It seems to be a common misconception that the first word in the dictionary is "aardvark." This is, of course, untrue; the first word in the dictionary is "a." Naturally. Aardvark isn't even in the first column.
After the various versions of "a" and a couple prefixes and abbreviations comes the first multi letter word in the dictionary: aa or a'a. According to the AHD this word means "Lava having a rough surface, and it comes from the Hawai'ian "'a'a" to burn. I'm not sure why we needed a word for this, but it's useful in Scrabble, if nowhere else.
Monday, April 20, 2009
lampoon
This word has been on my mind recently, as I have been preparing a speech on the Church of the Subgenius, so I decided to check up on its etymology.
A lampoon, according to the AHD, is "A written attack ridiculing a person, group, or institution.", or "light, good humored satire." It fills a special niche of being a form of parody which attempts to be less abrasive or pugilistic than other forms.
According again to the AHD, it comes from the French word lampons, which means "let us drink." A common refrain in drinking songs, it was the imperative form of lamper, a word of Germanic origin meaning "to gulp down".
Following the story of this one requires a very minor leap of logic: after all, drunk people are not only more prone to insulting eachother, as alcohol dissolves inhibitions, but on the whole it is likely to be taken in good sport if the butt of the joke can keep his temper. Its easy how it could make the jump from barroom bad-mouthing to an established word for good hearted ridicule.
A lampoon, according to the AHD, is "A written attack ridiculing a person, group, or institution.", or "light, good humored satire." It fills a special niche of being a form of parody which attempts to be less abrasive or pugilistic than other forms.
According again to the AHD, it comes from the French word lampons, which means "let us drink." A common refrain in drinking songs, it was the imperative form of lamper, a word of Germanic origin meaning "to gulp down".
Following the story of this one requires a very minor leap of logic: after all, drunk people are not only more prone to insulting eachother, as alcohol dissolves inhibitions, but on the whole it is likely to be taken in good sport if the butt of the joke can keep his temper. Its easy how it could make the jump from barroom bad-mouthing to an established word for good hearted ridicule.
Vociferate
I really just like this word. I came across it recently studying for a sociology exam and it stood out among all of the technical jargon. The definition provided by the online AHD is as follows:
"To utter (something) or cry out loudly and vehemently, especially in protest"
Its etymology is short and sweet coming from the Latin word vociferari, from vox, voice, and ferre, carry or bear. (OED)
At the next possible opportunity, please use either this word or vociferous. They are both unique and lovely words that I would like to here more often.
"To utter (something) or cry out loudly and vehemently, especially in protest"
Its etymology is short and sweet coming from the Latin word vociferari, from vox, voice, and ferre, carry or bear. (OED)
At the next possible opportunity, please use either this word or vociferous. They are both unique and lovely words that I would like to here more often.
kosher
According to the AHD, "kosher" means "conforming to dietary laws; ritually pure." It has also come to mean, in the slang sense, "genuine, authentic" (AHD). The word is traced back ultimately to the Hebrew "kaser," meaning "fitting, proper," or "to be fitting, to proceed," and came through Ashkenazi Hebrew (koser) to Yiddish, and finally to English (AHD). Interestingly, the OED traces its earliest usage back to 1851, despite the centuries upon centuries of abiding by such dietary traditions that had passed before. Perhaps it is the case that English-speakers had no need for the word, or perceived no cultural need for it, until the mid-19th century.
Alchemy
Alchemy is defined as "1) A medieval chemical philosophy having as its asserted aims the transmutation of base metals into gold, the discovery of the panacea, and the preparation of the elixir of longevity. 2) A seemingly magical power or precess of transmuting: 'He wondered by what alchemy it was changes, so that what sickened him one hour, maddened him with hunger the next' (Marjorie K. Rawlings)."
The origin of the word alchemy comes originally from the Greek word Khemia from Egypt. Late Greek changed the word to khemeia, khumeia. From there, the Arabic language turned the word into al-kimiya, al- meaning the and kimiya meaning chemistry. Medieval Latin changed the word to alchymia, then Old French alquemie, to Middle English alkamie, and finally to it's current from, alchemy.
