Hi, everyone. And welcome back to詞源考古研究所. It means what?

Hello.

You're semi-normal today.

Thank you.

Hi, 安瀾.

Hi, Lulu. Hi, everyone.

Are you excited to explore the origin of some other words?

Of course, goes without saying.

Okay. So what is the word we're going to talk about today?

Today I thought we would talk about the word “triumph”.

Triumph like success.

Yes.

Actually I always wondered about that word because it doesn't really look completely English. It's not.

And it's actually based on a real historical event. So it comes from Latin.

Of course. It's either from Latin or from Greek.

Generally yes. So it comes from the ancient Roman ceremony of a Triumph.

所以是古羅馬的一個慶典, 這個慶典名字就叫做Triumph.

A triumph was awarded to Roman generals who were really, really good in battle. They were victorious. So a triumph was they were allowed to enter the city of Rome with their soldiers. They had their faces painted red to look like the gods and they would parade all of the prisoners, all of the things that they captured.

Like the loot.

The loot, through the center of Rome.

So this is basically to celebrate their success publicly.

Yes.

It's special honor, basically.

It was an amazing honor and there are stories of generals getting very very very angry when they didn't get a triumph.

I guess you had to meet certain quota like killing how many people and taking how much land to get a triumph.

Exactly. There was one ancient Roman who was so angry that he didn't get a triumph. He actually refused to enter Rome until he got a triumph. So he spent years outside of Rome waiting for a triumph.

This just sounds like a little kid throwing tantrums like you're not giving me a triumph. I ain’t going to come back ever again.

The thing is you have to think from a political standpoint. To get a triumph, pretty much would guarantee that you get top jobs in the government.

就真的有點像軍功章的感覺.

Yes.

Like a badge of honor. But this is like a huge celebration.

Exactly. I would imagine people would actually go to see this triumph, the general public.

This would be a parade through the center of Rome. And this was around the only time that soldiers were allowed to enter Rome with their weapons.

I see, you were saying that these Roman generals who were awarded a triumph were allowed to take their soldiers, their prisoners and their loot就是戰利品.

It's like a... show off.

Exactly. So we still say nowadays celebrate someone's triumph or something is a triumph.

So this word how to use it, you can use it as a noun and a verb. Right? You can say this event is a triumph or you can say to celebrate, for example, celebrate 安瀾’s triumph.

Thank you.

Although I don't know if you have done anything that deserves a triumph. But you can also say he triumphed in something as a verb.

Or you triumph over something.

The adjective is triumphant.

So for example triumphant return.

But surely not every general got their triumph and surely not every general would throw a tantrum and just refuse to come back. What about if they got minor victories? They're not big enough to deserve a triumph. But still, you know, deserve something.

They were awarded something called an ovation.

Like o-v-a-t-i-o-n? isn't that what we call like at... in the theater, in the theater sense?

When people stand up and clap, it's like a standing ovation.

So ovation now just means enthusiastic applause.

So if you go to see a play or if you see a performance and it's really, really good, then everyone stands up and starts clapping.

Standing ovation就站立起來, 然后熱情鼓掌.

But before, I bet it wasn't just clapping.

It could be clapping. People were not 100% sure kind of how the Romans did that really, but I would say probably clapping or something along these lines.

I guess people didn't really care about the minor ceremony. They only cared about the major ceremony that is triumph.

Exactly. It was a triumph. That was the big deal. And you have to imagine that the entire city of Rome would come out to praise to celebrate this general.

And there is a story, some people say they actually happened, other people say it's a bit of an urban myth. But when the general had a triumph, a slave would stand next to him, whispering, remember, you are only a man.

Is it like do not get a big head.

Pretty much.

Why would they let a slave say that? I thought they were going to sacrifice a slave or something.

No, they would have someone standing next to the general saying, “remember, you're only a man” because you have to think they would actually dressed up like a god. Everybody was celebrating them, they had all of their soldiers with them, they had all of their loot.

The general public cheering, I mean this would definitely go to my head.

That's probably why it's good idea not to give you a triumph.

Yeah. Actually it reminds me of, you know that famous landmark in Paris, 巴黎凱旋門 in French is Arc de Triomphe就是Arc Of Triumph.

Or Triumphal Arch.

就是Triumphant Arch.

所以才叫凱旋門.

See, this is how... I guess this Roman culture... it's Greek and Roman culture, they were the basis for the entire European culture.

Exactly those type of arches they were put up to celebrate victories and the soldiers would process underneath them. They parade underneath them, which is why in so many European cities and capitals, you see, triumphal arches, it's just a way of copying the ancient Romans.

It's also part of the ceremony.

Yeah, exactly.

But on a separate note, do you know triumph is also a quite well-known laundry brands, they make bras.

No,

They're actually quite big in China. Originally it wasn't a Chinese brand. I only got to know this a few days ago when I was doing research with this one, for this episode. 大家熟知的黛安芬內衣的牌子, 英文名就是Triumph. It was actually, I think a German brand. They said they got inspired by Arc de Triomphe.

I'm trying to see the link between the Arc de Triomphe and a bra.

I think it's stay up. Maybe it’s that reference?

I would say I'll look into it a bit further, but I think it’s probably best if I don't, I'll take your word for it.

I have a question about this. Would you share your triumph with more your family or with your friends first?

I would share it with my family. To be perfectly honest, if I had a triumph, I don't like to spread it around too much. I get a little bit embarrassed.

And it's also perhaps it would, perhaps, I don't know, provoke some jealousy, exactly. I certainly do not want you to flaunt your triumph in front of me.

So flaunt your triumph.

To show off.

What about you?

Are you asking me or our audience?

Well, I'm asking you and our audience.

I would obviously share with my family, but then I would also share with people in my life, but don't really have any direct conflict interest with me.

So, for example, I share it with my nail lady. So I know that is not gonna be like jealousy in that sense.

She'll probably be happy that she gets to do your nails a bit more.

Yeah, exactly. So what about you guys? Would you share your triumph with your family friends or anyone else?

What was the last triumph that you celebrated?

Leave us a comment in the comment section and also if you have any special request for any specific words or phrases you want us to talk about in the segment, leave us a comment as well.

And thank you, 安瀾, for coming to the show.

Thanks, Lulu. Thanks, everyone.

We'll see you next time.

Bye bye.