SWADDLE

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Dr. Goodword
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SWADDLE

Postby Dr. Goodword » Tue Dec 27, 2005 2:04 am

• swaddle •

Pronunciation: swah-dêl • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Verb, transitive

Meaning: 1. To swathe, to bandage, to wrap in bandages. 2. To tightly bind a baby with blankets so that it cannot move its arms or legs. 3. To tightly restrain or restrict, to smother, suffocate.

Notes: Swaddling dates back to the Ancient Egyptians, who wrapped their infants in long strips of cloth, a process taking as long as two hours. Swaddled babies were then often hung on a wall peg. Swaddling is still practiced in the Balkans, presumably because the babe feels more like it did in the womb. Many Native Americans once swaddled their papooses.

In Play: Of course, at this time of the year, we associate today's word with Luke 2:12 "And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." (A much better translation than the more modern, "wrapped in strips of cloth, lying in a feeding trough".) However, you do not have to be a Christian to appreciate our word today: "Wash the car! Mow the lawn! Paint the porch! You have to quit swaddling me with so much work and let me relax on the weekends."

Word History: Today's Good Word probably comes to us from one of those English dialects where [th] becomes [t] or [d] (Brooklyn, Ireland, or down South today). It seems to have started out as a diminutive form or form indicating a frequent action (frequentative) of Old English swathian "to swath." So, this word is very much like our recent Good Word, passel, another mispronunciation of a word that went off on its own and worked its way back into the language as a new word.
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Apoclima
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Postby Apoclima » Tue Dec 27, 2005 1:39 pm

"Swaddled babies were then often hung on a wall peg."

I don't think that the CPS would approve of this practice today!

Apo
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Brazilian dude
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Postby Brazilian dude » Tue Dec 27, 2005 2:40 pm

They were hung, but Were they hanged? :lol:

Braziilan dude
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gailr
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Re: SWADDLE

Postby gailr » Tue Dec 27, 2005 9:30 pm

Swaddled babies were then often hung on a wall peg
by the chimney with care.
-gailr


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