Source: American Heritage Dictionary 4th Edition
hoi polloi
Coming directly from Greek, hoi polloi literally means "the masses [of people]", according to both the AHD and OED. The usage examples given by the OED suggest that before the 19th century, writers would use the Greek alphabet to write out the words. This means that the phrase was adopted into English as a direct transliteration, much like our use of certain Latin phrases. I was surprised that hoi polloi comes so directly from Greek (also that its actually two words). I never flagged it as sounding particularly Greek, and the rhyming aspect of it suggested to me that it might be a nonsense word coined by alliteration to another English word. I also thought that it might be related to hoity-toity, meaning either pretentious or boisterous, but both the AHD and OED only suggest a connection of hoity-toity to a word from Middle Dutch, hoyden. Hoyden refers to a high-spirited girl or a romp.
Well, that was two surprises for me about hoi polloi and hoity-toity, both of which are excellent words and playful additions to my vocabulary.
Picture credits: http://blogs.pioneerlocal.com/religion/2009/02/
dinosaur
Children usually learn this noun with direct reference to “any of various extinct, often gigantic, chiefly terrestrial reptiles of the orders Saurischia and Ornithischia that lived in the Mesozoic Era” (AHD). Dinosaur can also be used for “a relic of the past” or “one hopelessly outmoded or unwieldy” (AHD). This word comes from New Latin Dinosauria, the group name, from Dinosaurus, the former genus name. The elements of the name are Greek deinos, “monstrous,” and Greek sauros, “lizard” (AHD). So, a dinosaur is literally a monstrous lizard, be it an extinct reptile or an antiquated system.
Götterdammerung
So while looking for words for my culinary alphabet, I found this word and thought that it was amazing!
It can be written both capitalized or in lower-case, and it is a noun.
The AHD defines it as:
A turbulent ending of a regime or institution.
The word comes from Götterdämmerung, an opera by Richard Wagner. It is of German origin and the word itself means "twilight of the gods" (quite impressive). Broken down, the root is the German götter-, the plural of Gott (god). The word passed through MHGer. as got from OHGerman.
I just really enjoy saying the word and think it should be used more often!
It can be written both capitalized or in lower-case, and it is a noun.
The AHD defines it as:
A turbulent ending of a regime or institution.
The word comes from Götterdämmerung, an opera by Richard Wagner. It is of German origin and the word itself means "twilight of the gods" (quite impressive). Broken down, the root is the German götter-, the plural of Gott (god). The word passed through MHGer. as got from OHGerman.
I just really enjoy saying the word and think it should be used more often!
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Mellifluous
The OED gives these definitions for mellifluous:
1) "Flowing with, exuding, or containing honey or a honey-like substance; of the nature of or resembling honey; sweetened with or as with honey. Now rare. "
2) "Of a speaker, writer, etc.: sweet-sounding; fluent; (later also) smoothly eloquent, charmingly persuasive. "
I chose this word because I love the fact that it is applied to speech and writing. As we all know, the stem flu- comes from Latin and means "flow" while the -ous suffix means full of. The part we do not know, the mell- comes from Latin and means "honey." Some when someone's speech or writing is mellifluous, it is flowing with honey. I'd like to strive toward possessing that attribute in my speech.
1) "Flowing with, exuding, or containing honey or a honey-like substance; of the nature of or resembling honey; sweetened with or as with honey. Now rare. "
2) "Of a speaker, writer, etc.: sweet-sounding; fluent; (later also) smoothly eloquent, charmingly persuasive. "
I chose this word because I love the fact that it is applied to speech and writing. As we all know, the stem flu- comes from Latin and means "flow" while the -ous suffix means full of. The part we do not know, the mell- comes from Latin and means "honey." Some when someone's speech or writing is mellifluous, it is flowing with honey. I'd like to strive toward possessing that attribute in my speech.
nickelodeon
If you’re expecting me to wax nostalgic about 1990’s television, I’m sorry to disappoint you.
