PLAQUE

‘Plaque’ is an interesting word in the English vocabulary. The word ‘plaque’ has roots that are derived from Middle Dutch language origins of the mid- 19th century.‘Plakken’ translates as meaning ‘to stick’ and ‘Plak’ means ‘tablet’. The word evolved over time to be adapted by French speakers whose spelling and pronunciation were adopted by English users.

Traditionally we have regarded a plaque as a hard surfaced tablet or plate that contains an inscription or writing.

Merriam-Webster defines a traditional plaque as..

An ornamental brooch; especially :the badge of an honorary order A flat thin piece (as of metal) used for decoration A commemorative or identifying inscribed tablet

Plaque today

Today, we have grown the English language to use the word ‘plaque’ in different ways that has altered its’ meaning over the years while still channeling the original intent of the word.

Dental Plaque

One of the most common appearances for the word ‘plaque’ today is when we refer to dental plaque. It’s not hard to see how we adapted the origin of the word which meant a hardened surface into how we describe build up on our teeth.

Dental plaque is a filmy layer of bacteria that forms on your teeth. Left unchecked, the film can turn into a hardened layer of tartar found between the teeth, on the teeth surfaces as well as the gum-line and margins between teeth and gums.

Certainly someone in our past history must have made a comment on how tartar buildup on our teeth looked very much like an old inscribed plaque looks on a stone surface or a wall. We probably used metaphors and similes to originally describe this malady.

Plaque in Diseases

Atherosclerosis is a word for describing the buildup of fatty deposits that place themselves in our arteries and is a sign of heart disease.

Plaque Psoriasis is a skin condition where patchy hard itchy skin is the common symptom for.

Once again, it’s not hard to see how the word plaque was used when describing these conditions.

Commemorative Plaque

Award Plaques and Engraved Plaques are words that are used to describe the modern day plaque that is closest in origin to it's original meaning.

Today, custom engraved plaques and commemorative plaques can be used with modern materials that are light weight and durable. As opposed to older style cast bronze plaques, today’s plaques can be created using thinner metal plates. Also, inscribing a message on a plaque today involves using cutting edge technology like laser engraving machines that are fast and efficient.

Where to buy a Plaque?

PlaqueMaker.com is your one stop shop for all things related to custom plaques and custom engraved awards and gifts.

We bring the word 'plaque' into the 21st century.

Create a statement with a custom engraved plaque that will last forever from PlaqueMaker. We guarantee our plaque will not cause sore gums!