Puggree

Use this forum to discuss past Good Words.
User avatar
Dr. Goodword
Site Admin
Posts: 7417
Joined: Wed Feb 02, 2005 9:28 am
Location: Lewisburg, PA
Contact:

Puggree

Postby Dr. Goodword » Tue Nov 11, 2014 11:57 pm

• puggree •

Pronunciation: -gree, -gê-ree • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Noun

Meaning: 1. Turbans worn in India and surrounding regions, or the drill (cloth) they are made from. 2. A thin scarf wound around a sun-helmet and falling down the back to shade the neck, thus preventing the wearer from becoming a redneck.

Notes: English speakers are far from a decision as to how to spell today's Good Word. There is a two-syllable version, puggree, and a three-syllable version, puggaree. We even have our choice of how many Gs to use. Pugree and pugaree are still found in many dictionaries. But today's word may also be used as a verb meaning to coil up like a puggree, as a puggreed towel or garden hose.

In Play: Moments do present themselves when today's word might be used metaphorically as a more exotic substitute for turban: "She came to the door directly from the shower with a towel puggree atop her head." But the verbal usage of today's word is probably more widely applicable: "The puggreed cobra suggested that she might have chosen the wrong path for her morning constitutional."

Word History: Today's Good Word is a gift of Hindi. Pagri "turban" in that language devolved from Sanskrit parikarah "girdle, belt", a noun from the verb parikaroti "he surrounds". This verb is based on pari "around" + karoti "does, makes". Karoti has a noun, karma "deed". Pari is related to Latin per "to, for" and Greek peri "around", as in the Greek borrowing perimeter. The English preposition for comes from the same source. Pairi also appears in an ancestor of paradise from Avesta pairidaeza "enclosure, park", comprising pairi "around" and daezo "wall". See our Good Word paradise for the semantic trip from "park" to "paradise". (Our thanks to Rehana Husain of India for all the good karma brought with this fascinating Hindi Good Word to the English lexical stock.)
• The Good Dr. Goodword

LukeJavan8
Great Grand Panjandrum
Posts: 4423
Joined: Fri Oct 09, 2009 6:16 pm
Location: Land of the Flat Water

Re: Puggree

Postby LukeJavan8 » Wed Nov 12, 2014 1:11 pm

Don't see many of them around here - puggrees, that is.
But there are plenty of rednecks, which even a puggree
could not help.
-----please, draw me a sheep-----

Philip Hudson
Great Grand Panjandrum
Posts: 2784
Joined: Thu Feb 23, 2006 4:41 am
Location: Texas

Re: Puggree

Postby Philip Hudson » Fri Nov 14, 2014 2:08 pm

Thank you Dr. Goodword for the word and for the lesson in PIE from the Hindi.

My grandpa, a citizen of the hinterlands and a redneck if there ever was one, wore a long cloth headpiece under his Laredo alligator weave straw work hat. It kept him cool and free from gnats and mosquitoes. The corners of the headpiece were dipped in citronella oil.
It is dark at night, but the Sun will come up and then we can see.

LukeJavan8
Great Grand Panjandrum
Posts: 4423
Joined: Fri Oct 09, 2009 6:16 pm
Location: Land of the Flat Water

Re: Puggree

Postby LukeJavan8 » Fri Nov 14, 2014 2:20 pm

If that is a puggree, then I've seen it too. Good application.
-----please, draw me a sheep-----

User avatar
bailey66
Junior Lexiterian
Posts: 97
Joined: Mon Oct 27, 2014 3:57 pm

Re: Puggree

Postby bailey66 » Sat Nov 15, 2014 12:58 pm

I'm sure I'll have lots of use for this if just to show off.

M.
In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, Isa30:15


Return to “Good Word Discussion”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 52 guests