Word of the Day: May 31, 2009 - propaganda

propaganda (prop-uh-gan-duh) - noun

Propaganda is "The systematic propagation of a doctrine or cause or of information reflecting the views and interests of those advocating such a doctrine or cause."

First used in the written form around 1710–1720. English gets the word propaganda from the term Propaganda Fide, the name of a Roman Catholic organization charged with the spreading of the gospel. This meant literally "propagating the faith," propaganda being the feminine gerundive of Latin prōpāgāre, source of the English word propagate. Originally prōpāgāre was a botanical verb, as its English descendant remains, only secondarily broadening out metaphorically to "extend, spread."It was derived from the noun prōpāgo, meaning "cutting," which in turn was formed from the prefix prō- "forth" and the base pāg-, meaning "fix."