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T h e w o r d h a r em d e s c e n d s f r o m t he A r a b i c h ar am w h i ch m e a n s w o m e n s a p a r t me n t s o r a s e t o r a p a r t me n t s fo r w o m e n a n d l i t e r a ll y s a c r e d o r p r o h i b i t e d b e c a u s e m e n we r e p r o h i b i t e d f r o m e n t e r i n g. 1 TH EMES : A s n ot e d s e v e r a l t i m e s i n t hi s v o l u m e , t he n o un woma n h a s m o r e t h a n o n e o r i g i n . T he w o r d i t s e l f d e s c e n d s f r o m t he r o o t g hwi bh - w h i ch m e a n s b o t h s ha m e a n d p u d e n d a . 2 T w o o t h e r w o r d s a r e d e r i v e d f r o m t h i s r o o t wi f e a n d h u s s y ( a f e ma l e a d u l t e r e r ) . T he n t he r e i s t he r o o t gw en - m e a n s w o m a n 3 a n d w h i c h g i v e s r i se t o t h e p r e f i x gyn e - a n d r e l a t e d w o r d s su c h a s s u c h a s

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r e s e r v e d f o r t h e wo m e n o f t he h o u s e h o l d . T h u s, t he w or d h a r e m i s n o t o n l y a n a p a rt m e n t f o r w o m e n , i t s ha r e s t h i s a s so c i a t i o n w i t h ze n an a, a d e r i v a t i v e o f gwe n- , a r o o t me a n i n g w o m a n . B u t t h e sh a r e d a s s o c i a t i on s d o n t e n d t h e r e . A s s h o w n a b o v e , on e o f t he l i t e r a l me a n i n g s o f h a re m i s p r o h i b i t e d , T h a t w o r d d e s c e n ds f r o m t h e I n d o -E u r o p e a n ( IE ) r o ot gh abh w h i c h m e a n s t o g i v e o r re c e i v e . 4 A m o n g i t s d e r i v a t i v e s a r e se ve r a l w o r d s c o n c e r n i n g h o u s i n g , e . g . h ab it a b le , ha b i ta t , a n d i n h ab ita n t . A l s o, t h e w o r d h a b i t a d i st i n c t i v e d r e ss o r c o st u m e , e sp e c i a l l y o f a r e l i g i o us o r d e r i s a m o n g t he s e d e r i v a t i v e s a s s u g g e s t s t he d i s t i n c t i v e a n d c o n s e r v a t i v e n a t u re o f M i d d l e E a s t e rn w o m e n s d r e ss . Th e t h e me t h e n i s P RO HIB ITIO N o r I NH IBIT IO N .

1 2 3 4

Skeat, W. (1901/2005), Watkins, c. (2000), The Watkins, c. (2000), The Watkins, c. (2000), The

A Concise American American American

Etymological Dictionary of the English Language. Heritage Dictionary of Indo -European Roots, p. 32 Heritage Dictionary of Indo -European Roots, p. 34 Heritage Dictionary of Indo -European Roots, p. 28 1

Starling Hunter 2011