Saturday Word: Bellwether

[theidolhands.livejournal.com]

bell·weth·er [ˈbɛlˌwɛðə]:
origin: [900] Old English bellen = "roar" + weðer= "ram"



noun
We think of sheep as being followers, but if you look closely you may spot one who is leading the pack, charmingly marked with a bell around his neck (allowing the shepherd to track the entire flock).

From this we extend the meaning to mean "leader of the pack" or an individual who sets the tone for things to come; a leader followed without question: frontrunner, trailblazer, visionary.

The dark side of this trait would be a ringleader of crime, conspiracy, or mutiny.


Can you name a bellwether? What qualifies them as one?

Comments

[prettygoodword.livejournal.com]

The literal bellwether, what qualifies them is that they are a castrated ram -- which is what a wether is -- deemed senior enough and steady enough (without all them hormones, ya see) to get the bell that signals the rest to follow.

---L.

[theidolhands.livejournal.com]

True! I had simply left that out for the sake of tact and to sway the direction to the broader definition, but perhaps it should be mentioned anyway.

[ersatz-read.livejournal.com]

Bellwether is my favorite Connie Willis book to give away copies of.

[theidolhands.livejournal.com]

Thank you for answering and offering a factoid for others to look up, I wouldn't be surprised if it makes a new fan or two!