Leo 14 The human soul awaiting opportunity for expression

The word h u man descends from the

I n d o - E u r o p e a n ( IE ) r o o t dh ghe m- w h i c h m e a n s e a r t h . 1 I t s p a r o n y m s i n c l u de t he words

chthonic

(of

the

underworld),

a u t o c h t h o n ( o n e o f t h e e a r l i e s t k n o wn
inhabitants of a place; an aborigine; one t h a t sp r i n g s f r o m t h e s oi l h e i n ha b i t s) ,

c h a m a ep h yt e

(a

low-growing

perennial

p l a n t w h o s e d o r ma n t o v e r w i n t e ri n g b u d s a r e b o r n e a t o r j u s t a b o v e t he s u r f a c e o f t h e g r o u n d ) , c h a me l e o n ( a l i z a r d c h a r a c t e r i z e d b y t h e a b i l i t y t o c h a n g e co l o r ) , c h a m o m i l e ( a n a ro m a t i c p e r e n n i a l h e r b ) , ge rm an de r (an aromatic planet with p u r p l i sh (a or reddish or black f lo w e r s ) , organic

h u m b le ,
s u b st a n ce

h u m i l i a te ,

h u m i li ty,

humus

brown

c o n s i st i n g o f p a r t i a l l y o r w h o l l y d e c a y e d v e g e t a b l e o r a n i m a l m a t t e r ) ,

o m e rt a ( r u l e o r co d e t h a t p r o h i b i t s s p e a k i n g o r d i v u lg i n g i n f o r ma t i on
a b o u t ce r t a i n a ct i v i t i e s) , e x h u m e, ho m a ge , h o mb re, ho m i n i d, h u m a ne ,

c h e rn o ze m ( a ve r y b l a c k t o p so i l, r i ch i n h u m u s) , si e roze m ( s oi l s f o un d
in cool to t e mp e r a t e arid regi ons),

ze m s t vo ( a n e l e c t i v e c o u n ci l

r e s p o n s i b le f o r t he l o c a l a d m i n i st r a t i o n o f a p r o v i n ci a l d i s t r i c t i n c z a ri st R u s s i a ) , a n d za m in da r ( a n o f f i c i a l i n p re - c o l o n i a l I n d i a a s si g n e d t o c o l l e c t t he l a n d t a xe s o f h i s d i s t r i ct ) . T h e w o r d s ou l h a s m a n y d e f i n i t i on s, o n e o f t h e m o s t c o m m o n b e i n g t h e i m m a t e r i a l p a r t o f a p e r so n ; t h e a c t u a t i n g c a us e o f a n i n d i v i d u a l l i f e . 2 T h e o r i g i n o f t h e w o r d i s u n k n o w n . A c c o r d i n g t o t h e O n l i ne

E t ym o l o gy D i c t io na ry i t s m o s t p r o x i m a t e r o o t i s t h e Ol d E n g l i s h s a wo l ,
t h e sp i r i t ua l a n d e m o t i on a l p a r t o f a p e r s o n , a n i ma t e e x i s t e n c e . 3 T h i s w o r d i s t r a c e d b a c k t o t h e P r e - G e r m a n i c s ai wa l o b u t i s a l s o r e l a t e d t o
1 Watkins, c. (2000), The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo -European Roots, p. 20 2 http://onelook.com/?w=soul 3 http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=soul Starling Hunter 2011 1

t h e O l d N o r s e sa l a , O l d F r i s i a n s e le , M i d d l e D u t c h zie l , O l d H i g h G e r m a n

s e u l a, a n d t h e Go t h i c sa i wa l a a mo n g o t h e r s. T h e w o r d m a y h a v e
originally meant coming from or belonging to the sea since in many t r a d i t i on s t ha t w a s s u p p o se d t o b e t h e s t op p i n g p l a ce o f t h e s o u l b e f o re b i r t h o r a ft e r d e a t h . 4 T h e w o r d a w ai t i ng d e s c e n d s f r o m t h e I E r o o t w eg -2 , t o b e s t r o n g, l i v e l y . 5 I t s p a r o n y m s i n c l u d e wa ke n , wa t c h, wi c c a, wi t c h , b e wit c h,

b i vo u a c, wa f t , ve ge t a b le, vi go r, ra vi go t e ( a v i n e g a r s a uc e s e a s on e d w i t h
m i n c e d o n i on , c a p e r s , a n d h e r b s, u s e d w i t h b o i l e d m e a t s o r f i s h ) , ve de tte ( a m o un t e d se n t i n e l s t a t i on e d i n a d va n c e o f a n o ut p os t ) , vi gi l , ve l o c it y,

vi gi l a n te , a n d re vei l l e .
T h e b a s e o f t h e w o r d o p port u ni t y d e s c e n d s f r o m t h e I E r o o t p e r -2 w h i c h m e a n s t o le a d , p a ss o v e r a n d f r o m w h i c h a l s o d e s c e n d dep o rt,

e x p o rt, f e rry, f e rn, f j o rd, i m p o rta n t, p i e r, f a re, p o re ( a m i n u t e op e n i n g i n

t i s s u e ; a sp a c e i n r o c k , s o i l , o r u n c o n s o l i d a t e d s e d i m e n t ) , t he n a m e

