Geary thinks that etymologies are abitrary. J. Horne Tooke thought otherwise. The etymon is the TRUE. There is only ONE etymon for each word; we know it or not. That true encompasses, as J. Wager notes, the ESSENCE of the denotatum of the word. Give me a word and I'll explain that the etymology is only possible for that word and that it cannot have or could not have had another etymology. Cheers, JL Speranza Buenos Aires, Argentina **************A Good Credit Score is 700 or Above. See yours in just 2 easy steps! (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1221823300x1201398714/aol?redir=http://www.freecreditreport.com/pm/default.aspx?sc=668072&hmpgID=62&bcd= JulystepsfooterNO62) ------------------------------------------------------------------ To change your Lit-Ideas settings (subscribe/unsub, vacation on/off, digest on/off), visit www.andreas.com/faq-lit-ideas.html