8/3/2019 Leo 24: An untidy, unkempt man

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Leo 24: An untidy, unkempt man

The word untidy   descends from the Indo-European

(IE) root   da - , to divide. 1 Paronyms include the words

dem e  ( o ne o f t h e t o w ns h i p s o f a nc i e nt A t t i c a ; a l o c a l ,

u s u a l l y s t a bl e p o p u l a t i o n o f i nt e r br e e d i ng o r g a ni s m s

o f t h e s a m e ki nd o r s p e c i e s ) , demotic   (of or relat ing to

t h e c o m m o n p e o p l e ; p o p u l a r ) , demon, daemon, t ide,

t iding , demagogue , dem ocr acy , en dem i c , p an dem i c   and

zeitgeist  .  

Th e w o r d unkempt descends from the IE root  

gembh-   w h i c h m eans “ t o o t h , na i l . ” 2 I ts paronyms

i nc l u d e comb, kame  (a short r idge or mound of sand

and gravel deposited during the melt ing of g lacial ice) ,

 gomphosis  (a type of immovable art iculat ion, as of a tooth inserted into

i t s bo ny s o c ke t ) , oakum  ( l o o s e h e m p o r j u t e f i be r o bt a i ne d by

u nr a v e l l i ng o l d r o p e s )  , chime  (the r im of a cask)  , gem, gemma  ( an

a s e x u a l bu d l i ke p r o p a g u l e ; a bu d ) .

The word man i s a s s o c i a t e d w i t h t h r e e d i f f e r e nt I nd o -E u r o p e a n r o o t s .The word i tsel f descends from the IE root   man-1 w h i c h m eans “m an” and

from which also descend manikin , mannequin, mensch, and Manu. 3   The

root   ner-2   m eans “m an” and i t s “b as i c s ens e” i s “v i g o r o u s , v i t a l , s t r o ng . ” 4 

Derivat ives of this root include   phi lander , androus, t h e p r e f i x andro- ,  

and the suf f ix - andry. Th e G r e e k   aner   which means “man” is also related

to this root . Final ly , the root   wi-ro   al s o m eans “m an. ” 5 Among i ts

derivat ives are the words viri le , v irtue, a nd virtuoso, and werewolf .

1 W a t k i n s , C . ( 2 0 0 0 ) , T h e A m e r i c a n H e r i t a g e D i c t i o n a r y o f I n d o E u r o p e a n R o o t s , p . 1 4

2 W a t k i n s , C . ( 2 0 0 0 ) , T h e A m e r i c a n H e r i t a g e D i c t i o n a r y o f I n d o E u r o p e a n R o o t s , p . 2 6

3 W a t k i n s , C . ( 2 0 0 0 ) , T h e A m e r i c a n H e r i t a g e D i c t i o n a r y o f I n d o E u r o p e a n R o o t s , p . 5 1

4 W a t k i n s , C . ( 2 0 0 0 ) , T h e A m e r i c a n H e r i t a g e D i c t i o n a r y o f I n d o E u r o p e a n R o o t s , p . 5 8

5 W a t k i n s , C . ( 2 0 0 0 ) , T h e A m e r i c a n H e r i t a g e D i c t i o n a r y o f I n d o E u r o p e a n R o o t s , p . 1 0 1

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THEME: The theme unit ing the three keywords concerns

PROPAGATION a nd /o r (SEXUAL)  REPRODUCTION . R e c a l l t h a t o ne o f t h e

p a r o ny m s o f  untidy i s dem e , “a small , local ly interbreeding g r o u p o f  

organisms within a larger populat ion.” I t continues:

 Demes are isolated reproductively from other members of their species, although the

isolation may only be partial and is not necessarily permanent. Because they share a

somewhat restricted gene pool, members of a deme generally differ morphologically to

some degree from members of other demes.6 

One of the paronyms of   unkempt i s  gemma , “an as ex u a l bu d l i ke

pr o pag u l e . ” A  propagule   is “any of various usual ly vegetat ive port ions of  

a p l a nt , s u c h a s a bu d o r o t h e r o f f s h o o t , t h a t a i d i n d i s p e r s a l o f t h e

species and from which a new individual may develop.” 7 

Final ly , recal l that the word man d e s c e nd s f r o m t h e I E r o o t   man-1  

which m eans “m an. ” O ne o f i t s p a r o ny m s i s Manu  who, in the Hindu

rel ig ion, is the primordial father or progenitor of the human race and

“and sovereign of the earth who f irst inst i tuted rel ig ious ceremonies and

d e v i s e d a c o d e o f l a w s . ” 8 Also, the root   ner-2 m e a ns m a n, p a r t i c u l a r l y

one that is “v igorous, v i tal , and strong.” Among other derivatives of the

root is the verb  philander , “ to carry on a sexual af fair , especial ly ane x t r a m a r i t a l a f f a i r , w i t h a w o m a n o ne c a nno t o r d o e s no t i nt e nd t o

marry .” 9 

6 h t t p : / / d i c t i o n a r y . r e f e r e n c e . c o m / c i t e . h t m l ? q h = d e m e & i a = a h s d

7 h t t p : / / e d u c a t i o n . y a h o o . c o m / r e f e r e n c e / d i c t i o n a r y / e n t r y / p r o p a g u l e

8 h t t p : / / e d u c a t i o n . y a h o o . c o m / r e f e r e n c e / d i c t i o n a r y / e n t r y / M a n u

9 h t t p : / / e d u c a t i o n . y a h o o . c o m / r e f e r e n c e / d i c t i o n a r y / e n t r y / p h i l a n d e r