But it sure is a cool-sounding word, isn’t it?
I realized today that almost all I knew about nickelodeons in the original sense (besides the preceding song lyrics) was that in the obscure independent sleeper hit Titanic, Jack kisses Rose’s hand and says:
I was confused about how this related to the words of "Music! Music! Music!" --a song I could only have remembered from my sister's childood dance recitals (and whose title I found through a lucky Google search). The words reminded me of the player pianos they have in kitschy gift shops in Branson, Missouri.
I personally think those pianos are pretty neat-o, but they don't play movies.
So I looked it up.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, a nickelodeon is:
At the turn of the century, a nickelodeon was a theatre where one could watch a series of short silent films for five cents.21. A theatre or cinema with an admission fee of one nickel. [1888]
2. A jukebox. [1938]1
These existed throughout Europe at the time, but it is useful to note that the name “nickelodeon” was originally specific to US theatres, the nickel referring to the American currency (The Oxford English Dictionary even goes so far to specify a single theatre opened in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania by Harry Davis and John Harris in 1905).1
Nickel was a word for a demon in German, a pet form of the name Nicholaus. The reason for this name choice, frustratingly, is unclear.3 What is clear is that to German copper miners, nickel ore looked very much like copper ore. Understandably, however, it was impossible to smelt copper from nickel ore, so they gave it the nickname kupfernickel, or “copper demon” for its aggravations.4
The -odeon in Nickelodeon is derivative of French odéum, from Latin odium, from Greek ὦδείου, meaning a small music hall (itself from Greek ὦδε, meaning "song").5
The -odeon in Nickelodeon is derivative of French odéum, from Latin odium, from Greek ὦδείου, meaning a small music hall (itself from Greek ὦδε, meaning "song").5
In the nicer nickelodeons, the short flicks would be accompanied by music an organist in the theatre played to suit the plot, hence the musical connotation.2
By the 1930’s, after modern cinema had completely replaced the antiquated short nickel-flick format, the word had been appropriated to apply to early jukeboxes and player pianos. A nickel wouldn’t buy you a movie, anymore, but at least it could still buy you a song.1
I guess Viacom was like me and just enjoyed the sound of the word when they renamed Pinwheel to "Nickelodeon, the first channel just for kids" in 19816, eventually airing shows like, oh...
...how about Nick Arcade?
--that's some high-quality nostaligia.
1"nickelodeon." Oxford English Dictionary. 2007. Oxford University Press. 20 April 2009. http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/entry/00324270.
2"nickelodeon (movie theater)." Wikipedia. 2009. 20 April 2009. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickelodeon_(movie_theater).
3”nickel”. Online Etymology Dictionary. 20 April 2009. http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=nickel
4"Copper Demon" Venetskill, S & Popoya, L. Metallurgist. Springer New York. 20 April 2009. http://www.springerlink.com/content/k01143v31v385274/.
5"odeon." Stormonth, James. Etymological and Pronouncing Dictionary of the English Language. 1879. p 398. 20 April 2009. http://books.google.com/books?id=J2kCAAAAQAAJ
6"Nickelodeon (TV network)." Wikipedia. 2009. Oxford University Press. 12 April 2009. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickelodeon_(TV_channel).
southpaw
I am a left-handed person, and was interested in the etymology of the term "south paw." When I looked it up in the AHD, it gave me the following story, which I am familiar with:
"Etymology: From the practice in baseball of arranging the diamond with the batter facing east to avoid the afternoon sun. A left-handed pitcher facing west would therefore have his pitching arm toward the south of the diamond."
I half-expected this explanation, since the term is used today to generally mean a left-handed person, but mostly in the context of baseball, for a person who bats or pitches left-handed. The AHD confirms this with its definition: "Slang A left-handed person, especially a left-handed baseball pitcher."
