Richard Pennycuick wrote:

>Leaving aside the latter definition, which has taken on a pejorative
>sense, I find it difficult to justify calling Dion a diva(...) Whatever,
>I have the feeling that a fine old word has somehow been devalued.

Well, if i don't remember bad, "diva" means "goddess" in italian (?do you
remember Norma's pray to the "casta diva" [white goddess]?) and, I believe,
also in latin ("Divus Caesar").  This is, then, a matter of religion.
Everybody knows that a god (or a goddess) has always worshippers and
heretics.  (Guess in which side am I, in this case).

Pablo Massa
[log in to unmask]