How do we “pay attention”?
With the brain? The eye? The hand? With time? With energy?
What does it cost to pay attention?
Does it pay to pay attention?
“Attend” means to assist, to take care of, to participate.
What are we assisting or participating in when we attend to something?
ATTENTION
Old French: atendre = to expect, wait for, pay attention
Latin: attendere = give heed to, literally “to stretch toward,” from ad (to) + tendere (stretch)
INTENTION
Old French: intendre = to direct one’s attention
Latin: intendere, in = toward + tendere = to stretch
HEED
Old English: hedan = to take care, attend
West Germanic: hodjan
Old Saxon: hodian
Old Frisian: hoda
German: hüten = to guard, watch
BEHOLD
“lo and behold”
lo, loke = look and see
load = burden
loaded = rich
behold, behealdan= hold, keep
beholden = indebted
PAY
Old French: paiier
Latin: pacare = to please, pacify, satisfy, especially a creditor
Latin: pax (pacis) = peace
Japanese: chuui (atention) o harau (pay) = pay attention
okane (money) o harau (pay) = pay money
Spanish: atención de la paga = put attention
prestar atención = pay attention, watch, listen
poner atención = put attention
French: attention de salaire = pay attention
faire attention = do attention
attirer l’attention = draw attention
prêter attention = lend attention
German: achtgeben = pay attention, take care
Italian: attenzione di paga = pay attention
Dutch: besteed aandacht = pay attention
Originally posted in July 2009.