Pisces 16: The flow of inspiration

T h e w o r d f low d e sc e n d s f r o m t h e I n d o - E u r o p e a n ( I E ) r oo t p l ak -1 which means to be flat.1 Its p a r o n y m s i n c l u d e fl a ke , f l a g, f l a w,

p l a c eb o, p la c i d, p le a , p l ea d, p l e a sa n t, p l ea s e, co m p l a c en t , c o m p l a is a nt , s u pp le , i m p l a ca b le , p l a c at e, p la n c h et , p l a n k, p la gi a ri s m, p l a ya, p la c e nt a , a n d a rc h i p e la go .
T h e p r e f i x i n - d e s ce n d s f r o m t h e IE ro o t e n - w h i c h me a n s i n . 2 A m o n g i t s p a r o n y m s a r e t h e w o r d s e p is o de , e s o t e ri c , i n, in di gen t , i n du s t ry ,

i n n e r, in te ri m , i n teri o r , in t es t in e , i nt ri n s i c , i n t ro du c e a n d t h e p r e fi x i m -.
T h e b a se o f t he w or d i n s pi r at i o n de s ce n d s f r o m t h e O l d F r e n c h e s p ri t w h i c h m e a n s sp i ri t a n d t h e L a t i n s piri t u s w h i c h a ls o me a n s sp i r i t . 3 TH EMES : On e o f t he p a r on y m s o f i nspi rat i o n i s w o r d t h e S P I RIT w h i c h c a n m e a n a p a r t i cu l a r m o o d o r a n e m o t i o n a l s t a t e c ha r a c t e r i z e d b y v i g o r a n d a n i m a t i o n a n d st r o n g l o y a l t y o r d e d i c a t i o n . 4 A n o t h e r p a r o n y m i s s pi ri t les s w h i c h m e a n s l a c k i n g e n e r g y o r e n t h u s i a s m ; l i s t l e s s . 5 W h e n w e a d d t h e p r e fi x di s - a n d t h e s u f f i x e d t o s pi ri t t h e r e s u l t i n g w o r d m e a n s a f f e ct e d o r ma r k e d b y l o w s p i ri t s ; d e j e ct e d a n d d e p r e s se d . 6 B o t h o f t h e s e w o r d s a re s yn o n y m s f o r f l a t ( d u l l , l a c k l u s t e r t o t h e s e n s e s) . R e ca l l t h a t f l a t i s t he d e f i n i t i o n o f p l ak -1 , t h e r o ot o f t he k e y w o r d f l ow .

1 2 3 4 5 6

Watkins, C. (2000), The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo European Roots, p. 67 Watkins, C. (2000), The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo European Roots, p. 23 http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=sprite http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/spirit http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/spiritless http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/dispirited

Starling Hunter 2011