However, just for the heck of it I headed over to the OHD, where I got a slightly different story. The first use of this word in our language was in 1848. It appeared in a political cartoon called B-Hoy which depicted two presidential candidates, Zachary Taylor and Lewis Cass, and a number of other political figures brawling (kind of). Lewis Cass is throwing a punch with his left hand, and Fillmor exclaims, "Curse the old Hoss-- wot a south paw he has given me!" and is obviously meant to refer to Cass. Other early uses of the word cited by the OHD simply refer to the left hand, or to left-handed players of other sports, like polo and boxing. The first direct reference to baseball was printed in "1928: Daily Ardmoreite (Ardmore, Okla.) 12 Apr. 8/1 Herb Pennock southpawed his way the route for the Yankees". In 1959, the following was printed in Sunday Times 8 Nov. 32/6 In the ball parks all over the United States the so-called ‘diamond’, formed by the track between the bases, is always oriented to the same points of the compass, so that in whatever park a team is playing the pitcher on his mound will always have his right hand on the north side of his body; hence a left-hander is a ‘southpaw.’ And this passage seems to be the first point in time when the 'baseball' thesis of the word's origin is printed. So today's usage of the word to mean a left-handed person seems to be truer to its original meaning, although baseball fans may find the suggestion contentious and hold on to their story.
South has been around since Middle English, and comes from the Old English s
th. Paw is from Middle English pawe, from Old French powe (AHD).
th. Paw is from Middle English pawe, from Old French powe (AHD).Cartoon courtesy Library of Congress online photo archives.
hostile
Anybody watch Lost?
Hostile comes from the Latin hostīlis, from hostis meaning enemy.
Hostile can be a noun or an adjective. As a noun a hostile refers to "an antagonistic person or thing" or "an enemy in warfare." As an adjective it means "of, relating to, or characteristic of an enemy" and "unfavorable to health or well-being; inhospitable or adverse."
--AHD
Hostile comes from the Latin hostīlis, from hostis meaning enemy.
Hostile can be a noun or an adjective. As a noun a hostile refers to "an antagonistic person or thing" or "an enemy in warfare." As an adjective it means "of, relating to, or characteristic of an enemy" and "unfavorable to health or well-being; inhospitable or adverse."
--AHD
scent
To scent is, when used figuratively, "to perceive as if by smell; to find out instinctively; to detect." When used transitively it is meant more in the sense of
"a hound scents out a hare"--i.e. tracks it by smell.
Etymologically, scent comes from the Middle English "sent" which came from the French sentir--which, interestingly, means to feel or to perceive, and comes from the Latin word sentire of the same definition*.
I find this particularly interesting because "our olfactory receptors are directly connected to the limbic system, the most ancient and primitive part of the brain, which is thought to be the seat of emotion." The etymology of the word scent actually matches its scientfic components! **
* the OED has the Latin word as "sent" and then what looks like an i with a dash on top of it and then "re." It copy and pasted as "sentre" which was clearly not correct.
**science-y information comes from: http://www.sirc.org/publik/smell_emotion.html
"a hound scents out a hare"--i.e. tracks it by smell.
Etymologically, scent comes from the Middle English "sent" which came from the French sentir--which, interestingly, means to feel or to perceive, and comes from the Latin word sentire of the same definition*.
I find this particularly interesting because "our olfactory receptors are directly connected to the limbic system, the most ancient and primitive part of the brain, which is thought to be the seat of emotion." The etymology of the word scent actually matches its scientfic components! **
* the OED has the Latin word as "sent" and then what looks like an i with a dash on top of it and then "re." It copy and pasted as "sentre" which was clearly not correct.
**science-y information comes from: http://www.sirc.org/publik/smell_emotion.html
Affirmation
Our AHD defines the word affirmation as, "Something declared to be true; a positive statement or judgment." For this words etymology we must look at the word affirm's history. Affirm came to our modern language from Middle English and from there Old French and originally Latin. The Latin word that affirm comes from is affirmare meaning "toward, to strengthen."
