Pisces 7: A Cross Lying On Rocks

Pisces 7: A cross lying on rocks
T h e w o r d c r oss de sc e n d s f r o m t h e O l d E n g l i s h c ro s a n d m o r e r e m o t e l y f r o m t h e L a t i n c rux m e a n i n g t h e s t a k e o r c r o s s on w h i c h c r i m i n a l s were impaled or hanged hence figuratively it implies torture, t r o u b l e , m i se r y . 1 T h e w o r d l yi ng h a s t w o m e a n i n g s d e s c e n d i n g on d i f fe r e n t r o ot s. T h e f i rs t i s li e , t o b e o r p l a c e o n e s e l f a t r e s t i n a f l a t , h o r i zo n t a l, o r r e c u mb e n t p o si t i on ; r e c l i n e . 2 T h i s f o r m o f t h e w o r d i s a va r i a n t o f t he v e r b la y w h i c h m e a n s t o c a u s e t o la y d o w n a n d w h i c h ca n a l s o m e a n t o ha v e s e x u a l i n t e r c ou r s e w i t h. 3 T h i s m e a n i n g d e s c e n d s f r o m t h e I n d o - E u r op e a n ( IE ) r o o t l egh - w h i c h m e a n s t o li e , l a y . 4 I t s p a r o n y m s i n c l u d e la y ( t o ca u s e t o l i e d ow n ) , l e dge ,
l e dge r , l ai r , le a gu er , l a ge r, s ta l a g ( a German prisoner of w ar camp for
officers and enlisted personnel), le e s , c o ve rl et , li t te r, wa go n - l it , l a w ,

b yl a w , o u t la w , la gan , a n d l o c h ia . T he s e c o n d i s l i e a s i n a f a ls e
s t a t e m e n t d e l i b e r a t e l y p r e s e n t e d a s b e i n g t r u e ; a f a l se ho o d . 5 I t d e s c e n d s f r o m t he I E r o o t l eu gh - w h i ch m e a n s t o t e l l a li e a n d i t s p a r o n y m s a r e wa rlo c k a n d b e li e . 6 T h e n o u n rock i n t h i s c o n t e x t r e fe r s t o r e l a t i v e l y h a r d, n a t u r a l l y f o r m e d m i n e r a l o r p e t r i fi e d m a t t e r ; st o n e . 7 W h i l e i t s u l t i m a t e o r i gi n i s u n c e r t a i n , i t s m o r e r e c e n t p r o g e n i t o rs a r e t he O l d E n g l i s h ro c c i n t h e w o r d s t a n ro c m e a n i n g st o n e r o c k o r o b e l i s k , t h e V u l g a r L a t i n ro c c a . T h e O n l i ne Et ym o lo gi c a l D i ct i o na ry i n d i c a t e s t ha t t he wo r d w a s u s e d i n
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=cross http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/lie http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/lay Watkins, C. (2000), The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo -European Roots, p. 47 http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/lie_2 Watkins, C. (2000), The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo -European Roots, p. 49 http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/ entry/rock Starling Hunter 2011 1
M i d d l e E n g l i s h p r i n c i p a l l y f o r r o c k fo r m a t i o n s a s op p os e d t o i n d i v i d u a l stones.8 TH EMES : T he r e i s a c l e a r t h e m e he r e i n v o l v i n g C RIME AND P U NI SHME NT . F i r s t , r e c a l l t h a t c ross de s c e n d s f r o m t h e L a t i n c rux w h i c h r e f e r s t o t he st a k e o r c r o s s u p o n w h i ch c r i m i n a ls w e r e on c e i mp a le d o r h a n g e d . F u r t h e r n ot e t h a t p a r o n y m s of l y i ng i n c l u d e st a la g , a Ge r m a n p r i s o n e r o f w a r c a m p f o r o f f i c e r s a n d e n l i st e d m e n . F i n a l l y , o b se r v e t h a t t h e b r e a k i n g roc ks i s a c o m m on p un i sh m e n t f o r p r i s o n e rs t h e w o r l d over. I n t e r e st i n g l y , o n e o f A m e r i c a s m os t i n f a m o u s p ri s o n s i s A l c a t r a z I s l a n d a n d i t s n i c kn a m e i s t h e R oc k . S e v e r a l f i l ms h a ve b e e n m a de a b o u t e s c a p e s f r om t h i s p r i s o n i n c l ud i n g t h e 1 9 7 9 C l i n t E a st w o o d f i l m E sc a p e f r o m A l c a t r a z a n d t he 1 9 9 6 f i l m e n t i t le d T h e Ro c k a n d s t a r r i n g Ni c o l a s Ca g e a n d S e a n C o n n e r y .
8 http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=rock Starling Hunter 2011 2

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Pisces 7: A cross lying on rocks

l e dge r , l ai r , le a gu er , l a ge r, s ta l a g ( a German prisoner of w ar camp for

officers and enlisted personnel), le e s , c o ve rl et , li t te r, wa go n - l it , l a w ,

8 http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=rock Starling Hunter 2011 2

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