Plumage

[magid]

1. (plum-aj), n., (Agr.) The age of a fruit. Commonly used to describe days since being picked; occasionally used by the trade to describe days in the ripening process.
   
2. (pl&601;-maj), n., (Cul.) An adept at making fruit sculpture (with or without magic) ( Orig. "plummage").
   
3. (ploo-maj), n., (Mag.) A wizard who can vary time (See pluperfect.) or iron (Orig. "plumbmage").
   
4. (ploom-aj), n., (Obs.) The age of a feather after plucking, for use in hats or as quills.

No, I don't know why nor where it came from.

Comments

[purpletigron.livejournal.com]

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=plumage

1481, "feathers," from O.Fr. plumage (14c.), from plume (see plume).

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=plume

1399, "a feather" (especially a large and conspicuous one), from O.Fr. plume, from L. pluma "feather, down," from PIE base *pleus- "to pluck, a feather, fleece" (cf. O.E. fleos "fleece").

[magid.livejournal.com]

Well, yeah, that too :-).

I started thinking about stories in which these alternate possibilities might be used.