I chose this word because it is the name of one of my favorite songs and I have listened to it for years but had never really thought about it's title, and so I was curious... Just in case you were wondering, its title isn't mentioned at all in the song, but makes complete sense because of what the song is about.
I chose this word because it is the name of one of my favorite songs and I have listened to it for years but had never really thought about it's title, and so I was curious... Just in case you were wondering, its title isn't mentioned at all in the song, but makes complete sense because of what the song is about.
Babble
Babble is defined by the OED as a verb meaning:
It comes from the Middle English word babalen, and can't be traced back very far no matter which similar word in other languages you look at. When I looked this word up, I expected to find some connection to the tower of Babel from the Bible, but I found that no direct connection could be traced to connect the two. Instead, the dictionary hypothesized about its origins being in the nonsensical sounds that a baby makes.
1. To make imperfect attempts at speech, like a child; to utter inarticulate or indistinct sounds2. To talk childishly, to prattle; to talk incoherently or foolishly; to utter meaningless words.
3. To talk excessively or inopportunely; to chatter, prate.
4. transf. of streams, brooks, etc.; also of young birds, and spec. of hounds that give tongue too loudly or without reason.
5. ? To waver, oscillate, quiver. Obs. [Perhaps a distinct word.]
6. To repeat or utter with meaningless iteration; to speak foolishly or incoherently; to prate.
7. To reveal by talking or chattering. Cf. blab.
It comes from the Middle English word babalen, and can't be traced back very far no matter which similar word in other languages you look at. When I looked this word up, I expected to find some connection to the tower of Babel from the Bible, but I found that no direct connection could be traced to connect the two. Instead, the dictionary hypothesized about its origins being in the nonsensical sounds that a baby makes.
harum-scarum
Another compound word! I love to do these types of words because they are usually very fun to say. This one is, according to the AHD, an alternation of a saying: "hare 'em, scare 'em." Hare means "to frighten," while scare, which is ultimately Old Norse skjarr, means "timid." How these two meanings come together is a little bit puzzling. To frighten and scare someone somehow comes together to mean, according to the AHD, "lacking a sense of responsiblity, recklessness." Perhaps if one goes out of their way and is reckless, it scares those who are structured and ordered around them.
Anywho, this being the last word blog entry, I will go ahead and say that I throroughly enjoyed this assignment. I really have enjoyed looking at other people's entries, mostly because I feel that mine doesn't stand quite as close (on the level of awesomeness). And now I leave...
Anywho, this being the last word blog entry, I will go ahead and say that I throroughly enjoyed this assignment. I really have enjoyed looking at other people's entries, mostly because I feel that mine doesn't stand quite as close (on the level of awesomeness). And now I leave...
Kayak and Canoe
Kayak or Kaiak, is an "Inuit or Eskimo boat consisting of a light wooden frame with watertight skins except for a single double opening in the center, and is propelled by a double-bladed paddle." A kayak may also be a canoe that is similar in design and also lightweight. Canoe is defined as "a light, open, slender boat that has pointed ends and is propelled by paddles. Canoe comes from Spanish origins, canoa, and also Cariban origins. Kayak, however, comes from Canadian Eskimo and Inuit from the word qajaq.
-AHD
-AHD
Faint
According to the AHD faint may be used as an adjective, a noun, or as an intransitive verb.
Faint as an adjective may describe something 'feeble', 'timid', 'lacking in brightness, clarity, or distinctness', or 'dizzy and weak'.
The noun represents 'An abrupt, usu[ally] brief loss of consciousness, generally associated with failure of normal blood circulation'.
And as an intransitive verb, fainted, fainting, and faints denote 'To fall into a faint'. The Archaic form is 'To weaken in purpose or spirit'.
The word's origins most recently appear in Middle English with the definition 'deceitful, cowardly'. Prior to this usage, however, the word existed as the past participle of feindre in Old French, meaning 'to feign'. Following the small-caps we arrive at feign whose ultimate place of origin is in Latin as fingere, 'to shape, form'.
