Today’s word of the day is diviner. Pronounced / dɪˈvaɪ nər /, this noun means “a person who divines; soothsayer; prophet” or “a person skilled in using a divining rod” (https://www.dictionary.com/browse/diviner). Dictionary.com says further that the word appeared in English around “1300–50; divine + -er; replacing Middle English divinour <Anglo-French< Late Latin dīvīnātor soothsayer, equivalent to Latin dīvīnā (re) to divine + -to -tor” (ibid.).

Etymonline.com says that it entered the language in the “early 14c., from Old French devineor, from Late Latin divinator, from Latin divinare” (https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=diviner) and then suggests referring to the verb form of divine. It appeared in the “late 14c., divinen, ‘learn or make out by or as if by divination, foretell’ future events (trans.), also intransitive, ‘use or practice divination;’ from Old French deviner, from Vulgar Latin *devinare, a dissimilation of Latin divinare ‘foresee, foretell, predict,’ from divinus ‘of a god,’ from divus ‘of or belonging to a god, inspired, prophetic,’ which is related to deus ‘god, deity’ (from PIE root *dyeu- ‘to shine,’ in derivatives ‘sky, heaven, god’).

“Latin divinus also meant, as a noun, ‘soothsayer.’ English divine (v.) is also attested from late 14c. in the sense of ‘make out by observations or otherwise; make a guess or conjecture’ without reference to supernatural insight. The earliest English sense is ‘to contrive, plot’ (mid-14c.)” (ibid.).

The word diviner is also connected to the noun divination, which also entered the language in the “late 14c., divinacioun, ‘act of foretelling by supernatural or magical means the future, or discovering what is hidden or obscure,’ from Old French divination (13c.), from Latin divinationem (nominative divinatio) ‘the power of foreseeing, prediction,’ noun of action from past-participle stem of divinare, literally ‘to be inspired by a god,’ from divinus ‘of a god,’ from divus ‘a god,’ related to deus ‘god, deity’ (from PIE root *dyeu- ‘to shine,’ in derivatives ‘sky, heaven, god’)” (ibid.).

You may have noticed that while diviner entered the language in the early 14^th century, the other two words entered later.

On this date in 1538, the “Treaty of Nagyvarad/Peace of Grosswardein signed between Ferdinand I of Austria and John Zápolya of Hungary” (https://www.onthisday.com/events/february/24).

We’ve all heard how the Ottoman empire, under Suleiman the Magnificent, was defeated by European forces in the Siege of Vienna in 1683, preserving Western Europe from domination by the Turks. But that famous battle was preceded by the Ottomans’ invasion of Hungary and followed by civil war in the same country and hundreds of years of battle between the Ottomans and the Hapsburgs. One period involved John Zapolya and the Archduke Ferdinand of Austria.

In 1526, the Ottoman army defeated the Hungarian army at the Battle of Mohács. In that battle, the Hungarian king, Louis II, died. Two men, John Zapolya, who “was Voivode [the highest ranking aristocrat] of Transylvania before his coronation,” and the Archduke Ferdinand of Austria, who was the brother-in-law of Louis II and the brother of Charles, the Holy Roman Emperor. John Zapolya turned to the Ottomans to help him defeat Ferdinand, and for a while Hungary became a vassal state of Turkey.

Then, in 1538, Zapolya and Ferdinand signed a secret treaty, the Treaty of Nagyvarad, that recognized Zapolya as King John while ceding the western third of Hungary to the Hapsburgs and at the same time making Ferdinand the heir to the Hungarian throne, since Zapolya had no heir. But the next year, John Zapolya had a son, and his son became the king of Hungary with Suleiman the Magnificent as the regent. Hungary remained a vassal state of the Turks.

In 1541, the Ottomans captured the city of Buda, the historic capital of Hungary. 145 years later, the Western European forces that defeated the Ottomans in the Siege of Vienna won the Battle of Buda and retook the Hungarian capital.

Those familiar with Hungary know that the capital is Budapest, so hearing of the city of Buda may be confusing. Buda is on the western side of the Danube river, and Pest is on the eastern shore. In 1873, the two cities, along with another called Obuda, were made into one city, the city of Budapest. But even today the two are like separate cities joined, across the Danube, by bridges. In fact, travel sites recommend that if you’re going to spend five or more nights in Budapest, spend two nights in Pest and the other nights in Buda, the quieter and more historic side of the city.

There’s an old saying that goes, stay in Buda and visit Pest. Or maybe its, stay in Pest and visit Buda. I need a diviner to tell me which one is right.

Today’s image is of the Danube River flowing through Budapest (https://alle.travel/en/budapest/pages/danube-river-in-budapest-history-facts-cultural-significance).