In Antoine de Saint-Exupéry book, The Little Prince there is a conversation between the little prince and a fox about the meaning of "tame."

"Come and play with me," proposed the little prince. "I am so unhappy."

"I cannot play with you," the fox said. "I am not tamed."

"What does that mean 'tame'?"

"It is an act too often neglected," said the fox. It means to establish ties."

"To establish ties?"

"Just that," said the fox. "To me, you are still nothing more than a little boy who is just like a hundred thousand other little boys. And I have no need of you. And you, on your part, have no need of me. To you, I am nothing more than a fox like a hundred thousand other foxes. But if you tame me, then we shall need each other. To me, you will be unique in all the world. To you, I shall be unique in all the world . . ."

"I am beginning to understand," said the little prince. "There is a flower ... I think that she has tamed me ..."

In some languages the word for peace and the word for tame are translated with the same word.

Gentle Tame Kongo Peace

Kongo an African language

of the Congo translates the word peace

as "kikœndi" which also

means friendship, friendliness, intimacy

a similar meaning to "Ngemba"

peace, friendship and intimacy

Another Kongo word, "Lembama"

has lots of meanings

to be tame and meek

gentle, appeased, demure

civil, calm, quiet

docile and humble

to be at peace

all held within one word

Tame Aramaic Peacemakers

In Judeo-Aramaic spoken in the Middle East

"mšyn" or "mǝšayyan" means peace-loving and tame

"mšynˀyt" is peacefully or tranquil

"mšynn" or "mǝšayyənānā" is a peacemaker

or peaceful while "mštyn" or "meštayyan"

mean peaceful and reconciled

Kenyan Tame

Two Kenyan languages merge peace and tame

Tiriki's "khuhonjeritsa" is make peace and tame

as well as quiet, soothe, calm and pacify

In Wanga the word "omulembe" means peace

"okhuhotseresia" means quiet, soothe, calm

tame, make peace and pacify

On the Gambier Island of French Polynesia, "Aio" or "Ao" means peace. "Magaro" means many things: courteous, pleasant, of easy manners, peaceful, quiet, of an agreeable flavor (said of food). "Aka magaro" is to render soft, to soothe or appease, to bend, to tame, to render quiet, to become accustomed in the Mangareva language of Gambier Island.

Imagine if we all became tame, building ties with each other and then became accustomed to and soothed by to a peaceful world.

About the Author

Kimberly Burnham's new book: Awakenings, Peace Dictionary, Language and the Mind, A Daily Brain Health Program is available for free download on Feb 14-15, 2019.

Learn more about Kimberly's work.

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