Much has been Written on Allegory as a cognitive tool--a rhetorical device that is more a philosophical forma mentis than sheer literary form. The writings of the classical thinkers, the work of Isidore of Seville, and the texts of Renaissance humanists tacitly acknowledge the rhetorical, argumentative impact of etymology. Yet appreciation for the practice of etymology remains largely uncharted in modern works. When recognized, it is invariably with reservations about its scientific or cognitive worth. Isidore of Seville's etymologies, for instance, continue either to be cited as curious...