What does Carlyle mean by 'essence' in 'History is the essence of innumerable Biographies'?
score:3
Let us consider the etymology of the word:
essence
late 14c., essencia (respelled late 15c. on French model), from Latin essentia "being, essence," abstract noun formed (to translate Greek ousia "being, essence") from essent-, present participle stem of esse "to be," from PIE root *es- "to be."
Originally "substance of the Trinity;" the general sense of "basic element of anything" is first recorded in English 1650s, though this is the underlying notion of the first English use of essential. Meaning "ingredient which gives something its particular character" is from c. 1600, especially of distilled oils from plants (1650s), hence "fragrance, perfume" (17c.). In 19c. U.S., essence-peddler could mean "medical salesman" and "skunk."
In particular, consider that an
ingredient which gives something its particular character
can be thought of as that which is left when a substance is rendered to its most basic form; just as the rendering or distillation of plant oils yields perfumes and fragrances.
So for example if we were to compile the biographies of every Napoleonic soldier, from all countries; and then render them to the most basic and common substance by removing every individual's petty details; we would be left as the essence of these biographies a history of the period.
Update
Note that distillation requires repeated renderings to achieve the pure essence. One repeats until the desired purity has been reached. This is why perfumes are much more expensive than mere eau de toilettes.
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Source: stackoverflow.com
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