umbrella, umbellifer, umbelliform, inflorescence, ultimogeniture, primogeniture, King Lear and Cordelia

And so we begin the mysterious u's...a universe all their own.  23 pages.

U:

umbrella

umbellifer  (inflorescence, umbelliform)

ultimogeniture

umpire

umlaut

unbe

uncial

uncinate

unction

undulate, undulant fever, undine

ungual

ungulate

unifolate

unijugate

uniramous

univalent

Ur

uraeus

Uranus

Urania

Urdu

urodele

ursine

Ursa Major

usufructuary, usufruct, usus et fructus

Ute

uxorious

usury

uvula, uvea (boitryoides)

favorite word: umlaut

other miscellaneous “u” words

U-boat

ukulele

ultima

Umbundu

umiak

list of un- prefixes: unshakable, unsubtle, unyoung, unchurched

una corda (depressing the soft pedal on a piano)

unconscionable

unhouseled

unicameral

unmitigated

Upanishad

upas

umbrella: [Latin: umbra  shadow, shade]  diminutive of umbra 

     I love the diminutive forms of words, often with an -ito, or -ina, or in this case an -ella tacked on.  When I talk with Latino Mothers about their babies, I have observed with delight their talk of the smaller, more delicate names for things such as zapatitos instead of zapatos (shoes) or pansita instead of pansa (abdomen).   

umbellifer: [umbell flowers]  the carrot family  

    [L. umbella, umbrella]  

     Carrots have an umbelliform inflorescence (they originate from the same point on the stem).  I imagine that the umbrella-like (umbra) of the greens coming off the top of the carrot gave it it’s name of umbellifer, both derived from umbra.  

    

    inflorescence: the pattern of buds in different arrangements coming off the stem. 

     The dictionary has many definitions of flowers and their different, beautiful patterns of inflorescence.  I read a wonderful essay today by Dr. Oliver Sacks from The New York Review of Books called Darwin and the Meaning of Flowers found in The Best American Science and Nature Writing, 2009.  The essay, of course, contains his usual luminescent writing style:  insightful, gentle, beautifully phrased, intellectual, erudite and yet humble.  A vortex of sadness remains at his absence after his death.   

     This essay describes Charles Darwin’s love of botany.  After publishing his On the Origin of Species he returned to his home with it’s many gardens and wrote articles and books on his investigations of various flowers, especially orchids, their structure (inflorescence), fertilization and even movement. 

     Sacks concludes, “I rejoice in the knowledge of my biological uniqueness and my biological antiquity and my biological kinship with all other forms of life.”   Pure poetry.  Pure philosophy.   

ultimogeniture: the youngest son inherits the family wealth; 

     as opposed to primogeniture where the oldest son inherits all.  How about the daughters?

     I just finished reading King Lear; what an emotional, suspenseful ride.  Lear is dividing up his kingdom among his three daughters.  This is refreshing in itself…no Henry the VIII desperately seeking a male heir.  Even more refreshing…no primogeniture: the giving of your inheritance to the eldest male child.  I laughed when I read about ultimogeniture. A great idea.  I wonder who thought of that?  

     Here’s another thought: how about dividing everything between all of the siblings in a gender neutral environment?   In any case, King Lear’s first two daughters, Goneral and Regan,  lavish excessive praise on their father, proclaiming their everlasting love in a Janus-like manner.  Lear says that they will each therefore get one-third of his kingdom.  

     When he gets to the third daughter, Cordelia, what ensues is a typically creative Shakespearean invention: a conversation where the word “no” occurs four times in a row.  I had never seen this before.

   

Lear: …what can you say to draw a third more opulent than your sisters?  Speak.

Cordelia: Nothing, my lord.

Lear: Nothing?

Cordelia: Nothing.

Lear: Nothing will come of nothing.  Speak again.  (1.1)