Pisces 29: A prism

T h e w o r d p ri s m e n t e r e d t h e E n g l i s h la n g u a g e i n t he m i d 1 6 t h c e n t u r y w i t h t h e me a n i n g a t y p e o f s o l i d f i g u r e . 1 T h i s se n se d e s c e n d e d f r o m t h e L a t e L a t i n p ri sm a a n d t he G r e e k

p ri s m a me a n i n g l i t e r a l l y s o me t h i n g
s a w e d f r o m p ri ze in t o s a w. T h e w o r d s a p p li c a t i o n t o o p t i c s d a t e s t o the early 17th century. Among its d e f i n i t i o n s w e h a ve : 1. A solid figure whose bases or ends have the same size and shape and are parallel to one another, and each of whose sides is a parallelogram. 2. A transparent body of this form, often of glass and usually with triangular ends, used for separating white light passed through it into a spectrum or for reflecting beams of light. 3. A cut-glass object, such as a pendant of a chandelier. 4. A crystal form consisting of three or more similar faces parallel to a single axis. 5. A medium that misrepresents whatever is seen through it.2 A n o t h e r d e f i n i t i o n s i m i l a r t o t h e l a s t i s a me d i u m t ha t di s t o r t s, s l a n t s, o r c o l o r s w h a t e v e r i s v i e w e d t h r o u g h i t . 3 T h i s s e n s e o f t h e w o r d i s u s e d v e r y o f t e n i n p o li t i ca l , re l i g i ou s , a n d p h i l os o p hi c a l d i s c u s si o n s t o c o n v e y t h e n o t i o n t h a t i de o l o g y a n d p r e c o n ce i v e d i de a s c a n a ct a s a p r i s m t ha t c o l o r s ou r u n d e r s t a n d i n g of o t h e r i d e a s a n d f a c t s. T h e s e e i n g h e r e i s me t a p h o r i c a l, o f c o u rs e , f o r a p e r s o n w i t h 2 0 / 2 0 v i s i o n w o u l d b e n o m o r e o r l e s s p r o n e t o s uc h a b i a s a s w o u l d a b l i n d o n e . TH EMES : A s n o t e d a b o v e , t h e k e y w o r d p ri s m de s c e n d s f r o m G r e e k a n d L a t i n w o r d s t h a t me a n t o s a w a n d on c e m e a n t a t yp e of s o l i d f i g u r e .
1 http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=prism 2 http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/prism 3 http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prism

Starling Hunter 2011

N o t a b l y, t he w o r d s a w h a s n o f e w e r t h a n t h r e e d i s t i n ct m e a n i n g s , e a c h d e s c e n d i n g f r o m a d i f f e r e n t I n d o -E u r o p e a n ( IE ) r o o t . On e m e a n i n g o f s a w i s t h e p a s t t e n s e o f t h e v e r b s e e . T hi s se n s e d e s ce n d s f r o m t h e I n d o - E u r o p e a n r o ot s e kw-2 w h i c h me a n s t o p e r c e i v e , se e . 4 I t s p a r o n y m s i n c l u d e t h e w o r d s s i gh t a n d i n s i ght . T he w o r d i n s i gh t m e a n s t h e c a p a c i t y t o d i s c e r n t he t r u e n a t ur e o f a s i t u a t i o n ; p e n e t ra t i on a n d t h e a c t o r o ut c o me o f g r a s p i n g t he i n w a r d o r h i d d e n n a t u r e o f t hi n g s o r o f p e r c e i v i n g i n a n i n t ui t i v e m a n n e r . 5 R e c a l l t ha t on e o f t h e d e f i n i t i o n s o f p r i sm r e f e r s t o a t r a n sp a re n t b o d y o r f o r m . A t r a n s p a r e n t ob j e c t i s o n e t ha t c a n b e s e e n t h r o u g h . B u t a p ri s m c a n a l s o s la n t o r d i s t o r t t he v i e w . T h u s, t he i n t e g r a t i n g t h e m e w ou l d b e S I GHT .

4 Watkins, C. (2000), The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo European Roots, p. 74 5 http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/insight

Starling Hunter 2011