Boasting
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Look up boast in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
Boasting or bragging is the act of making an ostentatious speech.[1] It is considered a vice by such major religious groups as Islam,[2] Hinduism,[3] and Buddhism.[4] Boasting has also been studied by such evolutionary psychologists as Robert Wright,[5] and can involve magnifying an accomplishment out of proportion to its importance.[6]
[edit] Etymology
Possibly derived from the Irish Gaelic word bréag, pronounced b'ríǒg, meaning a lie, an exaggeration, a deceit, a deception.[7] Similarly, the noun "bragger" may be derived from the Gaelic word bréagóir, a liar, wheedler, deceiver or exaggerator.[7] The phrasing in its current use of boasting or to embellish could easily be dated back to skaldic verses and particularly the skaldic poet Bragi Boddason who used elaborate kennings to tell the deeds of gods. Over time and across dialects Bragi simply drops the i to become brag.
[edit] See also
- Alpha male
- Beot
- Bomphiologia
- Dominance (ethology)
- Exaggeration
- Hubris
- Miles Gloriosus, a boasting stock character from ancient Roman comedy
- Narcissism
- One-upmanship
- Puffery
- Schadenfreude
- Self-esteem
- Self-promotion
[edit] References
- ^ Noah Webster (1844). An American Dictionary of the English Language: Exhibiting the Origin, Orthography, Pronunciation, and Definition of Words. Harper & Brothers. p. 95.
- ^ Jan Knappert (1985). Islamic Legends: Histories of the Heroes, Saints, and Prophets of Islam. Brill Archive. p. 160. ISBN 90-04-07487-2.
- ^ What Is Hinduism?: Modern Adventures Into a Profound Global Faith. Himalayan Academy Publications. 2007. p. 281. ISBN 1-934145-00-9.
- ^ Kenneth Kuan Shêng Chʻên (1968). Buddhism: The Light of Asia. Barron's Educational Series. p. 97. ISBN 0-8120-0272-5.
- ^ Robert Wright (1994). [[The Moral Animal]] : Evolutionary Psychology and Everyday Life. Random House of Canada. p. 266. ISBN 0-679-40773-1. Wikilink embedded in URL title (help)
- ^ Brown, Nina W., Coping With Infuriating, Mean, Critical People - The Destructive Narcissistic Pattern 2006
- ^ a b Cassidy, D: "How the Irish Invented Slang", page 100, CounterPunch Press, 2007, ISBN 978-1-904859-60-4
