Aquarius 8: Beautifully gowned wax figures

T h e w o r d b e aut i full y d e 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 d eu-2 w h i c h m e a n s t o d o , p e r fo r m , s h o w f a v o r , r e v e r e . 1 A m o n g i t s p a r o n y m s a r e b on ny ,

b o n u s, b o on , b o u nty , b o na n za , b e ne f a c ti o n , be n e fa c t o r , b en e f it , b en ign , h e rb , b ea u , b e l l e , em b e l l i s h , b e at i t u de , dyn a s t , dyna m i c , a n d dyn a m i t e .

T h e w o r d g ow n a p p e a r s t o h a v e e n t e r e d t h e E n g l i s h la n g u a g e i n t he e a r l y 1 4 t h ce n t u r y f r o m t h e O l d F r e n ch go u n e b y w a y o f t h e L a t e L a t i n

gu n n a w h i c h m e a n s l e a t h e r, g a r m e n t , s k i n , hi d e . 2
T h e w o r d w a x h a s t w o d i f f e r e n t m e a n i n g s d e s ce n d i n g f ro m t w o d i f f e r e n t r o ot s . T h e f i r s t r e fe r s t o a n y o f v a r i o u s n a t u r a l , o i l y o r g r e a s y h e a t - se n s i t i v e s u b s t a n c e s . 3 T h i s a n d re l a t e d se n se s o f t he w o r d a l l d e s c e n d f r o m t h e I E r o o t w o k s o - w h i c h m e a n s w a x. 4 T h e I E r o o t i s r e l a t e d t o w e g - 1 w h i c h m e a n s t o w e a v e a w e b a n d i t s d e r i v a t i ve s i n c l u d e ve i l , V e l a , ve l a r iu m , v e l u m , v e xi l l u m , v o il e , a n d r e v e a l . 5 A s e c o n d d e f i n i t i on o f w a x i s t o i n c re a s e g r a d u a l l y i n si z e , n u m b e r, s t r e n g t h, o r i n t e n si t y . 6 T h i s d e f i n i t i on d e s c e n d s f r o m t he I E r o o t a u g w h i c h m e a n s t o i n c r e a s e a n d i t s p a ro n y m s i n c l u d e e k e , n i c k n a m e , w o o dw a x e n , w a i st , a u ct i o n , a u g e n d , a u g m e n t , a u t ho r , a u t h o r i ze , a u gu r , i n a u g u r a t e , a u gu s t , a u x i l ia r y , a u x in , a n d a u x e s i s . 7 F i n a l l y , t he w o r d f ig u r i n e d e s c e n d s f ro m t h e I E r o o t d h ei g h - w h i c h m e a n s t o f o r m , b ui l d . 8 I t s p a r o n y m s i n c l u d e t h e w o r d s da i r y , l a d y ,

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Watkins, C. (2000), The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo European http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=gown http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary /entry/wax Watkins, C. (2000), The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo European Watkins, C. (2000), The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo European http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/wax_2 Watkins, C. (2000), The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo European Watkins, C. (2000), The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo European Starling Hunter 2011

Roots, p. 17

Roots, p. 102 Roots, p. 95 Roots, p. 6 Roots, p. 18 1

t e i gl a c h , p a r a d i s e , f i g u r e , c o n f i g u r e , d i s f i g u r e , p r e f i gu r e , t r a n s f i gu r e , f a i n a n t , f a in t , f e i g n , f e in t , f i ct i l e , f i c t i o n , f i g m e n t , e f f i g y , t h i g mo t a x i s , a n d t h ix o t r o p y . TH EMES : T h e f i r s t t h e m e c on c e r n s F EM INI NIT Y t he w o r d s l a dy a n d

b e l l e a r e s y n on y m s. T h e f o r m e r i s a p a r o n y m o f f i g uri ne w h i l e t h e la t t e r
i s a p a r o n y m o f b ea ut y . T h e s e c o n d t h e m e c o n c e r n s FOOD . T he r e i s dai ry , a p a r o n y m o f f i gur i n e , a n d t h e r e i s h e rb , a p a r on y m o f b e a ut y . A t h i r d t h e m e c o n ce r n s t he n o t i o n o f BECOM ING . S p e ci f i c a l l y , t he r e i s t h e w o r d a u gm e n t , a p a r on y m o f w ax , w h i c h m e a n s t o ma k e ( s o m e t hi n g a l r e a d y d e v e l o p e d o r w e l l u n d e r w a y ) g r e a t e r, a s i n si z e , e x t e n t , o r q u a n t i t y. 9 T h e n t he r e i s e m be l l i s h , a p a r o n y m o f b e aut y , w h i c h m e a n s t o m a ke m o r e b e a u t i f u l , t o a d d m or e d e t a i ls t o a n d t o m a k e m o r e a t t r a ct i v e b y a d d i n g o r n a m e n t . 10 B o t h o f t h e s e w o r d s a r e s y n o n y m s o f t h e v e r b b e c o me , s p e ci f i c a l l y i n t he s e n se t o b e a t t r a ct i v e o n ; b e f i t i n a p p e a r a n c e ; l o o k w e l l o n . 11 F o u r t h , t h e r e i s i d e a o f COVE RING . T h e f i r s t se n se o f wo r d wa x i n c l u d e s a mo n g i t s m e a n i n g s a s o li d p l a s t i c o r p l i a b l e li q u i d s u b st a n ce u s e d i n p a p e r c oa t i n g. 12 A g o w n i s a r o b e o r s m o c k w o r n i n op e r a t i n g r o o m s a n d o t he r p a r t s o f h o sp i t a l s a s a g u a r d a g a i n s t c on t a m i n a t i o n o r a d i st i n ct i v e o u t e r r o b e . 13 F i n a l l y , t he w o r d s b e ne f i t , e mb e l l is h , a n d t h e s e c o n d se n s e o f wa x a l l c a r r y a s i m i la r c o n n o t a t i o n , n a m e l y t h a t o f a d d i t i o n o r INCREAS I NG . T he f o r m e r m e a n s s o me t h i n g t h a t p r o m o t e s o r e n ha n ce s w e ll - b e i n g . 14 T h e s e c o n d m e a n s t o a d d o r n a m e n t a l o r fi c t i t i o u s d e t a i ls t o. 15 F i n a l l y, w a x c a n m e a n t o i n c r e a s e g r a d u a l l y i n s i z e , n u mb e r , s t r e n g t h , o r i n t e n si t y . 16
9 http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/augment 10 h t t p : / / o n e l o o k . c o m / ? w = e m b e l l i s h 11 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 / b r o w s e / b e c o m e 12 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 / w a x 13 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 / g o w n 14 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 / b e n e f i t 15 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 / e m b e l l i s h 16 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 / w a x _ 2 Starling Hunter 2011 2