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Libra 22: A child giving birds a drink at a fountain

T h e w o r d c hi ld re n d e s c e n d s f r o m t he O l d E n g l i s h c i l d m e a n i n g c h i l d, i n f a n t a n d m o r e r e m o t e l y f r o m t h e G o t h i c ki lp e i m e a n i n g w o m b a n d t he D a n i s h ku l d m e a n i n g children of the same marriage.1 T h e w o r d g i vi ng de s c e n d s f r o m t h e I n d o E u r o p e a n ( I E ) r o ot g ha bh - w h i c h me a n s t o give or receive.2 Paronyms i n c l ud e

a b l e,

de b t , du e , du t y, e nde a vo r, gi f t, h ab i t, i n h ib i t, a n d p ro h ib i t.
The noun bi rd de s c e n d s from the Old E n g l i s h b ri d , w h i ch m e a n s y o un g b i r d . O n e I E r o o t c a r r y i n g t h i s m e a n i n g i s a wi - w hi c h m e a n s b i r d a n d f r o m w h i c h d e s c e n d a vi a n,

a vi a ti o n, c a vi a r, e gg, o s t ri c h, o va l , a n d o va ry . 3
I n f o r m a l l y , t h e w o r d b i rd , a s w e l l a s i t s s y n o n y m c h i c k , i s a r e f e r e n c e t o a young woman.4 T h e w o r d d r i nk de s c e n d s f r o m t h e I E r o o t dh re g- w hi c h m e a n s t o d r a w , g l i d e . 5 I t s p a r o n y m s i n c l u d e dre n c h a n d dro wn . T h e w o r d f ount ai n d e s c e n d s f r o m t he I E r o o t dh e n-1 w h i c h m e a n s t o r u n , f l o w a n d f r om w h i c h a l s o d e s ce n d t h e w o r d s f o n t ( a b a s i n f o r h o l d i n g b a p t i s m a l w a t e r i n a c h u r c h) a n d f o n ta n e l ( a n y o f t h e s o f t m e m b r a n o u s g a p s b e t w e e n t he i n c o mp l e t e l y f o r m e d c r a n i a l b o n e s o f a f e t u s o r a n i n fa n t ) . 6

1 http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=child 2 Watkins, C. (2000), The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo European Roots, p. 28 3 Watkins, C. (2000), The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo European Roots, p. 6 4 http://onelook.com/?w=bird&ls=a 5 Watkins, C. (2000), The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo European Roots, p. 20 6 Watkins, C. (2000), The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo European Roots, p. 18 Starling Hunter 2011 1

TH EMES : T he r e i s a p a l p a b l e S OFTNES S a n d DE LICAC Y a m o n g t he k e y w o r d s , r o o t s, a n d d e r i v a t i ve s o f t h i s s y m b o l. F i r st l y t h e r e i s y o ut h a s connoted in the words child, infant, and chick, a young bird. Adding to t h e i de a o f i n fa n c y i s f on t an e l , t he s of t c a p s i n t h e c r a n i u m o f a n i n f a n t o r f e t u s . F u r t h e r mo r e w e h a v e t h e wo r d s e g g , o v a r y , a n d w o m b a n d t h u s t h e o r i g i n s o f t he li f e t h a t l a t e r b e c om e s t h e y o u t h t h a t w e l a t e r s e e . T h e r e a r e a l s o t h e t h e m e s o f F L U IDIT Y a n d WAT ER p re s e n t h e r e . A s s h o w n a b o v e , p a ro n y m s o f d r i nk i n c l u d e t h e w o r d s dre n c h ( t o w e t t h r o u g h a n d t h r o ug h , s o a k) a n d drown ( t o d r e n c h t h or o u g h l y o r c o v e r w i t h l i q ui d ) . T h e ke y w o r d f ou nt a i n i s a st r u c t u r e , o f t e n d e c o r a t i v e , f r o m w h i c h a j e t o r st r e a m o f w a t e r i s s u e s . 7

http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/fountain Starling Hunter 2011 2

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