Re: A question for zoonomenclaturists

["David Marjanovic" <david.marjanovic@gmx.at>]

> Yes, it is! Re-read the article dedicated to "femur":
> http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/femur
>
> "Femur" stands for "thigh", "the upper part of the thigh", or "the
> loins", and, figuratively, the capacity to bear children (just like the
> expression "birthing hips").

So far, so good.

> This is supported by the close affinities
> of Latin words related to "femur" and "femina". This link is confirmed
> by the Ancient Greek root of the latter word, "φύω", which means "to
> produce", hence "to give birth".

Where are you getting this from? It's not in the Wiktionary article and not in 
the Wikipedia article either. As I said, the Wiktionary articles give different 
etymologies and make clear that short e and long ē have different origins.

And φύω doesn't fit either of them at all! Latin f at the beginning of a word 
does correspond to φ, θ and χ, so the φ fits, although the Wiktionary 
etymologies for both femur and fēmina mean that Greek homologs (cognates) of 
those words would begin with θ instead. The rest doesn't even begin to match: 
you'd expect fu-, fuv- or fus- in Latin, not femin- or fēmin-. This is like 
trying to homologize the crest of bone on the head of an oviraptorosaur 
[desperate attempt to stay on topic] with a crest of feathers on the head of a 
bird! :-)

> I suspect in fact that this is where originated the myth of the birth of
> Dionysos... a mere play on words!

Why would a Greek myth come from a play on Latin words?

> See the Lewis and Short for more details:

Not a word on etymology there.