Fount of Wisdom

Fount of Wisdom Fount of Wisdom Fount of Wisdom By Maeve Maddox Kathryn Doyle writes: Ive heard or read this expression and its taken up residence in my subconscious. But Im not finding it in Websters. Where did it come from? Is it font or fount or do I need to exorcize it? Ex. Font of wisdomor Font of information. My immediate response was fount, of course! Fount is a poetic form of fountain. The expression fount of wisdom immediately makes me think of this quotation from Alexander Pope: A little learning is a dangerous thing; Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring: Pope was writing for readers who knew their classics. Pieria is a district of the Greek region of Macedonia just north of Mount Olympus, regarded as the home of the Muses in Greek and Roman mythology. Hence: of or relating to the Muses, or (by extension) poetry and learning; poetic. Pierian spring n. the fountain or source of poetic inspiration (usu. in figurative context). OED So, fount of wisdom is the only correct spelling for me, but the answer to Kathryns question is not so simple, as can be seen in these definitions: fount: [fount] 1. a. A spring or source of water issuing from the earth and collecting in a basin, natural or artificial; also, the head-spring or source of a stream or river. Now arch. or poet. exc. fig. font: font   [fÃ… nt] 1. basin, O.E. font, from L. fons (gen. fontis) fountain (see fountain), especially in M.L. fons baptismalis baptismal font. 2. typeface, 1683, from M.Fr. fonte, fem. pp. of fondre melt (see found (2)). So called because all the letters were cast at the same time. (In England usually fount.) Since even a font of type can be spelled as a fount of type in England, I dont think that any hard and fast rule can apply. Image and pronunciation can probably be allowed to prevail. Do you see the figurative source of wisdom or information as a welling spring of water, or as a filled basin? Are you saying the word with the /ow/ sound of fount or the short o of font? Ill stick with fount, but Id hesitate to fault the speaker/writer who goes with font. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:When to Use â€Å"That,† â€Å"Which,† and â€Å"Who†Telling a Good Poem from a Bad OneWood vs. Wooden