Hardest Only Too Human - The Quiz of Man

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. What does it mean to be human, at least in the linguistic sense? The Indo-European root "dhghem" is the root from which the word "human" derives. Which of the following most closely matches its meaning? (Hint: it "dost" parallel a certain creation myth.)

Answer: Earthling

Our word for our species derives not from any special characteristic we possess but from the fact that we derive from the earth itself, paralleling the biblical (and earlier) creation myths in which from dust we came. The Indo-European root "dhghem" from which the word "human" derived originally meant "earth". It has given birth to such diverse words as "bridegroom", "exhume" and "homage". Interestingly, the chameleon is a "ground-lion" ("dhghem-leon") while the "chamomile" tea we drink is a "ground-apple" ("dhghem-melon"). One can only speculate what we might be called had our name paralleled the Bantu creation myth in which a God vomited humans into being.

The Indo-European root of the word female, "dh (i)", is entirely unrelated. Meaning "to suck", "dh (i)" became the root for such words as female, fetus, fawn and felicity.

2. Human is what we are, but what are we like? The word "humane" was originally a mere variant of "human". By the 18th century, use of "humane" was restricted to only certain human characteristics. Which of the following might be considered "human" but not "humane"?

Answer: Refusing to forgive a debt

Such words as "humane", "humanistic" and "humanitarian" refer to the positive aspects of the human condition unlike the word "human" that certainly can be used to connote everything from our frailty to our malice. In fact, perhaps the phrase "only human" could be considered an antonym for "humane".

3. We are human and capable of behaving humanely. However, "Homo sapiens" is our official scientific designation. To which of the following phrases does it correspond?

Answer: Wise man

Our "sapience" refers to our species' wisdom and rationality. It derives from an Indo-European root that refers to taste and perception as well as wisdom. "Homo" is Latin for "man".

4. A modicum of gender-based tension can develop over sentences such as, "Members of the League of Women Voters will be MANNING the registration desk." In Old English, there was a gender-neutral English word that referred to both male and female humans. Which of the following words was gender neutral in Old English?

Answer: Mann

In Old English, one could be a "wer" (man) or "wyf" (woman) but both were termed a "mann". In Middle English "man" came to be used to designate both male humans and the human species while "wifman" (which would evolve into woman in modern English) designated the female. We have now reached a juncture when the following is included in a discussion of the definition of "man" on "Dictionary.com",

"A majority of the Panelists also rejects the verb man when used to refer to an activity performed by women. Fifty-six percent of the Panel (61 percent of the women and 54 percent of the men) disapproves of the sentence 'Members of the League of Women Voters will be manning the registration desk.'"

Perhaps a time has come when we should consider returning to our Old English roots - a time in which we could all be "manns".

5. Of course, a bit over half of mankind could be more accurately described as "womankind". In 1792, Mary Wollstonecraft published the seminal feminist work "A Vindication of the Rights of Woman". However, for what work is the daughter of Mary Wollstonecraft, also named Mary, even better known? (Hint: she married a romantic poet.)

Answer: Frankenstein

Mary Wollstonecraft's daughter Mary became known as Mary Shelley, authoress of "Frankenstein". This was published after the younger Mary's marriage to poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, who would author "Prometheus Unbound". However, Mary Wollstonecraft's "A Vindication of the Rights of Women" could be viewed as both as original and as significant as any work of her daughter or son-in-law. Mary Wollstonecraft is considered to be one of the earliest feminist voices, writing as she did in the 18th century.

6. Historically, humans have emphasized how they differ from animals. With the advent of evolutionary thought, there has been an increasing willingness to emphasize similarities. Which of the following are considered other members of the "Homo" genus with whom is man presently sharing the earth?

Answer: None of these

Man is presently considered the only living member of the genus "Homo". There is considerable controversy concerning which extinct species should be part of the hominid genus (Science. 1999 Jun 11;284(5421):1774-5). Because we seem to have diverged from them so recently, there are even some scientists who would add chimpanzees to the genus Homo (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/05/0520_030520_chimpanzees.html).

7. For an estimated 10,000 years, Homo sapiens shared the earth with Neanderthals - known as "Neanderthal man". Many if not most of us carry in our minds a picture of the hairy, bent kneed, club-wielding brutes. Which of the following is now considered an established fact?

Answer: Neanderthals lived in central Asia as well as Europe.

Whether they be cousins or ancestors, the initial picturing of Neanderthals as hairy, hunched creatures may have been more reflective of human attitude than any sort of biological superiority. Neanderthal remains have been found in central Asia as well as Europe and the Middle East.

There is no factual basis for picturing Neanderthals as stooped, hairy hominids. Their skeletal structure is as suited to an erect posture as our own, and computer simulations indicated that "hairy" Neanderthals would have encountered difficulty surviving in the very cold climate of their known settlements.

The reason for their ultimate demise is unknown, and evidence that Homo sapiens were the cause is lacking. Traces of Neanderthal DNA are now available. Although the issue if interbreeding remains in doubt, there are no indications that we descended from them. (http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/N/neanderthal/) (http://researchmag.asu.edu/stories/neanderthal2.html)

8. But what are women and men like, really? In the 1960s, a song from the counterculture musical "Hair" averred, "What a piece of work is man How noble in reason How infinite in faculties In form and moving How express and admirable In action how like an angel In apprehension how like a god." In what work were these words originally stated?

Answer: Shakespeare's "Hamlet"

Hamlet, with dubious sincerity, espoused the above view to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, two friends of whom Hamlet had become suspicious because of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern's apparent association with Hamlet's stepfather. The Bard's words found their way into the rock musical hair in the late 60s.

9. While some have concentrated on the inner man, others have carefully analyzed and recorded the outer. Called "The Study of Man", a famous drawing shows a single man with two sets of arms and legs held in different positions, inscribed within both a circle and a square. Who drew this study of human proportion?

Answer: Leonardo da Vinci

Da Vinci's "The Study of Man" inscribes his subject inside both a circle and a square. The first century Roman architect Vitruvius' ideas about human proportion apparently served as da Vinci's inspiration. Vitruvius held that the same principles that dictated ideal human proportions could be employed for the design of ideal buildings. Those wishing a more detailed analysis of da Vinci's work should consult https://artincontext.org/the-vitruvian-man-da-vinci/

10. Almost exactly half way between Britain and Ireland, essentially parallel with the border between Scotland and England, sits the Isle of Man. Of those listed below, what sort of "men" were the first known inhabitants of the isle?

Answer: Norsemen

Norsemen settled the Isle of Man(n), ultimately ceding control to Scotland. In the 14th century, England took control of the Island. Its present status with respect to Britain and the European Union is complicated. Although the United Kingdom assumes responsibility for international relations, the Isle of Man is not, strictly speaking, part of the United Kingdom and does not belong to the European Union. Those carrying Manx passports do not have the same free access to European Union member nations as do Englishmen.

The "history" of Isle of Man inhabitants prior to the Norsemen is uncertain to speculative.

Source: Author uglybird

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor gtho4 before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Only Too Human - The Quiz of Man

Since some 200,000 if not more years ago, we Homo sapiens have roamed the planet spending a good deal of time talking about - and more recently writing about and making pictures about our favorite subject - us.

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