c were here—4 Yesterday I loafed about all day. I am getting in rather a fright about the May exam wh: begins next Friday, as it is the first one in which we shall have had really hard papers & if I don’t do well in it I suppose I sha’nt in the Tripos. There was a concert in the town hall on Friday & Frank5 played in a duet with a piano; he had practised a good deal & I really thought played it very well— I was surprised to hear how loud the flute was when I was right at the further end of a very large hall.
Swettenham’s eye got nearly alright at one time but he foolishly uncovered it too soon & it has relapsed again, tho’ not so bad as before.—6 I shall only be at home for two days before I go to Paris & one of them I shall have to go to London to see the dentist, more’s the bore.—7 I wish there was a little longer time betw: the end of this term & July, when I shall have to come back here.—
Yrs G H Darwin
Footnotes
Bibliography
Alum. Cantab.: Alumni Cantabrigienses. A biographical list of all known students, graduates and holders of office at the University of Cambridge, from the earliest times to 1900. Compiled by John Venn and J. A. Venn. 10 vols. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1922–54.
OED: The Oxford English dictionary. Being a corrected re-issue with an introduction, supplement and bibliography of a new English dictionary. Edited by James A. H. Murray, et al. 12 vols. and supplement. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 1970. A supplement to the Oxford English dictionary. 4 vols. Edited by R. W. Burchfield. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 1972–86. The Oxford English dictionary. 2d edition. 20 vols. Prepared by J. A. Simpson and E. S. C. Weiner. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 1989. Oxford English dictionary additional series. 3 vols. Edited by John Simpson et al. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 1993–7.
Summary
Has asked a classics scholar about a word for Pangenesis. He suggests "atomogenesis".
Is getting in rather a fright about the coming exams.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-5561
- From
- George Howard Darwin
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- Trinity College, Cambridge
- Source of text
- DAR 210.2: 2
- Physical description
- ALS 8pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 5561,” accessed on 1 September 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-5561.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 15