why did Augie the Horse decide that the etymology of balneum was cause to make him overcome his scruples about taking a bath? I'm pretty sure, BTW, that he didn't speak English.

Who knows with folk etymologies? According to Herr Professor Dr Johannes Brachtendorf in Augustine on Human Dignity, Love of Neighbor, and the Role of the Passions, page 9:

Quote:
As a professor of rhetoric, he knows the Stoic etymology of the word balaneion (bath), according to which it is composed of “ballo” (throw out) and “ania” (grief). So he hoped the balaneion would throw out his grief. Well, it did not work, and the grief did not go away – which is just another example of the dubitability of the Stoic etymologies and of the unavailability of their ideal of apathy.


It's a silly etymology. The word ballo is our words parabola, symbol, hyperbole[/i], etc.

Ceci n'est pas un seing.