Picture courtesy of:
http://imagecache.allposters.com/images/pic/MEPOD/10012230%7EFound-Daisy-in-a-Dead-Faint-on-the-Floor-and-Captain-Hallam-Bending-Over-Her-Posters.jpg
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Myrmidon
Concerning the Myrmidons Hesiod speaks thus: `And she conceivedand bare Aeacus, delighting in horses. Now when he came to the
full measure of desired youth, he chafed at being alone. And the
father of men and gods made all the ants that were in the lovely
isle into men and wide-girdled women. These were the first who
fitted with thwarts ships with curved sides, and the first who
used sails, the wings of a sea-going ship.' -- Hesiod's The Catalogue of Women
Hesiod relates how Zeus turned the ants of Aegina into men and women to accompany
his son, Aeacus. As seen in an excerpt of Hesiod above, myrmidon is from the Greek word
for ant. Myrmidon is chiefly defined as "a member of a warlike people inhabiting
ancient Thessaly, whom Achilles led to the siege of Troy." Myrmidon has a couple of
extended definitions. The first is "A member of a bodyguard or retinue" and the last
is "an opportunistic or sycophantic supporter;a hanger-on." From the "myrm-" stem,
English also gets the study of ants, myrmecology, and myrmecophagous, "that eats ants;
characterized by feeding on ants."
Sources: definitions OED.com; Hesiod text: http://omacl.org/Hesiod/catalogs.html;
classical mythology synopsis: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/400667/Myrmidon
Image:http://www.insecta-inspecta.com/ants/army/army_ant.gif
Rat-fink
Doesn't the word rat-fink send an image of greasy man in a shady pawn shop who has his hair slicked back? I definitely get this image when I hear this word.
According to the AHD a rat-fink is a slang word that is:
1. A contemptible, obnoxious, or otherwise undesirable person.
2. An informer.
The etymology of rat by itself ultimately comes from Old English, raet, and fink's etymology is ultimately unknown. It is another slang word meaning the same thing as rat-fink. So I'm guessing that you're doubly shady if you're a rat-fink, instead of just a rat or just a fink.
Nightingale
So I actually stumbled across nightingale's etymology while looking up the etymology for the word yell, and I thought it was so interesting that we've talked about the Nightingale in class without hearing its interesting etymological story. So here it is:Nightingale, as defined by the OED, is "A small reddish-brown migratory thrush, Luscinia megarhynchos, of western Europe and northern Africa, noted for the melodious song of the male which can be heard at night as well as in the daytime." The OED also tells us that it was "originally a variant of nightgale with intrusive n before g". So, nightingale a compound of night and gale. Night means "the period of darkness after day" and is a native English word, with numerous cognates in other Germanic languages. Gale is where it gets interesting. Gale means "singing, a song" and comes from the Old English verb galan, 'to sing'. It is this galan which is related to the Old English word gellan, which we get our word yell from. Cool, huh!?
Photo courtesy of www.fwi.co.uk
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Chartreuse
I decided to find out how this color earned its name. The answer, as it turns out, is provided in its definition: chartreuse is "a pale yellow or green colour resembling the liqueur chartreuse" (The Oxford Dictionary of English). The liqueur itself was "invented in 1605 and still made by the Carthusian monks" and accordingly was "named for the great charterhouse (la grande Chartreuse) which is the mother house of the order, near Grenoble in southern France" (A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition). So, the mother house of a religious order lent its name to a liqueur created by some of its monks, which in turn lent its name to any color resembling the drink.
Monday, April 13, 2009
virgule
We call it a slash, that separating mark in and/or or he/she. But it has a better name: it's a virgule. Virgule comes to us from Latin; it's derived from a diminutive form of virga, which means "twig," "rod," or "wand."
