To Understand A Manifesto We Need To Get To The Root Of The Word
As two billion people take part in elections across 50 countries in 2024, we need to slow down and understand where the concept of manifestos came from. For that, let’s take a look at the etymology of the word.
The doors open, and in come the hopefuls. They take their places in front of the judges who are patiently sitting in line; all stalwarts in this game.
Everyone is ready. The pitch starts. The list of promises is laid out in front of the decision-makers; huge claims to deliver on if they are selected.
All they ask for in return is trust.
But this is not Dragon’s Den, nor is it Shark Tank. This is the launch of political party manifestos, and the trust is in the form of a vote based on the promises made.
When we look at it like this, we realize how the principle of selling something isn’t just confined to businesses. Politicians are salesmen too (whether they like it or not).
But it’s a sale where the value exchange isn’t in money, it’s in your decision to trust them to make decisions on your behalf and deliver on their promises whilst in office.
That one X on the ballot paper is the most powerful thing you have in a healthy democracy. It also legitimizes the label of democracy.
But it’s the political party’s manifesto that serves as a written audit trail for you to judge the party’s continued performance. That power is with us at the voting booth and remains throughout the cycle during the time the representatives are in office.
The term ‘manifesto’ has an interesting etymology, with the concept of putting something forward and making motives clear at the heart of its meaning.
The term traces itself back to a root of two parts. First, it traces back to the Proto-Indo-European (PIE) root *man-, meaning ‘to think’ or ‘to have in mind’. Second, it traces back to the PIE root *dhe-, meaning ‘to set’ or ‘to put’.
These PIE roots have contributed to the development of various words across different Indo-European languages.
The root *man- forms the root of other words including ‘mental’, ‘mandate’, and ‘manipulate’ - all keeping the idea of thinking. The root *man- has also contributed to our understanding of something being ‘clear’, ‘evident’, and ‘conspicuous’.
The root of *dhe- also forms words like ‘do’, ‘deed’, ‘doctrine’, and ‘donate’; keeping the core concept of ‘setting’ or ‘putting’ at its heart.
The direct link to the word ‘manifesto’ doesn’t seem clear with the root *dhe-, but because of how it evolved through to the Latin term ‘manifestus’, and the broader concept of something being ‘put forth’ or ‘declared’, we understand the link to the term we know today.
The Latin term is made up of two parts - ‘manus’ meaning ‘hand’ and ‘festus’ meaning ‘fixed’ or ‘established’, suggesting something that is clearly grasped or evident, almost as if it's ‘put into the hand’.
The term evolved into the Italian ‘manifesto’, retaining its core meaning, until it arrived on the shores of the English Language in around 1620.
The Oxford English Dictionary notes it was first mentioned in a translation by Nathanael Brent of Paolo Sarpi's ‘History of the Council of Trent’, which decried papal absolutism. Among Italians, Sarpi was an early advocate of the separation of Church and State.
We are in the year of democracy. 2024 sees approximately two billion people across 50 countries voting in elections.
But before we go and cast our vote, let’s all ensure we know what we’re voting for.
And once we mark the ballot paper, let’s hold our elected officials to their promises, motives, and intentions.
It’s our duty, not just our right.
Puja Teli is a UK-based writer, author, and artist who founded Words in Progress - a space to explore words and their origins, journeying beyond borders, conflicts, and empires.
Wrong Speak is a free-expression platform that allows varying viewpoints. All views expressed in this article are the author's own.
