Cancer 05: An automobile wrecked by a train

T h e w o r d a u t o m o bi l e i s c o m p r i s e d o f t h e b a s e mo b i l e and the prefix auto-. The base 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 ( IE ) r o o t m e u e - 1 which means to push away.1 O t h e r d e r i v a t i v e s i n c l u d e m o b, m o m e n t , mo me n t u m , m o t io n , m o t iv e , m o t o r , mo ve , mo v e me n t , c o mmo t io n , e mo t i o n , p r o m o t e , r e mo t e , a n d r e m o ve . T h e w o r d w r e c k i s a d e r i v a t i v e o f t he I E r o ot w re g - w h i c h m e a n s t o p u s h , s h o v e , d r i v e , t r a c k d o w n a n d fr o m w h i c h a l so d e s c e n d t he w o r d s w r e a k , w r e t c h , g a sk e t , w r a c k , r a c k (a t h i n m a s s o f w i n d - d r i v e n c l o u d s ) and urge.2 T h e w o r d t r a i n i s a d e r i v a t i ve o f t h e I E r o o t t r a gh - w hi c h m e a n s t o d r a w , d r a g , o r m o v e a n d f r o m w h i c h a l s o d e s ce n d t h e w o r d s t r a c t , t r a c t a b l e , t r a ct i o n , t r a il , t r a i t , t r e a t , a b s t r a ct , a t t r a c t , co n t r a c t , d e t r a ct , d i s t r a ct , e xt r a c t , p o r t r a y , p r o t r a ct , r e t r a c t , a n d su bt r a c t .
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T H E M E S : B o t h m ob i l e a n d w r e c k de s c e n d f r o m r o ot s t h a t m e a n o r m a k e r e f e r e n ce t o r e f e r e n c e t o p u s h i n g a n d s h o v i n g . T hi s i s a n o u t w a r d f o r m o f m o t i o n , i . e . a w a y f r o m t h e a ge n t o r t h e ce n t e r . T h e w o r d t r a i n , however, descends from a root whic h means to draw, drag, or move a n d w h i c h s u g g e s t s i n w a r d o r p u l li n g m o v e m e n t , i . e . t ow a r d t h e a ge n t o r t h e c e n t e r. T h e t he m e i s C E N T R I PE TA L a n d C E N T R I FU G A L M O T IO N .

1 Watkins, c. (2000), The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo -European Roots, p. 55 2 Watkins, c. (2000), The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo -European Roots, p. 102 3 Watkins, c. (2000), The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo -European Roots, p. 93 Starling Hunter 2011 1