Aries 21: A pugilist entering the ring

8/3/2019 Aries 21: A pugilist entering the ring

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Aries 21: A pugilist entering the ringThe word pugil ist descends from the

Indo-European (IE) root peuk- which

means to prick . 1 Among i ts paronyms

ar e f oun d t h e w or ds compunction ,

expunge , pungent , impugn , point ,

pounce , punch , pugnacious , punctual ,

punctuate , puncture , poignant , and the

verb pink (to stab l ightly with a pointed

weapon) .

The word entering descends from the root en- which means in . 2

Among i ts many derivatives are the words episode , esoteric , in , indigent ,

industry , inner, interim , interior , intest ine , intrinsic , an d introduce .

Fi na l l y , t h e w o r d ring has two senses . The f irst , which includes ar ec t ang u l ar ar ena s et o f f b y s t akes and r o pes am o ng i t s d ef i ni t ions ,

d e s c e nd s f r o m t h e r o o t sker-1 (to cut) . 3 I t s p a r o ny m s i nc l u d e shrink, ruck ( t o m a ke a f o l d i n , c r e a s e ) , f lounce (a str ip of decorative , usual ly

g a t h e r e d o r p l e a t e d m a t e r i a l a t t a c h e d by o ne e d g e , a s o n a g a r m e nt o rcurtain) , ranch, range, rank, rink, arrange, derange, rucksack, curb,

curvature, curve, cr est , crepe, crisp , circle , circus, search, crown, corona,

a n d ridge. 4

THEMES: Th e f i r s t t h e m e c o nc e r ns MOVEMENT . A m o ng t h e p a r o ny m so f pugi l ist i s the word pounce (to spring or swoop with intent to seizes o m e o ne o r s o m e t h i ng ; t o a t t a c k s u d d e nl y ; t o s e i ze s o m e t h i ng s w i f t l y

a nd e a g e r l y ) . O ne o f t h e p a r o ny m s o f ring i s f lounce which in thisc o nt ex t m eans to tr im with a str ip or str ips of gathered or pleated

1W a t k i n s , C . ( 2 0 0 0 ) , T h e A m e r i c a n H e r i t a g e D i c t i o n a r y o f I n d o E u r o p e a n R o o t s , p . 6 7 2W a t k i n s , C . ( 2 0 0 0 ) , T h e A m e r i c a n H e r i t a g e D i c t i o n a r y o f I n d o E u r o p e a n R o o t s , p . 2 3 3h 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 / r i n g 4W a t k i n s , C . ( 2 0 0 0 ) , T h e A m e r i c a n H e r i t a g e D i c t i o n a r y o f I n d o E u r o p e a n R o o t s , p . 7 8


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material . 5 However , this word has a homonym, f lounce, w h i c h m e a ns | t o

mo ve in a l ively or bouncy manner and to move with exaggerated or

af f ec t ed m o t i o ns and to move clumsi ly ; f lounder . 6 Thus, not only do

bo t h pounce a nd f l oun ce connote movement , they movements are of

br o a d l y o p p o s i t e k i nd s .

A s e c o nd t h e m e c o nc e r ns GEOMETRY . Among the paronyms of pugi l ist i s the word point, o ne o f t h e ba s i c t e r m s o f g e o m e t r y . Po i nt s h a v e no

length or width , just locat ion. One of the paronyms of ring i s the wordcircle which in geometry is a plane curve everywhere e qu i d i s t a nt f r o m a

given f ixed point , the center . 7 Th u s , no t o nl y d o t h e t e r m s point a nd

circle f ind geometry in common, they are also funct ional ly related within

that f ie ld of study.

A t h i r d t h e m e c o nc e r ns GROUPS , part icular ly INNER CIRCLES . Recal lt h a t o ne o f t h e p a r o ny m s o f entering i s the word esoteric . A m o ng i t sm any m eani ng s ar e i ntended for or understood by only a part icular

g r o u p , o f o r r e l at i ng t o t h at w h i c h i s kno w n b y a r es t r i c ted nu m b er o f

peo pl e and c o nf i ned t o a s m al l g r o u p. 8 And recal l once again that one

of the paronyms of ring i s circle . O ne o f i t s no n-g e o m e t r i ca l m e a ni ng s i sa group of people sharing an interest , act iv i ty , or achievement . One

compound phrase that relates to this theme can be formed form

p a r o ny m s o f entering a nd o f ring i s inner circle . The word i n n er m e a ns located or occurring farther inside and inner c ircle means a small ,

i nt i m at e and o f t en i nf l u ent i a l g r o u p o f peo pl e . 9 Th r e e o t h e r d e f i n i t i o ns

a re a small group of people who have a lot of power or inf luence within

a larger group a nd t h e s m a l l g r o u p o f p e o p l e w h o c o nt r o l a n

o r g a ni za t i on , p o l i t i c a l p a r t y , e t c . and an exclusive c ircle of people with

5 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 / f l o u n c e

6 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 / f l o u n c e _ 2

7 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 / c i r c l e

8 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 s o t e r i c

9 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 / i n n e r + c i r c l e ? r = 6 6


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a c o m m o n p u r p o s e . 10 One def ini t ion of movement the f irst theme i s

a n o r g a ni ze d e f f o r t by s u p p o r t e r s o f a c o m m o n g o a l . Thus, broadly we

h a v e a n i m a g e o f i nd i v i d u a l s w i t h i n g r o u p s o r m o v e m e nt s , u ni f i e d i n

their pursuit of some goal . Broadly they fal l into two categories (1) the

f ighters t he pugnacious p e o p l ea nd ( 2 ) t h e inner circle t h a t i nf l u e nc e s

and guides the movement .

10 h t t p : / / w w w . m a c m i l l a n d i c t i o n a r y . c o m / d i c t i o n a r y / a m e r i c a n / i n n e r - c i r c l e ;

h t t p : / / d i c t i o n a r y . c a m b r i d g e . o r g / d i c t i o n a r y / b r i t i s h / i n n e r - c i r c l e ;

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 / i n n e r + c i r c l e ? r = 6 6

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Aries 21: A pugilist entering the ring