In The Origins of European Thought, R. B. Onians connects Latin words containing vir- or ver-such as virga (rod), vir (man), virgo (maiden), vires (strength), viridis (green), and ver (spring). Underlying them all, Onians finds the idea of vital, fresh sap. The legacy of these words in English is seen not only with virgule, virile, and virgin, but also with the adjective viridescent (green) and the noun vireo (a kind of green-tinged bird).
Sources: AHD, The Origins of European Thought (by R. B. Onians), and The New College Latin and English Dictionary (by John Traupman)
In The Origins of European Thought, R. B. Onians connects Latin words containing vir- or ver-such as virga (rod), vir (man), virgo (maiden), vires (strength), viridis (green), and ver (spring). Underlying them all, Onians finds the idea of vital, fresh sap. The legacy of these words in English is seen not only with virgule, virile, and virgin, but also with the adjective viridescent (green) and the noun vireo (a kind of green-tinged bird).
Sources: AHD, The Origins of European Thought (by R. B. Onians), and The New College Latin and English Dictionary (by John Traupman)
Easter
It is, perhaps, four hours late to be wishing everyone a happy Eater, but I'll go ahead anyway. Happy Easter!
According to the AHD, the word Easter comes from the middle English name for the holiday, "ester," which comes from the Old English "eastre." This is all the AHD says. However, the 8th Century English historian Bede tells that eastre comes from "Eostur-monath," the name for a month roughly corresponding to April. Bede claims that the month was named for Eostre, the pre-Christian Anglo-Saxon goddess of the dawn. Thus, if Bede is to be believed (and there is no corroborating evidence), the English name for one of Christianity's most important days actually has a pagan origin.
According to the AHD, the word Easter comes from the middle English name for the holiday, "ester," which comes from the Old English "eastre." This is all the AHD says. However, the 8th Century English historian Bede tells that eastre comes from "Eostur-monath," the name for a month roughly corresponding to April. Bede claims that the month was named for Eostre, the pre-Christian Anglo-Saxon goddess of the dawn. Thus, if Bede is to be believed (and there is no corroborating evidence), the English name for one of Christianity's most important days actually has a pagan origin.
Daisy
My favorite flower is the daisy, and lately I find myself doodling all over my notebooks and papers the image of a daisy. The OED defines a daisy as
"1. a. The common name of Bellis perennis, family Compositæ, a familiar and favourite flower of the British Isles and Europe generally, having small flat flower-heads with yellow disk and white ray (often tinged with pink), which close in the evening; it grows abundantly on grassy hills, in meadows, by roadsides, etc., and blossoms nearly all the year round; many varieties are cultivated in gardens."
The daisy is my favorite, I think, for it's simplicity. It is not a complicated flower with many layers and colors. It is charming in its simplicity. The etymology of daisy is not long, going only as far back as OE in the words for day's and eye- dæges eage,
"1. a. The common name of Bellis perennis, family Compositæ, a familiar and favourite flower of the British Isles and Europe generally, having small flat flower-heads with yellow disk and white ray (often tinged with pink), which close in the evening; it grows abundantly on grassy hills, in meadows, by roadsides, etc., and blossoms nearly all the year round; many varieties are cultivated in gardens."
The daisy is my favorite, I think, for it's simplicity. It is not a complicated flower with many layers and colors. It is charming in its simplicity. The etymology of daisy is not long, going only as far back as OE in the words for day's and eye- dæges eage
Poppycock
During an episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus, one of the characters used the word poppycock. This wasn't the first time I had heard this, but I still find it to be an odd word to describe nonsense.
The AHD defines poppycock as "senseless talk or nonsense".
It's etymological roots lie in the Dutch dialectical pappekak, with pap probably coming from the Latin pappa, meaning "food"; kak comes from M. Dutch verb kakken, meaning "to defecate", which is derived from the ME verb kacken and the Latin verb cacare.
The AHD defines poppycock as "senseless talk or nonsense".
It's etymological roots lie in the Dutch dialectical pappekak, with pap probably coming from the Latin pappa, meaning "food"; kak comes from M. Dutch verb kakken, meaning "to defecate", which is derived from the ME verb kacken and the Latin verb cacare.
