# why the demon in demonstrate? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 14, 2006, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-demon-in-demonstrate/380350 "2006-11-14T03:38:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Monstre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@Monstre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monstre)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-demon-in-demonstrate/380350/21 "2006-11-22T07:29:42Z")
[QUOTE=Squink] > [@](#): > > Dem"on\*strate (?; 277), v. t. [L. demonstratus, p. p. of demonstrare to demonstrate; de- + monstrare to show. See Monster.] > —\>Mon"ster (?), n. [OE. **monstre** , F. **monstre** , fr. L. monstrum, orig., a divine omen, indicating misfortune; akin of monstrare to show, point out, indicate, and monere to warn. See Monition, and cf. Demonstrate, Muster.] So the word is about the removal of monsters rather than anything to do with (L) daemons. [/QUOTE] Well, I see I’m late to the thread, but no matter. I just learned that I’m a divine omen. Cool! 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-demon-in-demonstrate/380350/22 "2006-11-22T08:00:49Z")
[QUOTE=tomndebb] Demon comes from the Greek _daimon_ and remains in English as dæmon (or daemon) in some constructions. [/QUOTE] So the word _daemon_ as it is used on the internet (“chat daemon”, for instance) means “instructor/moderator”? Thanks Q ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-demon-in-demonstrate/380350/23 "2006-11-22T08:19:49Z")
[QUOTE=Phase42] I read once that “demon” originally meant “teacher”, which would jibe with “to show”, mentioned above. [/QUOTE] Probably not. The online Etymology Dictionary has this: > [@](#): > > 1387, from L. dæmon “spirit,” from Gk. daimon (gen. daimonos) “lesser god, guiding spirit, tutelary deity,” (sometimes including souls of the dead), used (with daimonion) in Christian Gk. translations and Vulgate for “god of the heathen” and “unclean spirit.” Jewish authors earlier had employed the Gk. word in this sense, using it to render shedim “lords, idols” in the Septuagint, and Matt. viii.31 has daimones, translated as deofol in O.E., feend or deuil in M.E. Somebody may have thought that a “Guiding spirit” was a teacher, I suppose, but this is not a good historical usage. That means this is wrong as well. > [@quasimodem](#): > > So the word daemon as it is used on the internet (“chat daemon”, for instance) means “instructor/moderator”? It comes from Maxwell’s demon. [The Origin of the word Daemon](http://ei.cs.vt.edu/~history/Daemon.html) > [@](#): > > From Fernando J. Corbato: Your explanation of the origin of the word daemon is correct in that my group began using the term around that time frame. However the acronym explanation is a new one on me. Our use of the word daemon was inspired by the Maxwell’s daemon of physics and thermodynamics. (My background is Physics.) Maxwell’s daemon was an imaginary agent which helped sort molecules of different speeds and worked tirelessly in the background. We fancifully began to use the word daemon to describe background processes which worked tirelessly to perform system chores. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-demon-in-demonstrate/380350/24 "2006-11-22T09:46:20Z")
[QUOTE=Exapno Mapcase] Probably not. The online Etymology Dictionary has this: Somebody may have thought that a “Guiding spirit” was a teacher, I suppose, but this is not a good historical usage. [/QUOTE] What about that “tutelary deity” part? I first heard the “demon = teacher” thing after seeing a card from early version of the card game, _Magic: The Gathering_, called “Demonic Tutor”. There was a magazine article, IIRC, explaining the card’s name. ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-demon-in-demonstrate/380350/25 "2006-11-22T10:00:31Z")
[QUOTE=Exapno Mapcase] It comes from Maxwell’s demon. [The Origin of the word Daemon](http://ei.cs.vt.edu/~history/Daemon.html) [/QUOTE] Hmm… I always thought they were inspired more directly from fantasy demons, D&D and so on. With the programer as grand sorceror, calling up demons to perform routine tasks for him or herself. Oh well. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-demon-in-demonstrate/380350/26 "2006-11-22T14:44:44Z")
[QUOTE=Phase42] I’ve heard (from my close personal friend, Al Yankovic) that Jerry Springer puts the “sin” in “syndication”. 😃 [/QUOTE] And let’s not forget that you can’t have slaughter without laughter. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-demon-in-demonstrate/380350/27 "2006-11-22T14:52:51Z")
> [@](#): > > Or the ‘fun’ in Fundamentalist Dogma Don’t forget the dog. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-demon-in-demonstrate/380350/28 "2006-11-22T18:38:56Z")
[QUOTE=Phase42] What about that “tutelary deity” part? [/QUOTE] If you look up the word tutelary, you’ll see that it doesn’t mean tutor, but is just another way of saying guardian. > [@](#): > > 1. Being or serving as a guardian or protector: tutelary gods. > 2. Of or relating to a guardian or guardianship. If you don’t know the meaning of words, then I guess you can assign any definition to them you want and that’s how these ULs get started. But I’ll trust a real dictionary over Magic: the Gathering. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-demon-in-demonstrate/380350/29 "2006-11-22T18:41:51Z")
[QUOTE=Shoshana] Don’t forget the dog. [/QUOTE] Or the mentalist. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-demon-in-demonstrate/380350.md?page=1)