F e rdi n an d , f e re ( a c o m p a n i on o r s p ou s e ) , f u h re r ( a l e a d e r , p a r t i c u l a r l y
o n e e xe r c i si n g t he p o w e r s o f a t y r a n t ) , pa n ( t he l e a f o f t h e b e t e l v i n e ) ,

p o rt ( a p l a ce o n t h e w a t e r f o r l o a d i n g a n d u n l o a d i n g s h i p s) , f o rd ( a
s h a l l o w p la c e i n a b o d y o f w a t e r, s u ch a s a r i v e r, w h e re o n e c a n c r o s s) ,

E u p h rat e s, p o rc h, p o rt ( a n o p e n i n g i n a s h i p s si d e ) , po rt i c o , c o mp o rt, de p o rt , i m p o rt, im p o rt a nt , re s o rt , t ra n s p o rt , p o rta l, s p o rt, s u pp o rt, wa rf a re , a n d wa yf are r . 6

T h e w o r d e x p ressi o n h a s t h r e e p a r t s: t h e p r e f i x e x - , t h e b a s e p re ss , a n d t h e s u f f i x i on . T he p r e f i x d e s ce n d s f r o m t he IE r o o t e ghs - w h i c h m e a n s o u t . 7 F r o m i t d e s c e n d t h e w o r d s e x o t e ri c , e x o t i c, e x t e rnal,

e x t e ri o r, e x t re m e, a n d s t ra n ge. T h e b a s e d e s c e n d s f r o m t h e I E r o o t p e r -4
w h i c h m e a n s t o s t r i k e a n d f r o m w h i c h d e s c e n d t h e w o r d s a p re s ,

c o m p re s s , dep re ss , e sp re s s o , e x p re ss , i m p re s s , i mp ri nt , p re s s u re , p ri nt ,
4 5 6 7 http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=soul Watkins, c. (2000), The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo -European Roots, p. 65 Watkins, c. (2000), The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo -European Roots, p. 66 Watkins, c. (2000), The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo -European Roots, p. 22 Starling Hunter 2011 2

re p re s s , rep ri m and , re p ris a l , a n d s up p re ss . 8 A l s o d e s c e n d i n g from p e r- 4

i s a n a r c ha i c s e n s e o f t h e w o r d p re gn a n t , i . e . c on v i n ci n g , c o g e n t ; u s e d of a n a r g u m e n t o r p ro o f . 9 TH EMES : A s s h o w n i n t h e t a b l e , b e l ow , t h e me s i n t h i s sy m b o l c o n ce r n t h e i n a n i m a t e a n d t h e a n i m a t e , t h e sp i r i t u a l a n d t h e ma t e r i a l, t h e s o u l o r i n d w e l l i n g li f e a n d t h e ma t e r i a l f o r ms t h a t s u p p o r t i t . W e s e e t hi s i n t h e m a n y w o r d s r e l a t e d t o p l a n t s a n d v e g e t a b le s , a f e w a n i m a l s , a n d t h e s o i l o r l a n d t ha t s u s t a i n s t he m . W e s e e wo r d s r e l a t e d t o b od i e s o f wa t e r ; w e s e e l a n d a n d s o i l ; a n d w e s e e t h e p l a c e s w h e r e t h e y m e e t ( fj o rd, f o rd,

p o rt , pi e r ) . F i n a l ly w e s e e t he h um a n s o u l o r h u ma n b e i n g a n d t he
m a t e r i a l p r o c e s s b y w h i c h i t c o m e s i n t o o u t w a rd e x p r e s s i o n , i . e .

p re gn an c y .
Theme Flora, plant, vegetable matter Flora, plant, vegetable matter Flora, plant, vegetable matter Bodies of water, water -related Bodies of water, water -related Human being, self-expression Human being, expression Keyword human awaiting opportunity soul opportunity human expression Paronyms chamaephyte, chamomile, germander, humus ravigote, vegetable fern, pan (a leaf of the betel vine) (sawol) = coming from or belonging to the sea port, portal, (river), pier ford, fjord, Euphrates

hombre, humanity, autochthon, hominid, humane pregnant (synonym)

8 Watkins, c. (2000), The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo -European Roots, p. 66 9 http://tinyurl.com/ybuvhhy Starling Hunter 2011 3