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>My understanding of this is that the slender connection between th >island Lesbos and 'lesbianism' derives from a pun, the word >'lesbian' having less to do with Sappho's inclinations than its >derivation from an old Greek verb for cunilingus. > Actually it's the other way around: the verb lesbizo "to Lesbos" is coined from the island name. It clearly has a sexual significance though exactly what is matter of controversy. Those who cannot endure another moment of existence without being thoroughly apprised of this issue should hustle off to the library and look up all the scholarly commentary they can find on Aristophanes Frogs 1308. >Maybe Sappho, misunderstanding this, set off for Lesbos in search >a little TLC. In fact she was born there, though she and her family were exiled to Sicily for a while. ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%