RETROGRADE: ORIGIN OF THE TERM, MEANING AND DIFFERENT USES - LITERATURE - 2025

Retrograde is an adjective that designates a person who has actions or thoughts from other times, and is called that in a pejorative way. In other words, it is not a quality, but rather the opposite. Anyway, the word retrograde can be used to imply that something "goes back", applicable in different fields, something that we will see later.

The word retrograde comes from the Latin «retrogradus». In the first place, "retro" means backwards (it should be remembered that many words of Latin origin that begin with "re" refer to the past, such as "remembering", "re-offending" or "recoiling"); while «gradus» comes from «step» or «step».

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If we go to the Royal Spanish Academy, it indicates that the word retrograde refers to a person in favor of political or social entities typical of previous times, or that he is negative to modifications or changes.

Thus it is very clear that when we refer to someone with this word we are doing it in a derogatory way, not only to their thoughts, but also to the possibility of opening towards new ones.

A retrograde person would be one who in the XXI century is against divorce or contraceptive methods. Besides having "old" thinking, you can hardly be persuaded to change them.

We could say that the antonym (that is, the opposite) to a retrograde person is a "progressive" person, one who has the most open mind to change, is permeable to new ideas, and is better willing to exchange opinions.

Uses of the word retrograde

We have already seen that the most common is when referring to a person. However, there are other ways of using the word that are not so frequently heard, but that have it as the protagonist.

In the description of an action

We can point out that a person or object performs a backward movement. For example, mention that "the ship's cannons make a retrograde movement when fired."

In astronomy

The planets are known to revolve around the sun, and they do so with a diurnal motion from west to east, thus following the stars, which slowly move eastward.

There are five planets that travel irregularly through the cosmos: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. These move from west to east, although it is interrupted by brief intervals of retrograde movements from east to west. This process is called "planet retrogradation."

This setback or retrograde begins with a loss of forward speed until it stops; then it backs up until it stops again and then starts the conventional movement again.

In astrology

In ancient times, the planets made reference to the will of the gods, having a direct influence with the actions of human beings. In these times, these represent the impulses of the human psyche, whether they are diverse qualities throughout the 12 signs of the zodiac, or the different stages of life through the 12 houses.

If we take what is detailed in the previous point, that retrogradation of some of the planets (or signs of the zodiac in astrology) generates changes in the ideas linked to the planet. In other words, the characteristics that govern a person according to the star.

Mercury

In the realm of astrology, Mercury is key. There is talk of a "Mercury retrograde" since the mid-18th century. In terms of this discipline, this planet represents communication, mentality or rationality, reasoning, adaptability and variability.

When Mercury is retrograde it means there is a lapse in all those qualities. For astrologers, this is a stop-and-go process, during which it is prudent not to respond to impulses, and to be more aware than ever of what is happening around you.

It seems unusual, but in recent years "Mercury retrograde" has been given a relevance that it has never had before. For some, that computers are not working, flights are canceled or delayed, or that people are more tense than ever is due to this phenomenon.

However, Dr. Mark Hammergen, astronomer at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago in the United States, reassured the restless, stating that “we have no knowledge of any physical mechanism that radically changes people's behavior or causes power outages. ».

In the health

The term retrograde is also present in different abnormalities that have to do with health. For example, we speak of "retrograde ejaculation" when the semen that will be expelled does not pass through the urethra (as is generally the case), but is redirected to the bladder.

Thus, the sphincter of the bladder contracts and the semen is directed towards the urethra but with much less pressure.

Generally it occurs in diabetic patients, due to the intake of some medications (such as those prescribed to treat high blood pressure or antidepressants), or as a result of post-operative reactions to treat prostate or urethral problems.

In genetics

We speak of "retrograde crossing" when a hybrid first-born offspring is crossed with one of the parents or with a genotype equal to the paternal one. This breed or organism of this cross is designated by the name of "backcross."

The "retro" as style

In fashion, we speak of "retro" style to refer to a new product that is based on another from past times. In general, when we call something "retro" we do so with a certain tone of nostalgia, trying to rescue something from the past due to the dissatisfaction of the present.

Contrary to what we have been talking about, "retro" is seen as attractive. This is how game consoles from the 1990s, typewriters or old cell phones of more than uncomfortable dimensions are sold today.

Examples

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Perhaps the best example of a retrograde is the Mennonite community (photo). They are small societies made up of Protestant Christians who have lived for five centuries in agricultural communities, avoiding all kinds of adaptation to current times.

They do not have the same consumption habits as the rest of the world, nor do they use technological devices. They are not unaware of them, but they are not open to incorporating them into their daily life.

References

1. Royal Spanish Academy. (2019). Recovered from: dle.rae.es
2. Dr. Mark Hammergren. (2019). MSN News. Recovered from: msn.com
3. Retrograde Ejaculation (2019). National Library of Medicine of the United States. Retrieved from: medlineplus.gov
4. Josep Cuello Subirana. (1983). «Didactics of genetics». Recovered from: books.google.bg
5. Alexander Ruperti (1978). "Cycles of becoming: planetary pattern of growth". Recovered from: books.google.bg