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A.Word.A.Daywith Anu Garg My daughter Ananya has been fitted
with braces to straighten her teeth. Right now her teeth are
like a bunch of teenagers slouching on a lazy summer afternoon.
A couple of years of orthodontic regimen has promised to train
them like soldiers at attention -- perfectly upright and ready
to attack in unison any apple or pear that dares to enter the
gates. With each visit to the orthodontist, I become acutely
aware of the meaning of the term ortho-. I believe it derives
from Greek and means lots and lots of money. Maybe not. But
that's what it feels like. And to be fair to the orthos, it
takes years of training, specialized equipment, and precision
components to design a pair of braces. If only braces were like
combining forms in a language. You take two (or more), click
them together, and they are ready for work. No muss, no fuss!
This week we'll see five words made with the use of combining
forms ortho- (straight), copro- (dung),