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Virgo 6: A merry-go-round

T h e w o r d me rry d e s c e n d s f r o m t he r o o t mr egh -u w h i ch m e a n s s h o r t . 1 Other words descending from this root a r e b ra ss e rie ( a g a r m e n t w o r n t o s u p p o r t a n d g i v e co n t o u r t o a w o m a n s b r e a s t s ) , b ra c h i u m , ( t h e up p e r a r m , f r o m s h o u l d e r t o e lb o w ; a n a r m o r a h o m o l o g o u s a n a t om i c a l s t r u ct u r e , e . g . a f l i p p e r o r w i n g) , mi rt h , p re t ze l, b ra c e , b ra ce ro , a n d e mbra c e . T h e w o r d g o d e s c e n d s f r o m t h e r o o t gh e- , t o r e l e a s e , le t g o. 2 O t h e r derivatives i n c l ud e

a go ,

f o re go ,

h e i r,

h e re dit y,

h e ri t a ge,

i n he rit ,

a n c h o ri te , t he s u ff i x c h o ro , ga i t, ga t e ( a p a r t i c u l a r w a y o f a c t i n g o r
d o i n g ; m a n n e r ) , ga n t l e t ( a se c t i on o f d o u b l e r a i l ro a d t r a c k s) , a n d

ga u n t l e t ( a n o n s l a u g h t o r a t t a c k f r o m a l l s i d e s) .
T h e w o r d r ou nd d e s c e n d s f r o m t h e r oo t r et - , t o r un , r o ll . 3 A m o n g i t s m a n y o t h e r d e r i v a t i v e s a r e t he w o r d s ro de o , ro l l , ro t at e, ro we l ( a s ha r p t o o t h e d w h e e l i n s e r t e d i n t o t he e n d of t h e s ha n k o f a sp u r ) , b a ro u c h e ( a f o u r - w h e e l e d c a r r i a g e ) , c o nt ro l , p ru n e ( t o c u t o f f o r r e m o v e d e a d o r l i v i n g p a rt s o r b r a n c h e s o f a p l a n t t o i m p r o v e s h a p e o r g r o w t h ) , r o t u n d , a n d ro t u n da . TH EMES : T h e r e c u rr i n g t h e m e h e r e c on c e r n s A RMS a n d ho m o l o g o u s s t r u c t u r e s. R e ca l l t h a t t h e p a r on y m s of me r ry i n c l u d e t he w o r d b ra c h i u m ( t h e up p e r a r m, a fl i p p e r , o r w i n g ) . On e o f t he p a r o n y m s o f r ou nd i s t he v e r b p ru ne w h i c h m e a n s t o c u t o r re m o v e l i v i n g o r d e a d b r a n c h e s f r o m a p l a n t o r t r e e . A t r e e s b r a n c h e s a r e , ob v i o u s l y , h o m ol o g o u s t o a r m s.

1 Watkins, c. (2000), The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo -European Roots, p. 56 2 Watkins, c. (2000), The American Heritage Dictionary of In do-European Roots, p. 28 3 Watkins, c. (2000), The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo -European Roots, p. 71 Starling Hunter 2011 1

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