Gemini 08: An industrial strike

T h e b a se o f t h e w o r d i n d u s t r i a l de s c e n d s f r o m the Indo-European (IE) root ster-2 which means to s p r e a d. 1 A m o n g i t s p a r o n y m s a re c o n s t r u c t , d e st r o y , d i s a s t e r , in d u st r y , i n s t r u ct , o b st r u ct , p r o st r a t e , st a r , s t e l l a r , st r a i n , st r a t u s , st r a w , st r a y , s t r e e t , s t r e w , a n d structure. T h e w o r d s t r i k e d e s c e n d s f r o m t h e IE r o o t s t r e i g w h i c h m e a n s t o s t r o k e , r u b , p re s s. 2 I t s p a r o n y m s include a s t r i n ge n t , co n st r a in , distrain, d i st r e s s , p r e st i g e , r e st r a in , r e st r i ct , s t r a in , s t r a it , s t r a n g e , s t r e a k , st r e s s , s t r i ct , st r i n ge n t , a n d st r o k e . T H E M E S : T h e f i r s t t h e m e c o n c e rn s S T R A I N . N o t a b l y, t h e w o r d s t r a in i s a p a r o n y m o f b o t h i n d u s t r ia l a n d s t r i k e . I n t h e f o r m e r c a s e s t r a in i s m e a n t i n a b i o l og i c a l o r i n h e r i t a b l e s e n se , e . g . ( 1) t h e c o l l e c t i ve d e s c e n d a n t s o f a co m m o n a n c e s t o r ; a r a c e , s t o c k, l i n e , o r b r e e d ( 2 ) a n y o f t h e v a r i o u s li n e s o f a n ce s t r y u n i t e d i n a n i n d i v i du a l o r a f a m i l y ; a n c e st r y o r l i n e a g e ( 3 ) B i o l o g y . A g r o u p o f o r g a n i s m s o f t h e sa m e s p e ci e s, h a vi n g d i s t i n ct i v e c h a r a c t e ri s t i cs b ut n ot u s ua l l y c o n si d e r e d a s e p a ra t e b re e d o r v a r i e t y ( 4 ) a n a r t i fi c i a l v a r i e t y o f a d o m e s t i c a n i m a l o r c u l t i v a t e d p l a n t ( 5) a k i n d o r s o r t . 3 T h e s e c on d s e n s e o f s t r a in r e f e r s t o t e n s i o n , e x e rt i o n , a n d t h e a p p li c a t i o n o f f o r ce , e . g . ( 1 ) t o p u l l, d r a w , o r s t r e t c h t i g h t : s t r a i n e d t h e s h e e t s o v e r t h e b e d ( 2 ) t o e x e r t o r t a x t o t h e u t m o s t : st r a i n i n g o u r e a rs to hear (3) to injure or impair by o ve r u s e or overex ertion; w r e n c h : s t r a i n a m u s c l e ( 4 ) t o s t re t c h o r f o r c e b e y on d t h e p r op e r o r l e g i t i ma t e l i m i t : st r a i n a p o i n t ( 5 ) P h y s i c s : t o a lt e r ( t h e r e la t i on s

1 Watkins, C. (2000), The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo European Roots, p. 86 2 Watkins, C. (2000), The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo European Roots, p. 87 3 http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/strain_2 Starling Hunter 2011 1

b e t w e e n t he p a rt s o f a s t r u c t u r e o r sh a p e ) b y a p p l y i n g a n e x t e r n a l f o r c e ; deform.4

4 http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/strain Starling Hunter 2011 2