Aquarius 22: A rug placed on a floor for children to play

T h e w o r d r ug d e sce n d s f r o m t h e I n d o - E u r op e a n ( I E ) r o o t r eu e-2 w h i c h m e a n s t o s m a s h, k n o c k d o w n , t e a r ou t , d i g up , uproot.1 Paronyms of this root i n c l u d e ra g, ra bb l e ( a n i r o n b a r u s e d t o s t i r a n d s ki m m o l t e n i r o n ) , rui n, ro u gh , ru a n a ( a p o n c h o li k e g a r m e n t , op e n i n f r o n t ) , ru ga ( a f o l d, c r e a s e , o r w r i n k l e , a s i n t h e l i n i n g o f t h e st o m a c h ) , ru go s e ( h a v i n g m a n y w r i n k l e s o r c r e a se s ; r i d g e d o r w r i n k l e d ) a n d c o rru ga t e . T h e w o r d p l ac ed de s c e n d s f r o m t h e IE r o o t p lat - w h i c h m e a n s t o s p r e a d. 2 P a r o n y m s i n c l u d e f l at t e r, f l an , f l at , f l o u n de r, c la n , p l an , p l a n t,

s u p p la n t, t ra n sp l an t , p ia zza , p l an e, pl a t e, p la t ea u , p l at in u m , a n d p l a ti t u de .
T h e w o r d f loo r de sc e n d s f r o m t h e I E ro o t p e l e-2 , f l a t , s p r e a d . 3 I t s p a r o n y m s i n c l u d e e x p l a in , f i e l d, f l o o r, pa l m ( t h e t r o p i ca l e v e r g r e e n t r e e ) , p ia n o, p la n et , p l a ni s h ( t o m a k e s m o o t h o r p l a n e ) , p l a s m a ( c o l o r l e ss w a t e r y fl u i d o f b l o o d a n d ly m p h c o n t a i n i n g n o c e l l s a n d i n w h i c h e r y t h r o c y t e s a n d l e u k o c y t e s a n d p l a t e le t s a r e s u sp e n d e d ), p la s ti c ,

p i an o , p o l ka , a n d ve l dt ( a n y o f t he o p e n g r a z i n g a re a s o f s o u t h e r n
Africa). T h e w o r d c hi ld re n d e s c e n d s f r o m t he O l d E n g l i s h ci l d m e a n i n g c h i l d, i n f a n t a n d m o r e re m o t e l y f r o m t he Go t h i c ki lp e i m e a n i n g w o m b a n d t h e D a n i s h ku l d m e a n i n g c h i l d r e n o f t h e s a me m a r r i a ge . 4

1 2 3 4

Watkins, C. (2000), The American H eritage Dictionary of Indo-European Roots, P. 71 Watkins, C. (2000), The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo European Roots, p. 68 Watkins, C. (2000), The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo European Roots, p. 64 http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=child Starling Hunter 2011 1

F i n a l l y , t he w o r d p l a y d e sc e n d s f r o m t h e I E r o ot d l e g h - w h i c h m e a n s t o e n g a g e on e se l f . 5 I t s p a r o n y m s i n c lu d e i n d u l g e , p l e d g e , p l i g ht , a n d r e p l e v i n (a n a c t i on t o r e c o v e r p e r s o n a l p r o p e r t y s a i d o r c l a i m e d t o b e u n l a w f u l l y t a k e n ).
6

TH EMES : O n e c l e a r t h e m e c on c e r n s F LAT NES S . R e ca l l t ha t t h e k e y w o r d p l ac ed d e s c e n d s f r o m t h e I E r o o t p l at - w hi c h me a n s t o s p r e a d . T w o o f i t s p a r o n ym s a r e t he w o r d s

f l a t a n d p l a te a u. Th e n t he r e i s t h e
k e y w o r d f l oor w h i c h d e s c e n d s f r o m p e le -2 w h i c h me a n s f l a t , s p r e a d . I t s p a r on y m s i n c l ud e ve l dt , t h e op e n g r a z i n g a r e a s o f s ou t h e r n A f r i c a . A n o t h e r t he m e c on c e r n s P REDICAME NT S . O n e o f t he p a r on y m s p l a y i s t h e w o r d p l i gh t w hi c h m e a n s a si t u a t i o n , e sp e ci a l l y a b a d o r u n f o r t u n a t e o n e . 7 A m o n g t h e p a r o n ym s o f r ug i s t h e w or d ru i n w h i c h c a n m e a n t o t a l d e s t r u c t i o n o r d i s i n t e g r a t i o n , e i t he r p hy s i c a l , m o r a l , s o c i a l, o r e c on o m i c , t he r e m a i n s o f so m e t h i n g d e s t r o y e d , d i s i n t e g r a t e d , o r d e c a y e d , a n d t o r e d u c e t o p o v e r t y o r b a n k r u p t c y. 8 T h e r e l a t i o n s hi p a m o n g t h e s e t w o i s f a i r l y c l e a r b o t h a r e u n d e si r a b le b ut o n a c o n t i n u u m ru i n i n di c a t i o n s g r e a t e r d i ff i c u l t y a n d l o ss , a si t u a t i o n f r o m w h i c h i t m a y n o t b e p o ss i b le t o re t u rn .

5 6 7 8

Watkins, C. (2000), The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo European Roots, p. 21 http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/replevin http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/plight http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/ruin Starling Hunter 2011 2