MEDITATION ON A SWEET POTATO
The
scientific Latin name
for the kūmara, following the pattern
for the kūmara, following the pattern
as
laid down by Linaeus
is Ipomoea
batatas; “batatas” is
relatively
straightforward
Neo-Latin
for “potato” and “Ipomoea”
is
based on the Greek:
“ips”,
meaning “worm”, and “homoios”,
meaning
“same”, from the resemblance
of
the sweet potatoe
to a
slow fat grub,
but
in te reo Māori,
“ipo
moea” in correct syntax
as “moea
i po” is to dream in the night
like
a kūmara buried in its mound of earth.
Coincidentally,
Kumara
is a name of the Hindu war god
Murugan,
and the four child sages
Sanaka,
Sanatana, Sanandana
and Sanatkumara,
born of Brahma’s mind.
Comments
Post a Comment