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A sialogogue is something that causes prompt increase in
flow of saliva. I have read of a folk medicine test
for mumps: just exhibiting a lemon to a child with swelling
below and anterior to earlobes can cause salivation and pain. I was reminded of this by xerostomia (dry mouth)
interfering with sleep. Just holding an antacid tablet unchewed between teeth and cheek relieves it. I have heard
of hunters putting a small clean pebble in mouth for same
purpose.
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Xerostoma lead me to a new, to me, and rare Latin verb seresco 'to grow dry'. Used by Lucretius to refer to clothes drying (out in the sun)': vestes serescunt, Lucr. I.306. Verbs with -esc- verbal suffix are called inchoatives, e.g., rubesco 'to grow red, turn red, redden', pallesco 'to grow pale'; in English inchoatives tend to end in -en, like redden, coarsen, weaken, etc.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Dear jheem: your rare Latin verb might have cognate in
"sere" as in a withered leaf. AHD etymologist didn't try hard enough:
sere 1
PRONUNCIATION: sîr
VARIANT FORMS: also sear
ADJECTIVE: Withered; dry: sere vegetation at the edge of the desert.
ETYMOLOGY: Middle English, from Old English sar.
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No, English sere is from another PIE root, *saus- 'dry' whence Latin sudus (from *suz-do-) 'without moisture, dry; cloudless, bright', Greek auos 'dry, withered; thirsty', and Sanskrit çushyati 'to dry, wilt, wither'.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Appearances can be deceiving to us folk etymologists.
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Folk etymology is a lot of fun, too, ya know. I love sparrow's grass as well as the next person. You, of course, know that St Isidore of Sevilla is your folk etymologist's patron saint? Actually, Izzy is patron saint of computer techies, the Internet, etc., http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/sainti04.htm, but his book, Etymologiae, is full of all kinds of fantastic folk etymologies, as well as being a fine example of Silver Age Latinity.
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