Capricorn 16: Boys and girls in gymnasium suits

T h e w o r d b oy a p p e a r s t o h a v e e n t e re d t h e E n g l i sh l a n g u a g e i n t he m i d - 1 2 t h c e n t u r y a s b o ie , se r v a n t , c o m m o n e r , kn a v e , b o y . P o ss i b le s o u r c e s i n c l u d e t he O l d F r e n c h

e m b u i e , o n e f e t t e re d , f r o m t h e
L a t i n bo i a , " l e g i r o n , y o k e , l e a t h e r c o l l a r " a n d t he G r e e k b o ei a i do rai , " ox hides."1 T h e n o u n gi rl d e s ce n d s f r o m t h e M i d d l e E n g l i s h gi rl e , me a n i n g c h i l d o r g i r l . D e f i n i t i o n s i n c l u d e a fe m a l e child, a young woman, and a daughter.2 T h e w o r d g y mn asi u m de s c e n d s f r o m t h e I n d o - E u r op e a n ( I E ) r o o t nogw - wh i c h m e a n s n a k e d a n d w h i c h a l s o g i v e s r i s e t o t he wo r d s n a ke d , n u de , gym n a s t , n a an ( a f la t l e a v e n e d b r e a d o f n o r t h we s t I n d i a ) , a n d t h e p re f i x n u di - . 3 T h e w o r d s ui t d e s ce n d s f r o m t h e In d o - E u r o p e a n ( I E ) r o ot s e kw-1 w h i c h m e a n s t o f o l l o w . P a r o n y m s i n c l u d e t h e w o r d s s ec t , se gu e , s eq u e l,

e n s u e , se q u en c e , su e , s ui t, s u it e , s u ito r , s eq u e st e r , s e c on d ( c o m i n g n e x t
a f t e r t he f i r s t i n o rd e r , p la c e , r a n k, t i m e , o r q u a l i t y ) , s oc i e t y, s i gn, se a l,

a s s i gn , in s i gni a , des i gn a te , s o c ia l , t h e p r e f i x s o ci o -, a s s oc i a t io n , p e rs e c ut e , e x e c ut e , p ro s e c u te , p u rs u e , a n d e x e c ut i ve .
TH EMES : T h e f i r s t t h e m e he r e c on c e rn s GE NDE R . T h e k e y w o r d s b oys a n d g i r ls un d e r s c or e t h i s co n c e p t . S o d o e s t h e w o r d s u ito r , a p a r o n y m o f sui t t ha t m e a n s a m a n w h o i s co u r t i n g a w o m a n . 4
1 http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=boy 2 http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/girl 3 Watkins, C. (2000), The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo European Roots, pp. 59 Starling Hunter 2011 1

A s e c o n d t he m e c on c e r n s NUDIT Y . A s n o t e d a b o v e , t h e w o r d s n a ke d a n d n u di t y a re p a r o n y m s o f g ymn asi um . T h e w o r d su i t i s p a r t o f a c o m p o u n d w o r d t ha t e mp h a si z e s t hi s t h e m e b i rt h da y su i t w h i c h m e a n s t h e s t a t e o f b e i n g n u d e ; n a k e d n e s s. 5 I n t e r e st i n g l y, t h e w o r d s n u de a n d

gi rl a r e b ot h k e y w o r d s i n t h e n e xt s ym b o l i n t h i s s e r i e s C a p r i c o r n 1 7 ,
w h i c h r e a d s A gi rl s u r r e p t i t i o u s l y b a t h i n g i n t h e n u de .

4 http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry /suitor 5 http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/birthday%20suit Starling Hunter 2011 2