Aries 9: A crystal gazer

The word c r yst a l descends from the Indo-

E u r o p e a n ( I E ) r o ot k r eus - w h i c h m e a n s t o b e g i n t o f r e e z e , f o r m a c r u s t . 1 I t s p a r o n y m s i n c l ude

c ro u t o n , e n c ru s t.

c ru s t ,

c ru s t a c e a n ,

c rys t a l l i ne ,

and

The word gaze does not have an Indo-European r o o t , h o w e v e r . T he O n l i n e Et ym o l ogy D i c t i o n a ry suggests a Scandinavian origin and suggests that t h e w o r d i s re l a t e d s o m e h o w t o t h e O l d N o r s e g a m e a n i n g t o h e e d . 2 I n t e r e st i n g l y, n e i t h e r h e e d n or its synonym look descends from an Indo-European r o o t . T h e re i s o n e o t h e r s y n on y m t h a t d o e s, h o w e v e r st a r e . I t d e s ce n d s f r o m t h e IE r o o t st er -1 w hi c h m e a n s s t i f f a n d f r om w h i c h d e s ce n d

s t a rc h , s ta rk , st a rtl e , s t a rve , s t e ri gma , s t e rn , s t ru t , t o rp e do , c h o l es t e rol , t o rp i d , a n d to rp o r. 3

TH EMES : O n e s h a re d t h e m e c on c e r n s F OOD a n d DI ET . Re c a l l t ha t t he p a r o n y m s o f c ryst a l i n c l u d e b o t h c rou t o n ( a s ma l l c r i sp p i e c e o f t o a st e d o r f r i e d b r e a d ) a n d c ru s t ( t h e ha rd o u t e r p o r t i o n or s u r f a c e a r e a o f b r e a d ; a p a s t r y s he l l , a s o f a p i e o r t a r t ) . Paronyms of stare include s t a r c h e s ( f o o d s ha v i n g a h i g h c o n t e n t o f st a r c h , a s r i c e , b r e a d s, a n d p o t a t o e s ) a n d c h o le s t e ro l ( a w h i t e c ry s t a l l i n e s u b s t a n ce f o u n d i n a n i m a l t i s s u e s a n d v a ri o us f o o d s a n d p re c u r s o r t o s t e r o i d h o rm o n e s ) . A s e c o n d a n d r e l a t e d t h e m e c o n ce r n s C RYSTA L . T he r e i s , o f c o u r s e , t h e k e y w o r d c ryst al a n d t h e r e i s c h o le s t e ro l , a p a r o n y m o f s t a re w h i c h i s a w h i t e c r y s t a l l i n e s u b st a n ce . O n e s h a r e d t h e me c o n c e r n s RI GO R . Re c a l l t h a t t h e w o rd c ru s t i s o n e o f t h e p a r on y m s o f c r yst al . A m on g i t s d e f i n i t i o n s a re t h e h a r d o u t e r
1 Watkins, C. (2000), The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo European Roots, p. 44 2 http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=gaze 3 Watkins, C. (2000), The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo European Roots, p. 86 Starling Hunter 2011 1

p o r t i on o r s u r f a c e a r e a o f b r e a d , a p i e ce o f b r e a d c o n s i s t i n g m o s t l y o f t h e h a r d o u t e r p o rt i o n a n d a p i e ce o f b r e a d t h a t h a s b e c o m e h a r d a n d d r y . 4 T h e r o o t o f s t a r e m e a n s s t i f f a n d o n e o f i t s p a ro n y m s i s s t a rc h y w h i c h m e a n s s t i ff b e h a v i o r a n d s t i f f ; f o r m a l . 5 B o t h s t i f f n e ss a n d h a r d n e s s a re s y n on y m s o f r i g o r w h e n i t me a n s s t r i c t n e s s , e x a c t n e ss . 6

4 5 6

http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/crust http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/starchy http://thesaurus.com/browse/stiffness

Starling Hunter 2011 2