Virgo 19: A swimming race

T h e w o r d s wi mmi ng d e s ce n d s f r o m t h e I n d o - E u r op e a n ( I E ) r o o t swe mw h i c h m e a n s t o mo v e , st i r , s w i m . 1 Other derivatives include the sound (a l o n g , r e la t i v e l y w i d e b o d y o f w a t e r, l a r g e r t h a n a s t r a i t o r a c h a n n e l, c o n n e ct i n g la r g e r b o d i e s o f w a t e r ; t he a i r b l a d d e r o f a fi s h ) a n d s o u n d ( t o me a s u r e d e p t h ; t o l o o k i n t o a p o ssi b i li t y ; t o me a s u r e w i t h s o u n d ) . T h e w o r d r ac e d e s ce n d s f r o m t h e IE ro o t e rs -1 w h i c h me a n s t o b e i n m o t i o n a n d f r o m w h i c h a l s o d e s ce n d t h e w o r d s e rr, e rra t i c, e rro r,

a b e rra ti o n, a n d ri sh i . 2
TH EMES : T h e i de a o f M OVEME NT a n d MOTIO N i s m o s t a p p a r e n t h e r e . T h e r o o t o f swi m me a n s t o m o v e w h i l e t h e r o ot o f r ac e m e a n s t o b e i n motion.3 A s e c o n d t he m e c on c e r n s SO UND . R e ca l l t h a t t w o p a r o n ym s o f swi mmi ng a re d i f f e r e n t se n se s o f t he w o r d s o u n d. T h e f i r s t r e f e r s t o a w i d e b o d y o f w a t e r a n d t h e s e c on d t o t h e a ct o f m e a s u r i n g d e p t h w i t h

s o u n d , e . g . w i t h s on a r . O n e o f t he p a ro n y m s r a ce i s ri s h i w h i c h a s a
c o m m o n n o u n r e f e r s t o a n i n sp i r e d sa g e o r p oe t . 4 A s a p r o p e r n o u n , i . e .

R i s h i , t h e t e r m r e fe r s t o on e o f t he se v e n o f t h e s e t o w h o m t h e V e d a s ,
t h e o l d e st S c r i p t u re s o f H i n d u i s m, w e r e s u p p o s e d l y r e v e a l e d . A l l a u t h o r i t a t i v e s o u r ce s o n t h e V e d a s m a k e n o t e o f t h e i m p o r t a n c e l a i d u p o n t he i r s o un di ng , i . e . u p on t he p r op e r r e ci t a t i o n o f t he h y m n s , f o r m u l a s , i n c a n t a t i o n s , a n d c h a r m s t ha t t h e y co n t a i n . F or e x a m p l e , W i k i p e di a n ot e s t ha t
The class of "Vedic texts" is aggregated around the four canonical Sahits or Vedas
1 2 3 4 Watkins, c. (2000), The American Heritag e Dictionary of Indo-European Roots, p. 88 Watkins, c. (2000), The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo -European Roots, p. 24 Watkins, c. (2000), The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo -European Roots, p. 55 http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/rishi Starling Hunter 2011 1

1. The Rigveda , containing hymns to be recited by the hotr 2. The Yajurveda, containing formulas to be recited by the adhvaryu or officiating priest; 3. The Samaveda containing formulas to be sung by the udgatr 4. The fourth is the Atharvaveda a collection of spells and incantations, apotropaic charms and speculative hymns.5

5 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vedas Starling Hunter 2011 2