Aquarius 6: A performer of a mystery play

T h e w o r d p e r f o r m d e s c e n d s f r o m t he I n d o E u r o p e a n ( I E ) r o o t p e r 1 , t h e b a se o f m a n y p r e v e r b s , p r e f i xe s , a n d p r e p o si t i o n s w i t h t h e g e n e r a l meaning of forward, first, and through. The

A m e ri c a n H e rit a ge D i c t i on a ry o f t h e En gl i s h L a n gu a ge li s t s o v e r 1 2 0 d e r i v a t i v e s of p e r 1
i n c l u d i n g a f f o rd , ap p ro a c h , a pp ro ve , f i rs t , f o rt h,

f ro m , p ri de , p ri e st , p ro ve , p ri me , p ri nc e , p ro b e , p ro t o n , p ro o f , a n d p ro p e rt y . 1
T h e w o r d M yst er y h a s t w o d i st i n ct s e t s o f d e f i n i t i o n s, e a c h de s c e n d i n g f r o m d i ff e r e n t I n d o E u r o p e a n r o ot s . T h e f i r s t se t o f d e fi n i t i o n s re f e r s t o t h i n g s t h a t a r e n o t f u l l y u n d e r s t o o d, w h o s e i d e n t i t i e s a r e u n k n o w n a n d / o r a r o u s e c u ri o s i t y , a s w e l l a s t o r e l i g i o u s t r u t hs t ha t a r e i n c o m p re h e n si b le t o r e a s o n , t ha t a r e k n o w a b l e on l y t h ro u g h d i v i n e r e v e l a t i on , o r t h a t a r e o t h e r w i s e e n i gm a t i c. A l s o i n c l u d e d a r e w o r k s o f f i c t i o n , d r a m a , f i l m e t c. d e a li n g w i t h p u z z l i n g c r i m e s a n d t h e s k i l l s, l o r e , o r p r a c t i c e s t h a t a r e p e c u li a r t o a p a r t i c u l a r a c t i v i t y o r g r o u p a n d a r e r e g a r d e d a s t he s p e c i a l p r o v i n c e o f i n i t i a t e s . 2 A s a p r o p e r n o u n , Myst er y re f e r s t o on e o f t he s a c ra m e n t s , e s p e c i a l l y t h e E u c h a r i s t . All d e f i n i t i o n s i n c l u d e d i n t h i s s e n s e o f t h e w o r d d e s c e n d f ro m t h e I E r o o t meu e- 3 . P a r o n y m s i n c l u d e m i os i s ( c on s t r i c t i o n o f t h e p u p i l o f t he e ye , a s u p o n e xp o s u r e t o b r i g h t l i g h t ) , m u m , a n d m u t e. 3 A s e c o n d s e n s e o f t h e w o r d m ys t e ry c o n t a i n s t h re e d e fi n i t i on s ( 1 ) a t r a d e o r o c c u p a t i on ( 2) a g u i l d, a s o f m e r c h a n t s o r a r t i sa n s a n d ( 3) a m y s t e r y p l a y. 4 T h e s e d e f i n i t i on s d e s ce n d f r o m t h e I E r o ot me i -2 w h i c h

1 2 3 4

Watkins, C. (2000), The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo European Roots, p. 65 http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/mystery Watkins, C. (2000), The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo European Roots, p. 128. http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/mystery_2 Starling Hunter 2011 1

m e a n s s m a l l. 5 I t s p a r o n y m s i n c l u d e m e i o s is ( t h e p r o c e s s o f c e l l d i v i s i o n i n se x u a l ly r e p r o d u c i n g o r g a n i s m s) , m e n u, m inc e , mi n i m u m ,

m i n i s c u le , mi ni s t e r, m i no r , a n d m i n ute ( e x c e p t i on a l l y sm a l l ; t i n y) .
T h e w o r d p l a y d e sc e n d s f r o m t h e I E ro o t d l e g h - w h i c h m e a n s t o e n g a g e on e s e l f. 6 P a r o n y m s i n c l u d e in du l ge , p l e d g e , p l i g ht , a n d r e p l e v in ( a n a ct i o n t o r e c o ve r p e r s on a l p r o p e r t y s a i d o r c l a i m e d t o b e u n l a w f u l l y t a k e n ). 7 TH EMES : Re c a l l t ha t t h e w o r d p ri e st i s o n e o f t h e p a r o n y m s o f t h e k e y w o r d p e r for me r . O n e o f t h e s y n o n ym s o f p rie s t i s t he w o r d m i n i s t e r w h i c h i s a p a r on y m o f my st e ry . A l s o n o t e t h a t on e d e fi n i t i on o f myst ery i s a r e l i gi o u s t r u t h t h a t i s i n c o m p re h e n s i b l e t o r e a s o n a n d k n o w a b le o n l y t h r o u g h d i v i n e r e v e l a t i o n . 8 T h e t h e m e h e r e c o n ce r n s R E L IG I O N . T h e s e c o n d t h e m e c o n c e r n s P ROP ERTY . T h e w o r d i t se l f i s a p a r o n y m o f p e r f o rm e r . A n d t h e r e i s r e p l e v in , a p a r on y m o f p l a y w h i c h m e a n s a n a c t i on t o r e co v e r p e r s o n a l p r o p e r t y sa i d o r c l a i m e d t o b e u n l a w f u l l y taken.9

5 6 7 8 9

http://web.archive.org/web/20080211183126/www.bartleby.com/61/roots/IE310.html Watkins, C. (2000), The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo European Roots, p. 21 http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/replevin http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/mystery http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/replevin Starling Hunter 2011 2