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I was just reading a fascinating article telling that 77,000-year-old beds have been discovered in a cave in South Africa. The people had made these mats of mosquito-repelling plants which are species of Cryptocarya. (One was Cryptocarya woodii.)
Could someone please break down the meaning of this mysterious species name for me?
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Carpal Tunnel
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OK, the species part of the name, woodii, is probably from someone named Wood who discovered it. The Crypto part of the genus name means 'secret' or 'hidden', which you probably knew. I'll leave the carya part to Nuncle z or goofy or someone else with a better handle on Greek. Edit: Aha! The carya part is from the Greek karya-, 'walnut tree'.
Last edited by Faldage; 12/09/2011 10:51 AM.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Greek καρυα (karua) is some kind of nut tree (filbert, chestnut). Greek καρυον (karuon). Not many famous cognates in Greek's cousin languages: Latin carīna 'nutshell; ship's keel'.
Ceci n'est pas un seing.
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The secret walnut tree or ship's keel? That doesn't make much sense to me, but I thank you both.
Em--maybe walnuts were valued so highly then that the owners/discoverers tried to hide the trees? A bit hard to do, I should think.
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Carpal Tunnel
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The secret walnut tree or ship's keel?Ah, well. I was just saying what the word meant in Greek. In ISVese, it's probably closer to 'kernal, nut', as in link.
Ceci n'est pas un seing.
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Carpal Tunnel
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I was just saying what the word meant in Greek. I know you were, Sweet Thing. Thank you. :^)
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Carpal Tunnel
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The secret walnut tree or ship's keel? That doesn't make much sense to meFor you Sweet Thing!  
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Carpal Tunnel
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Hey, cool! Thank you! [hug]
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Carpal Tunnel
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The secret walnut tree or ship's keel?
That's just the meaning in Greek. In the modern ISV (International Scientific Vocabulary) caryo / carya means something more like 'nut, kernel' (caryopsis) or 'cell nucleus' (karyogamy). I guess it's kind of the opposite of gymnosperm 'naked' + 'seed'.
The ship's keel had me going for a while until I realized it was the tree that provide the piece for the keel and not the tree-nuts.
Ceci n'est pas un seing.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Ha true, except for the teeny weeny onees that can sail in a bathtub.
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old hand
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old hand
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Maybe you have to be nuts to sail in such a vessel.
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Carpal Tunnel
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that can sail in a bathtubI just got an Xmas gift from Germany, a universal bath plug ( pictures) with a ship folded out of a waterproof map attached to it by a chain. Funny!
Ceci n'est pas un seing.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Cute!!! So sail away on Xmas-day.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Hey! My post saying I thought the boat-plug was cute has disappeared. [shrug] That is funny that you got it just now, dhmz.
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Pooh-Bah
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.... telling that 77,000-year-old beds have been discovered in a cave in South Africa. The people had made these mats of mosquito-repelling plants which are species of Cryptocarya. How clever people were, even way back then. Mosquito repellent plants and aerosol spray are still very necessary today. Citronella, being the main one.
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Carpal Tunnel
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All you have to do is make beds out of whatever seems reasonably comfortable and then notice that a certain material keeps the mosquitoes away. They had thousands of years to do it.
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