What a strange word!

It originated with the ancient Greeks, and although unfamiliar to most of us, its meaning is critical. Do you remember the old grandfather clocks with a pendulum?

The pendulum swings from one side to the other to enable the clock to function and maintain time.

It's the pendulum movement that helps us understand the meaning of this word. 

The pendulum repeatedly swings from one extreme to another – from one side to the other side. That's basically what our strange word means – a movement from one extreme to the other. So, what does this movement hav...