Capricorn 30: A secret business conference

T h e w o r d s e cr et d e s c e n d s f r o m t w o r o o t s . T h e f i r st i s t h e I n d o E u r o p e a n ( I E ) r o o t s (w ) e- w h i c h i s a pronoun of the third person and r e f l e x i v e ( r e f e r r i n g b a c k t o t he s u b j e c t o f t he se n t e n c e ) a n d which appears in various forms r e f e r r i n g t o t h e s oc i a l g r o u p a s a n e n t i t y , e . g . o u r - s e lv e s . 1 P a r o n y m s i n c l u d e se l f , se l ve s, go s s ip , s ib , b u s t le , s wa in , s u i ci de , s wa m i , s e c e de ,

s e c l u de , s e c u re , sedi t i o n , se du c t i o n , se gre ga t e , s e le c t , sep a ra te , s e ve r, s u re , s ob e r, s o l e, so l i t a ry , s o l it u de , so l o , de s o la t e , s o li lo q u y , s o da li t y, c u s t o m , ma s ti f f , e th i c , e t h o s, et h n o, idi o - , i di o m, i di o t , idi o s yn c ra s y , a n d K h o t a ne s e . T h e s e co n d i s t he I E r o ot k r ei - w hi c h m e a n s t o s i e v e ,

d i s c r i m i n a t e , d i st i n g u i s h . 2 P a r o n y m s i n c l u d e ga rb le , c rim e , c ri mi n a l ,

c e rt a in , c o n c e rn , co n c e rt , de c ree , disc e rn , e x c re m en t , se c re t a ry , c ri ti c , c ri t e ri on , e n do c ri ne , a n d h yp o c ris y .

T h e w o r d b usi ness d e s c e n d s f r o m t he O l d E n g l i s h b i si gn es ( c a re , a n x i e t y , o c c up a t i on ) a n d b is i g ( c a r e fu l , a n xi o u s, b u s y, oc c u p i e d, diligent). By the late 14 th century it was used in the sense of work o c c u p a t i o n a n d b y t h e e a r l y 1 8 t h ce n t u r y i t a l s o w a s u s e d t o m e a n t r a d e , c o m m e r ci a l e n g a g e m e n t s. 3 F i n a l l y , t he w o r d c o nf er e nce i s t he a dv e r b i a l f o r m o f t h e a d j e c t i v e

f u rt i ve w h i c h d e s ce n d s f r o m t h e IE ro o t b h er- 1 , t o ca rr y ; a l s o t o b e a r
c h i l d r e n . 4 P a r o n y ms i n c l u d e a m p h o r, a n ap h o ra , b ea r , b arro w , b i rt h,

b o re , b ri n g, b u rden , b u ri a l, b u rl y , c on f e r , de fe r , di f f e r, e u p h o ri a , fe rre t ,
1 2 3 4 Watkins, C. (2000), The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo European Roots, p. 87 Watkins, C. (2000), The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo European Roots, p. 44 http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=business Watkins, C. (2000), The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo European Roots, p. 10 Starling Hunter 2011 1

f o rb e a r , f o rt u n e , fu rt i ve , i n f e r, m et ap h o r , o f f e r, p re f e r, p ro f f e r , re f e r , s u f f e r , a n d t ra n s fer .
TH EMES : T a k e n t o ge t h e r, t h e k e y w o r d s a n d t he i r p a r o n ym s d e s c r i b e a w i d e v a r i e t y o f BUS I NE SS P ROCE SS ESS a n d F I NANC IA L AS SET S , s o me o f w h i c h a r e u ne t h i cal . T h e se i n c l u d e :

Securities: an evidence of debt or of property, as a bond or certificate of stock Severance pay: money, exclusive of wages, back pay, etc., paid to an employee who
has tenure and who is dismissed because of lack of work or other reasons beyond the employee's control

Bearer bond: a bond not registered in anyone's name and payable to whoever
possesses it

Fortune
Public offering: a sale of a new issue of securities to the general public through a managing underwriter

Business ethics Business crime Secret transfers Preferred stock: stock that has a superior claim to that of common stock with
respect to dividends

Customs officials

Starling Hunter 2011