zibeline

Pronounced: ZIH-buh-leen, noun

Notes: I didn’t have a clue about this word, but it’s not an area I know much about

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Yesterday’s word

The word deontology is “the theory or study of duty and obligation, with a focus on the right action as determined by a set of rules, irrespective of the consequences of the action”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1800s

Background / Comments

As I noted, this word has nothing whatsoever to do with teeth. It came from the Greeks words deont- (obligation) and -logy (study). Seeing the definition above, one may think that naturally, the rules should determine what one does. However, there are other rules that are used to determine what should be done. Some popular ones are “pragmatism”, which validates actions by their results; that is, “does it work?”. (People following pragmatism would agree that the end justifies the means). Another way to judge something is “utilitarianism”, which maintains that happiness is the best judge of an action; that is, “whatever floats your boat”.