Subject: (urth) Villus

From: Nigel Price <nigel.aprice at virgin.net>
Date: Tue, 04 Mar 2003 11:14:30 +0000

In a rhetorical mood, Crush ruminates...

>>Still, it does show that ambivalent names
>>should be taken seriously. Consequently,
>>I don't know what to do with the ambivalent
>>name "Villus." It's so obscure, the
>>ambiguity must be intentional, but what does
>>it mean?

Nigel, who, somewhat disturbingly, keeps a Latin dictionary by his side at
all times, responds in a manner that is intended to be helpful, but which is
probably intensely irritating...

"Villus" is a Latin word (2nd declension, masculine) meaning "shaggy hair".
It is related etymologically to "pilus", the Latin word for "a single hair".

Nigel (who wishes he still had shaggy hair these days)

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From: Che Monro <flirt at technologist.com>
Date: Tue, 04 Mar 2003 11:55:14 +0000

>Nigel (who wishes he still had shaggy hair these days)

Che looks on with interest and gives Nigel a puppy dog look. "As a puppy I 
devoured Shakespeare in a tasty leather binding."

Che

Ché Franz Joseph Monro -- http://www.chemonro.com
che at chemonro.com    --     flirt at technologist.com

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From: James Wynn <crushtv at hotpop.com>
Date: Tue, 04 Mar 2003 15:31:47 +0000

Crush responds:
Thanks Nigel! This is very useful to me. The confusing thing about "villus"
is that it is a sexually ambivalent name. In biology it is a teeny hairlike
projection in the small intestines. In botany it is a teeny hairlike growth
on the leaves or stems of some plants.

What's the same in both senses is the quality of smallness, and Villus is
the smallest "boy" at the palaestra. But, there are lots and lots of more
common words that carry that quality. Wolfe was sure aware of the ambiguity
of this word and selected it at least in part for that ambiguity. Why? This
calls to mind Titi's sexually ambiguous name; Titi, the male counterspy
whose specialty was female impersonation.

-- Crush

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