Sagittarius 2: The ocean covered with whitecaps

T h e w o r d o c e an m e a n s t h e e n t i re b o d y o f sa l t w a t e r t h a t c o v e r s m o r e t h a n 70 p e r c e n t the earth's surface or more generally a great expanse or amount. It descends from the G r e e k o ke a n os m e a n i n g t h e g r e a t r i v e r o r se a su r r o u n d i n g d i s k o f t h e E a r t h ( a s o p p o se d t o t he M e di te rra n ea n ) . Gaia and husband of Tethys. T h e w o r d c o ve re d d e s c e n d s f r o m t he I n d o - E u r o p e a n ( I E ) r o o t we r-5 w h i c h m e a n s t o c ov e r . P a r o n y m s i n cl u d e t h e w o r d s we ir ( a f e n c e o r w a t t l e p l a ce d i n a s t r e a m t o c a t c h o r r e t a i n f i s h ) , ap e ri ti f , ap e rt u re ,
1

of

the In Greek

m y t h o l o g y t h e oc ea n i s p e r so n i fi e d a s O c e a n u s, t h e s on o f U r a n us a n d

o ve rt , o ve rt u re , p ert , ke rc h ie f , a m b a re l l a , wa rn , gu a ra n ty, wa rra n t, ga ra ge , ga rret , ga rri s o n , ga rm e nt , ga rn i s h, ga rn it u re , a n d b a rb i ca n .

T h e w o r d w hi t e de s c e n d s f r o m t he I E r o o t k we i t - w h i c h m e a n s w h i t e , t o s h i n e . 2 P a r o n y ms i n c l u d e wh ea t, bis m u t h , e de l we i ss , wh i t i n g ( a f o o d

f i s h ), a n d wi t l o o f.
T h e w o r d c a p d e s ce n d s f r o m t h e IE ro o t k a put - ( he a d ) , a s d o t h e w o r d s c a p ri c e, a c hi e ve, bi c ep s , c a ddie , ca de t, c ap i ta l , c ap i t o l, ca p it u l a te ,

c a p ta i n, ca t t le , c hap t e r, c h e f, c h ie f , c orp o ra l , he a d, ke rc hi e f , a n d m i s c h i e f. 3
TH EMES : S e v e r a l w o r d s r e l a t e d t o CU I SI NE a n d F OOD PRE PARAT IO N .
Root (definition) wer-5 (to cover) Paronym aperitif Definition an alcoholic drink taken before a meal

1 http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=ocean 2 Watkins, C. (2000), The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo European Roots, p. 45 3 Watkins, C. (2000), The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo European Roots, p. 37 Starling Hunter 2011 1

to stimulate the appetite wer-5 (to cover) ambarella a orange-yellow, egg-shaped tropical fruit eaten fresh or pickled, or used to make preserves wer-5 (to cover) garnish an embellishment added to a prepared food or drink for decoration or added flavor kweit- (white; to shine) kweit- (white; to shine) kweit- (white; to shine) kaput- (head) wheat witloof whiting chef edible grain endive a food fish a cook, especially the chief cook of a large kitchen staff

T h e r e a r e a l s o a fe w w o r d s t h a t s u g g e s t t he s o u r c e s o f t h e f o o d . T h e r e i s t h e w o r d c a t t l e w h i c h d e s c e n d s f r om t h e I E r o ot k a put a n d t h e r e i s t h e oc ea n , t h e m a j o r so u r c e o f f i s h. T h e re i s a l s o we i r , a f e n c e o r p l a c e i n a s t r e a m t o c a t c h o r r e t a i n f i s h. T a k e n t o g e t h e r , t h e se w o rd s s u g g e s t b ot h a g r i c u l t u r e ( t h e s ci e n ce , a r t , a n d b u s i n e s s o f c u lt i v a t i n g s o i l , p r o d u c i n g c r o p s , a n d r a i s i n g li v e s t o c k ; f a r m i n g ) a n d a q u a c u l t u re ( t h e sc i e n ce , a r t , a n d b us i n e ss o f c u l t i v a t i n g m a r i n e o r f r e s h w a t e r f oo d f i s h o r s h e l l f i s h , s uc h a s o y s t e r s , cl a ms , salmon, and trout, under controlled c o n d i t i on s) . F i n a l l y w e m i g h t e v e n n o t e t ha t t w o o f t h e k e y w o r d s h a v e t h e sa m e p a r o n y m - -

ke rc h i e f . T he f i r s t h a l f o f t h e w o r d i s a
p a r o n y m o f cov er ed w h i l e t h e s e c o n d h a l f i s a p a r o n y m o f c ap . I n t e r e s t i n g l y , a

ke rc h i e f i s a h e a d c o v e r o n e o f t h e k e y w o r d s i s t h e w o r d w hi t e . T a k e n
t o g e t h e r t h e y s u g g e s t a w h i t e he a d c ove r . A t oq u e i s a t a l l w h i t e h a t w i t h a p o u c h e d c r ow n ; w o r n b y c h e f s , a s s h o w n a t r i g h t . 4
4

http://poets.notredame.ac.jp/cgi-bin/wn?cmd=wn&word=toque
Starling Hunter 2011 2