interesting word origins

English has manywords that originally came from other languages. The same Germanic word – “marōn” – gives rise to similar words in many Scandinavian and European languages. By the mid-20th century, it was widely used, but it has since fallen out of the popular lexicon.

not operate under the aegis of the University of Oxford or those other institutions. Apparently, muscles looked like mice under the skin to people back then. The term was used to describe the unpleasant air emanating from the marshland surrounding Rome, which was believed to cause the disease we now call malaria (and we now know that it’s the mosquitoes breeding in these conditions that cause the disease, rather than the air itself). "Kibosh," as in "to put the kibosh on something," comes from the Gaelic "cie bais," which mean "cap of death," referring to the hood that executioners used to wear.

var _g1; One must look no further than the Capuchin Monks, whose hooded habits were a dark, oak brown similar to the color of a good cappuccino.

} catch(e) {}. Etymology is the study of the origin of words and how the meaning of words has changed over the course of history. The 'ch' in chemist and church is inexplicable, as are many other words. Quarantine comes from the French "qarante" for 40.

If you have a fascination with language or the way that the stories we tell shape our culture, ethics and values, an English degree may well be perfect for you. In ancient Greek it meant 'fig revealer'. In honor of World Book Day, we’re checking out words that nobody would guess were made up by authors! Our word for danger or risk is thought to have its origins in 13th-century Arabic, in which the word “al-zahr” referred to the dice used in various gambling games. So basically, avocado means testicle. Chances are, you’ve used at least one of these in casual conversation without knowing its problematic past.

According to the telling of the story recorded in Gleanings and Reminiscences by F.T.

The owner of the lesser object would make up the difference with money, and then all three participants would place forfeit money into a hat. It is a Middle English word that's redundant as 'luke' meant warm back then. The word “quarantine” has its origins in the devastating plague, the so-called Black Death, which swept across Europe in the 14th century, wiping out around 30% of Europe’s population. It's funny how paradoxical origins can be. 'Dis' means bad and 'aster' means star.

Some have said that the “berserkers” were so uncontrollably ferocious due to being in an almost trance-like state, either by working themselves up into a frenzy before battle, or by ingesting hallucinogenic drugs. It comes from the word “clew”, meaning a ball of yarn. The word avocado comes from Spanish aguacate, which in turn comes from the Nahuatl ahuacatl, meaning testicle. So, next time you use the expression “going berserk” to describe someone acting irrationally, remember those battle-crazed Vikings and be glad that you’re not on the receiving end of the wrath of a real “berserker”! Because of this, the word “clew” came to mean something that points the way. His wife would seduce men into bed, and as they slept, Hoag would loot them of their money.

Take the simple examples of the Latin prefixes con- (also “com-” in English) and dis-, which are widely used in Romance languages and indicate “togetherness” and “apartness,” respectively. The word "tragedy" comes from the Greek "τραγῳδία" (tragodia), meaning the song of the male goat. So the word lukewarm as per the origins would mean 'warm warm'. Avocado isn’t the only Nahuatl word that has been borrowed by the English language; chili, chocolate, tomato and guacamole were also coined by speakers of Nahuatl. Berserkers were Norse warriors who fought with a passion that bordered on madness. The fabric Strauss used for his patented, mass-produced trousers was first produced in Genoa, Italy and Nimes, France. It comes from the medieval Italian words “mal” meaning “bad” and “aria” meaning “air” – so it literally means “bad air”. We encourage you to put on your etymologist’s hat and venture into the jungle of meaning. Here are ten words with unusual stories behind their coining. Let’s get meta and take the word “etymology” as an example. Boy, does etymology give you life lessons! Eventually, "ketchup" came to refer to tomato ketchup in most of the world. Then, check out interesting quotes that will change how you see the world. The word “ostracise” and the concept of democracy were both born in Ancient Greece, where the practice of a democratic vote extended to citizens voting to decide whether there were any dangerous individuals who should be banished (because they were becoming too powerful, thus posing a threat to democracy). Cristina Gusano started to speak before she could walk, and some would testify that she’s never stopped since. Read on for these answers and more. The word "avocado" is derived from "ahuacatl," a word in the Aztec Nahuatl language that means "testicle.". “Capuchin coffee”), which was rather different in constitution to its modern-day successor, containing sugar, cream and egg yolks. The players would present two possessions they would like to trade. It is professional enough to satisfy academic standards, but accessible enough to be used by anyone. Otherwise, guacamole (Nahuatl: ahuacamolli) probably wouldn’t be as popular as it is.

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Wilhelm Tissot jotted down a recipe for an exquisite Kapuzinerkaffee (lit. The word “salary” comes from the Latin salarium, meaning “salt money.”. Denim was coarser, more durable and of higher quality than the toughened cotton corduroy manufactured in Genoa. The word has nothing to do with ostriches, the flightless birds – similar though the words are!

"Nimrod" was originally the name of a mighty hunter in the Bible. This word has a whole story to it.

Ken Welsh/Design Pics/Corbis/Getty Images. Sarcasm comes from the Greek word ‘sarkazein’ which means ‘to tear flesh’. It can be traced back to the Greek word 'sarkazein' which means 'to tear flesh'. This unlikely origin arises from a Roman custom in which a father would place a newborn child on his knee in order to acknowledge his paternity of the child. From tales of frenzied Viking warriors to a theatre-owner’s bet to get people using a made-up word, a little-thought-about history lies waiting to be discovered. 25. Over time, hand-in-cap came to be known as “handicap” and started to be used to refer to any kind of equalization or balancing of a contest or game.

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