as(s)tronomy cites

[Mark A. Mandel]

        [Doug W:]
>>>>>
There were apparently classical Latin words "annus" =
"circle"/"circuit"/"year", "anus" = "old woman", "anus" = "rump"/"anus"
(paraphrasing and simplifying from the Perseus Project Lewis-Short
dictionary online).
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"anus" = "old woman" has a short /a/; "anus" = "rump"/"anus" has long /a:/.
They were as distinct to the Romans as "ass" = "donkey" and "arse" = "rump"
are to the English.


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