Re: [aroid-l] Etymology of AROID

From: "W. George Schmid" hostahill at bellsouth.net> on 2002.10.16 at 22:23:28(9555) How in the world could the ancient Greeks have a word for a plant they did not know existed. The wake robin is a North American plant and is not native in any European area. Are we to believe that the ancient Greeks came to America and named our wake robin, calling it aron? Theophrastus would really have fun with this etymology. WGS W. George Schmid +More Hosta Hill - Tucker Georgia USA Zone 7a - 1188 feet AMSL 84-12'-30" West_33-51' North ----- Original Message ----- To: Sent: Wednesday, October 16, 2002 1:52 PM Subject: [aroid-l] Etymology of AROID <= ARUM <= ARON Now, this is me: > > From what I find, the Latin "arum" was more specifically applied to one > plant, the wake robin (Trillium erectum), the Ancient Greek word for which > was "aron." Later, the Latin "arum" was generalized to include all lilies. > Aroid, therefore, etymologically, means lily-like: "ar[um]" (lily) plus the > suffix "-oid," which means "like or resembling." > > There's my best effort. Oh, the thrill and inescapable lure of pedantry. > > Ric

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