The Naked Truth About Gym and Gymno

The Naked Truth About Gym and Gymno The Naked Truth About â€Å"Gym† and â€Å"Gymno† The Naked Truth About â€Å"Gym† and â€Å"Gymno† By Maeve Maddox Our word gymnasium comes from a Greek noun meaning â€Å"place to be naked,† or â€Å"place to exercise.† The adjective was gymnos, â€Å"naked.† Greek athletes exercised in the nude. The Greek gymnasium was for more than just working out. It was also a place for bathing and having scholarly discussions. The founder of the â€Å"cynic† school of philosophy, Antisthenes, taught in a gymnasium in Athens. The name of his philosophical school is usually explained as a reference to the â€Å"biting† sarcasm practiced by its proponents. Cynic is from the Greek kynikos, â€Å"dog-like.† However, the name could have originated from the name of the gymnasium in which Antisthenes taught: Kynosarge, â€Å"Grey Dog.† The prefix gymno (gymn in front of vowels) is frequently encountered in the study of botany and zoology. gymnosperm: â€Å"naked seed† (evergreens like the pine, hemlock, and fir) gymnorhinal: â€Å"having naked nostrils† (some birds have feathers on their nostrils; some don’t) gymnogenous: â€Å"naked when hatched† (some birds are born with feathers; some aren’t) The ancient Greeks gave the name gymnosophist to a sect of vegetarian Hindu philosophers who wore little or no clothing. Some gymno words refer to attitudes towards nudity. gymnomania: The obsession of the â€Å"peeping Tom†; male voyeurism. 2. A compulsion to be naked. 3. An abnormal interest in nakedness. Note: A male voyeur is called a gymnogynomaniac. gymnoscopic A reference to a desire to see naked bodies. gymnoscopy: Sexual pleasure derived from viewing the nakedness of the opposite sex. gymnophily 1. Having a special fondness for being in the nude. An abnormal interest in nakedness. gymnophobia 1. A pathological fear of being naked. A morbid dread of seeing a naked person or of an uncovered part of the body. gymnophoria The sense that someone is mentally undressing you, or that a person is viewing you naked even though you are clothed. There’s are even gymno words you can use when talking about the Bible. gymnobiblism: The opinion that the bare text of the Bible, without note or comment, may be safely put before the unlearned as a sufficient guide to religious truth. gymnobiblical (adjective) pertaining to, or holding, this opinion gymnobiblist (noun), a believer in gymnobiblism. All the gymno words you could ever want to see. Fascinating article on the history of social nudity. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Wether, Weather, Whether11 Writing Exercises to Inspire You and Strengthen Your WritingPersonification vs. Anthropomorphism