551: chiro...Jun 11, 2016

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Words have been created in order to communicate, not only actions, but general concepts. Since a concept can be incredibly broad and overarching, terms for fairly different actions or ideas may be very similar. Words like 'chirography' or 'chiromancy' (palm-reading) are understandably related, as the English literal translation is respectively 'handwriting' and 'hand-divination'. Other terms have similar spellings, but are at first-glance have less to do with hands. 'Chiropractic' comes from 'praktikos' meaning 'practical' as it is a medical practice involving one's hands. Finally, perhaps the least sensible is chironomid as a classification for insects who don't have hands at all. The word means 'one who gestures with his hands' or 'pantomime dancer', from the way the insects move their limbs.

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