What's new
By:
Advanced search…
My Freemasonry | Freemason Information and Discussion Forum

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Let's argue this out once and for all...

Bloke

Bloke

Premium Member
Is it the
Square and Compasses
or
Square and Compass ?

When I went to school, we used a compass to draw circles... and when I first started in Freemasonry, it was a Square and Compass, but now days, so many people love to correct that and say Compasses - and I see some merit in that,...

Which one is right ?

Am I about to start a flame war ? (hehehehee)

But seriously... "Square and Compass" or "Square and Compasses"????

A brother really ought to know.
 
coachn

coachn

Coach John S. Nagy
Premium Member
Bloke said:
Is it the
Square and Compasses
or
Square and Compass ?

When I went to school, we used a compass to draw circles... and when I first started in Freemasonry, it was a Square and Compass, but now days, so many people love to correct that and say Compasses - and I see some merit in that,...

Which one is right ?

Am I about to start a flame war ? (hehehehee)

But seriously... "Square and Compass" or "Square and Compasses"????

A brother really ought to know.
Click to expand...
That truly depends upon what jurisdiction you focus on. It varies from one place to another and I've hear both rendered in Ritual.
 
Bloke

Bloke

Premium Member
coachn said:
That truly depends upon what jurisdiction you focus on. It varies from one place to another and I've hear both rendered in Ritual.
Click to expand...
But Coach, surely you remember the movie "Highlander" - there can be only one ! It's not like "colour" and "color" where it's clear you guys over the pond can't spell....I've heard it both ways as well.....which one's right ?
 
W

Winter

Premium Member
It is square and compass. Compasses is the plural of compass and would be two sets of compass.

Transmitted via my R5 astromech.
 
coachn

coachn

Coach John S. Nagy
Premium Member
Middle English: from Old French compas (noun), compasser (verb), based on Latin com- ‘together’ + passus ‘a step or pace.’ Several senses (‘measure,’ ‘artifice,’ ‘circumscribed area,’ and ‘pair of compasses’) that appeared in Middle English are also found in Old French, but their development and origin are uncertain. The transference of sense to the magnetic compass is held to have occurred in the related Italian word compasso, from the circular shape of the compass box.


compass (n.)
c. 1300, "space, area, extent, circumference," from Old French compas "circle, radius, pair of compasses" (12c.), from compasser "to go around, measure, divide equally," from Vulgar Latin *compassare "to pace out" (source of Italian compassare, Spanish compasar), from Latin com- "together" (see com-) + passus "a step" (see pace (n.)).

The mathematical instrument so called from mid-14c. The mariners' directional tool (so called since early 15c.) took the name, perhaps, because it's round and has a point like the mathematical instrument. The word is in most European languages, with a mathematical sense in Romance, a nautical sense in Germanic, and both in English.
 
Ripcord22A

Ripcord22A

Site Benefactor
caution22113 said:
In school, the "compass" used to draw circles has one point. The "compasses" used in masonry has two points.
Click to expand...
You beat me to it brother! I was going to say that exact same thing. My coach actually told me that, cause I kept saying compass. He kept correcting me and I asked but what we used in math class was called a compass and he said you are correct but it only had one point and a pencil, these have 2 points!
 
W

Winter

Premium Member
caution22113 said:
In school, the "compass" used to draw circles has one point. The "compasses" used in masonry has two points.
Click to expand...
This is incorrect. The compass used in map reading and in Freemasonry, with two points, is still called a compass. Not compasses. Even the standard definition of a compass includes this.

Compass. An instrument for drawing circles and arcs and measuring distances between points, consisting of two arms linked by a movable joint, one arm ending in a point and the other usually (not always) carrying a pencil or pen.

Transmitted via my R5 astromech.
 
W

Winter

Premium Member
Unless there is an archaic English usage for the compass in Freemasonry that someone can cite that says it is pronounced as compasses, I believe it is an error that has crept into common usage.

Your Grand Lodge should have a written master copy of your ritual to settle disputes just like this. Contact them and see what the word is there.

Transmitted via my R5 astromech.
 
dfreybur

dfreybur

Premium Member
The versions of rituals that I have learned the word is compasses. I don't know why it's in the plural in the ritual.
 
Ripcord22A

Ripcord22A

Site Benefactor
Winter said:
Is the ritual you are using printed or cyphered?

Transmitted via my R5 astromech.
Click to expand...
in Oregon ours is cyphered, however it has symbols such as *, >, <, ', ^, >> and a few others that tell you what tense the word is, for the compasses there is >> after it which represents plural
 
coachn

coachn

Coach John S. Nagy
Premium Member
dfreybur said:
The versions of rituals that I have learned the word is compasses. I don't know why it's in the plural in the ritual.
Click to expand...
It's plural because the word itself is not referring to the device singularly but is referring to the pair of points used to step that must be taken together to use the device properly.

Literally, each point is foot at the end of each leg that is used to "step". So, although the device is itself singular, the name of the device refers to the pair of points used to step through measurements.

I'm reminded of other devices that have similar thought implemented in there creations, all associated with pairs: A pair of... pants, trousers, shorts, boxers, dungarees, overalls, jeans, suspenders, rompers and drawers,
 
Last edited:
Joseph Thornton

Joseph Thornton

Registered User
I am working on EA degree right now.

I was corrected last week by a visiting PM who was sitting in on our study group, that said "compasses because there are more than one". I don't recall more than one compass in my initiation but I also felt little to no authority to argue with someone that wanted to help.

I am looking in my degree book right now and it does in fact say compasses plural.

This argument of multiple points qualify it as "compasses" makes no sense to me. Reason being, the logic suggests that if I only had half of the tool I would still have -A- compass, when in fact I have a broken tool.

Never the less my ritual study says compasses so I will have to concede to that.
 
caution22113

caution22113

Registered User
jdmadsenCraterlake211 said:
You beat me to it brother! I was going to say that exact same thing. My coach actually told me that, cause I kept saying compass. He kept correcting me and I asked but what we used in math class was called a compass and he said you are correct but it only had one point and a pencil, these have 2 points!
Click to expand...
Review the description of the lights in the second degree.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top