Leo 6: An Old Fashioned Woman and an up-to-date girl...and Pandora, too.

[sdh3]

An etymological interpretation of Leo 6: An old-fashioned woman and an up-to-date girl.

[NOTE: just as different words with the same or similar meaning are called "synonyms", different words descending from the same etymological root are termed "paronyms."]

The world old descends from the Indo-European root al-3 which means “to grow, nourish.” Derivatives of that root include alderman, the name Eldred, alto, abolish, adolescent, adult, aliment, alimony, alma mater, alumnus, altitude, coalesce, elder, exalt, haughty, proletarian, and prolific.

The word fashioned descends from the root dhe- which means “to set, put.” The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo-European Roots lists over 150 derivatives. Among them are affair, affection, amplify, artifact, benefit, boutique, bodega, condiment, confetti, deem, defeat, deface, difficult, defect, do, effect, efficiency, façade, face, fact, faction, factory, feat, feature, fetish, infection, modification, office, perfect, profit, qualification, sufficiency, surface, theme, and thesis.

The noun woman also has more than one origin. The word itself descends from the root ghwibh- which means both “shame” and “pudenda.” Two other words are derived from this root—wife and hussy (a female adulterer).

The word up descends from the root upo- which means “under, up from under, over.” Other derivatives include above, eaves, often, opal, open, supine, uproar, valet, and vassal.

The word date descends from the root do- which means “to give.” Among its other derivatives are the words dado (a rectangular groove cut into a board so that another piece can fit into it), dative, datum, die (a device used for cutting out, forming, or stamping material), donation, donor, dot (a woman's marriage portion; a dowry), dowager (an elderly woman of high social station), dowry, endow, Pandora, antidote, dose, anecdote, apodosis, epidote, add, betray, edition, render, rent (payment, usually of an amount fixed by contract), surrender, tradition, traitor, treason, and vend.

The noun girl descends from the Middle English girle, meaning child or girl. Definitions of girl include “a female child”, “a young woman”, and “a daughter.”


COMMENTARY: First of all there are the very obvious pairs of opposites--woman vs. girl and up-to-date and old-fashioned. Notably, paronyms of old include not just elderly and adult but also adolescent. The last keyword—girl—could certainly refer to an adolescent, but doesn’t need to. Also, paronyms of date include dowager, an elderly woman of high social station and the word tradition (an inherited practice of long standing). The word traditional is, of course, a synonym of old.


There is also an interesting relationship here concerning another paronym of date—Pandora, the Greek goddess—and the keyword up. According to Greek mythology, Pandora was:

The first woman, bestowed upon humankind as a punishment for Prometheus's theft of fire. Entrusted with a box containing all the ills that could plague people, she opened it out of curiosity and thereby released all the evils of human life.

As the first woman, in one sense Pandora is an old woman—the oldest in fact. But there is more of import—Pandora’s other name.

As Hesiod related it, each god helped create her by giving her unique gifts. Zeus ordered Hephaestus to mould her out of Earth as part of the punishment of mankind for Prometheus' theft of the secret of fire, and all the gods joined in offering her "seductive gifts". Her other name, inscribed against her figure on a white-ground kylix in the British Museum, is Anesidora, "she who sends up gifts," up implying "from below" within the earth.

Interestingly, one of the keywords in this symbol is up and its root, upo-, means “under, up from under.”

[piercethevale]

Interesting degree you chose. Any particular reason?
It is about being challenged by social change...social evolution...or de-volution...depending.
This symbol, depending upon where it is found, could mean that one should make the attempt to adjust to the change or to resist or to merely understand it...it depends!

...watch and wait...it is sometimes the answer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZsnHIKXVHE

[sdh3]

Originally Posted by piercethevale

Interesting degree you chose. Any particular reason?
It is about being challenged by social change...social evolution...or de-volution...depending.
This symbol, depending upon where it is found, could mean that one should make the attempt to adjust to the change or to resist it...it depends!

...watch and wait...it is sometimes the answer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZsnHIKXVHE

Hi "Pierce"

no particular reason for posting on that symbol today other than that I was editing it this morning and you and I had just about exhausted the other thread and so I figured I'd start a new one! ;-)

I agree concerning its broader meaning, i.e. social change and (d)evolution.

thoughtfully
sdh3

[piercethevale]

Originally Posted by sdh3

Hi "Pierce"

no particular reason for posting on that symbol today other than that I was editing it this morning and you and I had just about exhausted the other thread and so I figured I'd start a new one! ;-)

I agree concerning its broader meaning, i.e. social change and (d)evolution.

thoughtfully
sdh3

Hi, sdh3. I either had not noticed before or you just added that you are located in Sweden. I am a bit aback as I had some how gotten the impression you were in Africa.
Not that I have any aversion to either or anything like that...it's just that it infers that English is a second language to you either way. Impressive that you, not only converse in it so well and have an obvious understanding and command of it but that you are also so deeply into semantics, philology and etymology of the English language.
I already mentioned how much the minor study of which greatly advanced me in other studies and their respective understandings...such as the Sabians themselves. [although I kind of abhor 'linguistics'...but I am coming around as I've had to write so much these last five years....and I can't avoid having to deal with it and learn it...or an adequate amount of it, anyways.]

[piercethevale]

I am also reminded by my use of the word "change" above how much it is a buzzword in the States these past few years.
I just watched another episode of the mini-series "Deadwood", yesterday, in which one of the main characters in the series, Swearngen, says, "Change doesn't come looking for friends. Change is the tune we dance to."

[sdh3]

Originally Posted by piercethevale

Hi, sdh3. I either had not noticed before or you just added that you are located in Sweden. I am a bit aback as I had some how gotten the impression you were in Africa.
Not that I have any aversion to either or anything like that...it's just that it infers that English is a second language to you either way. Impressive that you, not only converse in it so well and have an obvious understanding and command of it but that you are also so deeply into semantics, philology and etymology of the English language.
I already mentioned how much the minor study of which greatly advanced me in other studies and their respective understandings...such as the Sabians themselves. [although I kind of abhor 'linguistics'...but I am coming around as I've had to write so much these last five years....and I can't avoid having to deal with it and learn it...or an adequate amount of it, anyways.]

Oh I'm American, just living and working overseas. And as an American, English is my first and ONLY language ;-)

[piercethevale]

Originally Posted by sdh3

Oh I'm American, just living and working overseas. And as an American, English is my first and ONLY language ;-)

...well, I certainly missed the most obvious answer...didn't I?
It looks like you're fairly well away from the 'Panic Zone' here in the states as to the radiation about to fall upon us here in Calif. But, who won't be affected in the long run and who's to say whom will be the hardest hit by it in the long term.
Out of curiosity, may I ask what State or what part of the States do you or did you call home?

[sdh3]

Originally Posted by piercethevale

...well, I certainly missed the most obvious answer...didn't I?
It looks like you're fairly well away from the 'Panic Zone' here in the states as to the radiation about to fall upon us here in Calif. But, who won't be affected in the long run and who's to say whom will be the hardest hit by it in the long term.
Out of curiosity, may I ask what State or what part of the States do you or did you call home?

Hey Pierce,
Tried to send you a private message but it says your inbox is full.