Virgo

25: A flag at half -mast

T h e w o r d f l a g d e sc e n d s f r o m t h e I nd o E u r o p e a n ( I E ) r o o t p l a k - 1 w h ic h m e a n s t o b e f l a t . 1 O t h er wo r d s d e s c e n d in g f r o m t h is r o o t in c l u d e f l o w , f l a k e , f l a w , pl a c e b o , pl a c i d , p l e a , p l e a d , pl e a s a n t , p l ea s e , c o m pl a c en t , c o m p l a i s an t , s u p p l e , i m p l ac a b l e , p l a c a t e , pl a n c h e t , pl a n k , p l a g i a r y , p l a y a , p l ac e n t a , a n d a r c hi p e l a g o . T h e w o r d h a l f d e sc e n d s f r o m t h e I E r o o t ( s ) k e l - 1 w h i c h m e a n s t o c u t . O t h er d e r iv a t iv e s o f t h is r o o t in c l u d e c o u l te r , c u t l a s s , h a l f , sc a l e , s c a l p , s c u l p tu r e , s ha l e , s h el f , s h el l , sh i e l d , s ki l l , a n d s c h o o l ( a l ar g e g r o u p o f a q u at ic a n i m a l s , e s p e c ia l l y f i s h , s w im m in g t o g e t he r ) . 2 T h e w o r d m a s t d es c e n d s f r o m t he r o o t m a z d o - w h ic h m e a n s p o l e , r o d , m a s t . 3 A s e c o n d m e a n in g o f t he w o r d r e f er s t o a n im a l f o o d a n d it d e s c e n d s f r o m t h e r o o t m a d - w h ic h m e a n s m o is t , w e t a n d w h ic h r e f e r s t o v ar io u s q u a l it ie s o f f o o d . 4 O t h er de r iv at iv e s in c l u d e m a t t e
( a m ix t ur e o f a m et a l w it h it s s u l f id e s , p r o d u c e d b y s me l t in g t h e

s u l f id e o r e s o f co pp e r , le a d , o r n ic k e l ) , m y n a , m e a t , m a te ( o n e o f a m a t c h e d p a ir ) , a nd m u es l i . T H E ME S : T h e k ey t h e m e h er e c o n c er n s S H A R P v s . F L A T . A s s h o w n a b o v e , t he k e y w o r d f l a g de s c e n d s f r o m t h e r o o t p l a k - 1 w h ic h m e a n s t o be f l a t . S e v e r a l p a r o n y m s o f f l ag a l s o co n v e y f l a t n e s s , e . g . p l a n k
1 2 3 4 Watkins, c. (2000), The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo-European Roots, p. 67 http://web.archive.org/web/20080211183126/www.bartleby.com/61/roots/ie465.html Watkins, c. (2000), The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo -European Roots, p. 50 Watkins, c. (2000), The American Heritage Dictionary of I ndo-European Roots, p. 51 Starling Hunter 2011 1

a n d p l a y a . I n m a r k e d c o n t r a st , t he r o o t o f h a l f is s k e l - 1 a n d it m e a n s t o c ut . P ar o ny ms o f h a l f t h a t co n no t e s h a r p n e s s in c l u d e c u tl a s s ( a s h o r t h e av y c ur v ed s w o r d w i t h o ne e d g e ) a n d c o u l t e r (a s h a r p s t e e l w e d g e t h a t pr e c ede s t h e p lo w a n d cu t s v er t ic a l l y t h r o u g h t h e so il ) . A n o t he r p a r o n y m o f h a l f is t h e w o r d s c a l e . T h a t wo r d h a s a h o m o n y m d e s c e n din g f r o m a d if f e r en t I E r o o t s k a n d , w h ic h m e a n s t o l e a p , c l im b . 5 I n m u s i c , t h is s e n s e o f sc a l e is a s er ie s o f n o t e s d if f e r in g in p it c h a c c o r d in g t o a s p ec if ic s c h e m e t y p ic a l l y w it h in a n o c t av e . 6 N o t e s t h at a r e r a is e d b y a hal f s t e p in t h e sc a l e a r e c a l le d s h a r p w h il e n o t e s l o w er e d o n e h a lf s t e p ar e r e f er r e d t o a s f l a t .

5 http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/scale_2 6 http://onelook.com/?w=scale Starling Hunter 2011 2