Akimbo
Akimbo in Modern English is defined as the state of "having the hand on the hip and elbow turned outward" or just "in a bent position."[1]
Origins[edit]
The term was recorded first in the English language around 1400 in The Tale of Beryn: "The hoost ... set his hond in kenebowe." In the 17th century, the word was spelled on kenbow, a kenbow, a kenbol, a kenbold, or on kimbow. It may be cognate with German Kniebeuge (knee bend). The forms akembo and akimbo are found in the 18th century, with akimbo gradually becoming the standard.
One suggestion is that it comes from the Icelandic phrase í keng boginn, "bent into a crook", and it is possible that this phrase, or its close cognate in another North Germanic language, was borrowed in the meaning of hands bent to the waist.
Other suggestions trace akimbo to another Middle English word, cambok, "a curved stick or staff" (from Medieval Latincambuca) or to a cam bow, "in a crooked bow". However, there is no extant form of akimbo spelled with cam; and the earliest form of the word, kenebowe, is a long way from cam. The bo part of the word is presumably related to bow, but no connection has ever been documented.
The Middle English Dictionary, with some noted uncertainty, proposes that akimbo might be related to Old French chane or kane "pot" or "jug" respectively, combined with Middle English boue, "bow". In that case, the word akimbo originally meant "bent like the handle of a jug"; however, there is no evidence for this, either. In Spanish, "arms akimbo" can be adequately translated as "brazos en jarra", which means "arms like a jar".
Another possible origin of the word comes from the Kongo language. The ancient "bakhimba" society of the Kongo people are the guards who supposedly watch their posts with their hands on their hips in "akimbo" pose. Additional evidence for this line of argument comes from the use of the term "bakimba" for this posture in the Black Bahamas community, and many other African-American communities. (Thompson, Robert Farris. 1988. "The Circle and the Branch": Renascent Kongo-American Art.)[2][dubious ]
References[edit]
 | Wikimedia Commons has media related to Both hands on hips. |
- ^ "Definition of Akimbo". Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster Inc. Retrieved 23 November 2016.
- ^ Thompson, Robert Farris. 1988. "The Circle and the Branch: Renascent Kongo-American Art".
Vithoba, also known as Vi(t)thal(a) and Panduranga, is a Hindu god predominantly worshipped in the Indian states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Goa, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. He is generally considered a manifestation of the god Vishnu or his avatar, Krishna. Vithoba is often depicted as a dark young boy, standing arms akimbo on a brick, sometimes accompanied by his main consort Rakhumai.
Vithoba is the focus of the monotheistic, non-Brahamanical[1][2] Varkari faith of Maharashtra and the Haridasa faith of Karnataka. Vitthal Temple, Pandharpur is his main temple. Vithoba legends revolve around his devotee Pundalik, who is credited with bringing the deity to Pandharpur, and around Viṭhoba's role as a saviour to the poet-saints of the Varkari faith. The Varkari poet-saints are known for their unique genre of devotional lyric, the abhang, dedicated to Vithoba and composed in Marathi. Other devotional literature dedicated to Vithoba includes the Kannada hymns of the Haridasa and Marathi versions of the generic aarti songs associated with rituals of offering light to the deity. The most important festivals of Vithoba are held on Shayani Ekadashi in the month of Ashadha, and Prabodhini Ekadashi in the month of Kartik.
The historiography of Vithoba and his cult is an area of continuing debate, even regarding his name. Various Indologists have proposed a prehistory for Vithoba worship where he was previously: a hero stone, a pastoral deity, a manifestation of Shiva, a Jain saint, or even all of these at various times for various devotees. Though the origins of both his cult and his main temple are likewise debated, there is clear evidence that they already existed by the 13th century.