Tremulous (pronounced trem-yuh-luhs)
(1) Of persons,
the body etc, characterized by trembling, as from fear, nervousness, or
weakness.
(2) Timid;
timorous; fearful.
(3) Of
things, vibratory, shaking, or quivering.
(4) Of writing,
done with a trembling hand.
(5) Faltering,
hesitant, wavering
1605–1615: From the Latin tremulus (shaking, quivering), from tremere (to shake, quake, quiver, tremble), from tremō (I shake). It was cognate with the Ancient Greek τρέμω (trémō) (tremble). In Latin, the construct was trem(ere ) + -ulus (the Latin adjectival suffix). In music, the tremulous effect is the tremolo, an 1801 coining from the Italian tremolo, from the Latin tremulus. The quaver is from the early fifteenth century quaveren (to vibrate, tremble, have a tremulous motion), probably a frequentative of the early thirteenth century cwavien (to tremble, shake, be afraid) which is perhaps related to the Low German quabbeln (tremble), and possibly of imitative origin. The meaning "sing in trills or quavers, sing with a tremulous tone" is noted from the 1530s; the related forms are quavered & quavering. In optics, a tremulous light is a shimmer (1821) and in physiology, a shiver (1727), from shiver, "the shivers" in reference to fever chills dating from 1861. Tremulous is an adjective, tremulously is an adverb and tremulousness is a noun; the noun plural is also tremulousness.
Becoming tremulous: Hitler’s signature: 1933-1945.
Between 1943-1945, Adolf Hitler's (1889-1945; Führer (leader) and German head of government 1933-1945 & head of state 1934-1945) handwriting suffered and, towards the end, it took some effort even to etch his name, a process which happened in conjunction with a physical decline noted in many contemporary accounts. The reason for this deterioration has been discussed by doctors, historians and popular authors, most recently in 2015 by Norman Ohler (b 1970) in Der totale Rausch: Drogen im Dritten Reich (The Total Rush: Drugs in the Third Reich), published in English in 2017 as Blitzed: Drugs in Nazi Germany (Penguin, ISBN: 9780141983165). Blitzed is a study of the use of methamphetamine stimulants in German society, the military and Hitler himself during the Nazi years with a focus especially on the relationship between the Führer and his personal physician, Dr Theodor Morell (1886–1948) who prescribed and administered a variety of drugs and vitamins between 1936-1945. It’s the use of opioids and psychoactive drugs that is of most interest.
Hitler and Dr Morell.
The fault in Blitzed is probably that habitual journalistic tendency to exaggeration. That stimulants were widely available and demonstratively popular in Germany doesn’t mean the entire workforce, every hausfrau and all servicemen in the Wehrmacht were habitual or even occasional users of amphetamines although, given the documentary evidence and the observational accounts of behavior, the case for Hitler’s addictions (or at least dependence) is stronger. Critics felt also compelled to run the usual objection to anything which could be constructed as some sort of exculpatory argument; the idea that being stupefied by psychoactive drugs could somehow absolve individual or collective guilt. Among those who lived the Nazi experience, long has been established the guilt to one degree or another of the many and the innocence of a few. That said, there seems little doubt the rapidity of the Wehrmacht's advances in 1939-1941 were at least partially attributable to the soldiers being supplied amphetamines which enabled a heightened level of alertness and performance for sometimes thirty hours without need for sleep. It was a most effective force multiplier. Other factors, notably (1) the revolutionary approach to deploying tanks as armored spearheads, (2) the used of dive-bombers, (3) the ineptness of the Allied response and (4) luck were more significance but the speed did make a contribution.
Not tremulous: Lindsay Lohan and block capitals, Los Angeles, 2010.
Graphology (the analysis of handwriting to determine personality traits) did once enjoy quite wide acceptance in many places including being admissible as evidence in some courts but has in recent years come to be regarded as at least scientifically dubious while other condemn the whole thing as a pseudoscience deserving about the same status as astrology. However, there are aspects of it which seem helpful in comparing the differences in the handwriting of individuals at various times and anyway, it's often fun to read, even if only to confirm our prejudices. During Lindsay Lohan’s court appearances, she was known to take notes so, when the opportunity presented itself, a photographer snapped an image and it was provided to graphologist Bart Baggett (b 1969; founder of the Handwriting University, a distance learning school) who wrote an analysis. He’d actually assessed her handwriting when younger and the style adopted then was different from the all block printing exhibited in 2010. While he cautioned he wasn’t convinced the sample could provide any insight “…into her psyche” the change between the two was interesting:
”Despite her youth and tendency to find trouble I did see a high level of intelligence in her handwriting. But, intelligence does not always translate into good behavior or emotional stability. I will say this: the handwriting shown on this page is not that of an erratic, scattered drug addict. It is the handwriting of a focused individual; with a high degree of perfectionism. The straight baseline reveals an overall anxiety at things not going right; someone who loves order and structure.
In graphology, anytime somebody consistently blocked prints it’s seen as a huge (but common) defense mechanism. Often this is a positive defense mechanism such as extreme masculinity. I would say most individuals would find it difficult to distinguish between this handwriting and that of a military strategist or perhaps even an engineer who clock prints everything. The one thing graphologists do agree on is that when someone only block prints, they don’t want people to know their most innermost thoughts and feelings, they are putting up a shield and protecting their intimacy. Therefore you can bet she now has some major trust and privacy issues and has a guard up. Who would blame her for having guard up, considering everything that you write is published and everywhere you go someone is snapping a picture of you? I think I would become a block printer too.”
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