Re: [UUPoly-L] definitions; A NEW WORD NEEDED

["Catherine Deville" <catdeville@cox.net>]

   Desmond said:

   << The Arabic word "hareem" can also read to mean sacred -- and perhaps a

   fuller translation as "set apart due to its sacredness".>>

And I replied:  

<< Interesting... can you supply the source on that etymology - I'd love to

   research it further. Is it possible to research it in English?>>

Which Desmond accommodated:

<<I checked in Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haram) which says:
   a**The Arabic language has two separate words, O/O/+-U* a,YENaram and
   O/O/+-O/SU* a,YENarAe*m, both derived from the same triliteral Semitic
   root a,CUR-R-M. Both of these words can mean "forbidden" and/or "sacred"
   in a general way, but each has also developed some specialized meanings.
A
   third related word derived from the same root, O/O/+-U*U* a,YENarAe<<m,
   most directly corresponds to English a**harema**.a**>>

Thanks for the reference.  I'm not sure how much I trust Wikipedia on that,
but that should give me a chance to dig into their sources deeper and the
article is well enough documented to look, on the surface, reliable.  I do
note, however, that the two separate words have separate etymological
evolution when they diverge, and it seems that the word referring to the
women of a household & their place of residence takes on the specialized
meaning of 'forbidden' rather than 'sacred'. You might also see the
Wikipedia article here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harem  

Oh!  And just a couple of hints at being more easily read.  IPA symbols
don't really translate in cut and paste to text only - so you might want to
manually correct them when posting to a text only list. And it's helpful if
you make sure that all quotations are indicated in some way (besides colored
text, which your system may be using - but which doesn't show up here - such
as quotation angle braces.) 

Desmond again:
<<But a distinct term for a given group of poly spouses/spice generally? And
   one not dependent on numbers like a**triada** or a**quarteta**?

   William Henkin, a sexuality/relationship counselor, uses a**mA(c)nagea**
   in regard to poly households. Sounded good to me, esp after checking the
   French meaning and derivation, so Ia**ve used it ever since.>>

yeah... it just really doesn't work for me, as having some French & knowing
the prominence in English literature of the ménage a trios, I recognize that
there are (what I consider)negative connotations which occur in English
which are quite different from what the word implies in French (much of
which is defined by cultural differences.) I also recognize that most
English speaking persons equate "ménage" both specifically with a threesome
*and* with illicit sexual activity.  It's like convoluting polyamory with
swinging - the connotations are simply not equivalent.  

Never Thirst,
Cat