Heebie-Jeebies
What a fun word to say! I love little gems like this one. It is interesting to note that this is a new word, it came into existence in October 1923. This was when William De Beck, an American cartoonist, published his popular comic Barney Google. Though I could not find the original strip, I have seen around on the internet that the original saying was "'You dumb ox — why don't you get that stupid look offa your pan — you gimme the heeby jeebys!'" (http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-hee1.htm).
The AHD says that this slang noun means "uneasiness or nervousness; the jitters." I really like how this word has entered the English language: by pure accident! As Dr. R says, if a word just gets circulated enough, than it becomes one. I guess this is a pretty good example. : D
Many people say that he got his word from Native-American or Voodoo chants or incantations. All of these allegations have not been substantiated (http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-hee1.htm).
The AHD says that this slang noun means "uneasiness or nervousness; the jitters." I really like how this word has entered the English language: by pure accident! As Dr. R says, if a word just gets circulated enough, than it becomes one. I guess this is a pretty good example. : D
Many people say that he got his word from Native-American or Voodoo chants or incantations. All of these allegations have not been substantiated (http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-hee1.htm).
Hammer
I really wanted to use "computer" as my word, but unfortunately could not find any information on its etymology in the AHD. Therefore, I went to the next best thing that many people associate with computers: a hammer.
"Hammer" actually comes from Old English, hamor, but was passed on through Middle English, changing to hamer, and can be both a noun and a verb. Meaning many things, I believe the most common thought for hammer is something used as a striking tool. Or, in some cases, a computer-fixer.
The AHD actually gives five noun definitions and eight verb definitions:
"Noun:
1. A hand tool that has a handle with a perpendicularly attached head of metal or other heavy rigid material, and is used for striking or pounding. 2. A tool or device similar in function or action to this striking tool, as: a. The part of a gunlock that hits the primer or firing pin or explodes the percussion cap and causes the gun to fire. b. Music One of the padded wooden pieces of a piano that strikes the strings. c. A part of an apparatus that strikes a gong or bell, as in a clock. 3. Anatomy See malleus. 4. Sports A metal ball weighing 16 pounds (7.2 kilograms) and having a long wire or wooden handle by which it is thrown for distance in track-and-field competition. 5. A small mallet used by auctioneers
Verb:
1. To hit, especially repeatedly, with or as if with a hammer; pound. See synonyms at beat. 2. To beat into a shape with or as if with a hammer: hammered out the dents in the fender; hammered out a contract acceptable to both sides. 3. To put together, fasten, or seal, particularly with nails, by hammering. 4. To force upon by constant repetition: hammered the information into the students' heads. 5a. To defeat soundly. b. To inflict a heavy loss or damage on. (Intransitive) 1. To deal repeated blows with or as if with a hammer; pummel: “Wind hammered at us violently in gusts” (Thor Heyerdahl). 2. To undergo beating in the manner of a hammer: My pulse hammered. 3. Informal To keep at something continuously: hammered away at the problem."
I'm slightly disappointed that the AHD doesn't have the slang terms that might get thrown around Hendrix on Wednesday nights; but I believe as far as definitions go, this one has enough.
"Hammer" actually comes from Old English, hamor, but was passed on through Middle English, changing to hamer, and can be both a noun and a verb. Meaning many things, I believe the most common thought for hammer is something used as a striking tool. Or, in some cases, a computer-fixer.
The AHD actually gives five noun definitions and eight verb definitions:
"Noun:
1. A hand tool that has a handle with a perpendicularly attached head of metal or other heavy rigid material, and is used for striking or pounding. 2. A tool or device similar in function or action to this striking tool, as: a. The part of a gunlock that hits the primer or firing pin or explodes the percussion cap and causes the gun to fire. b. Music One of the padded wooden pieces of a piano that strikes the strings. c. A part of an apparatus that strikes a gong or bell, as in a clock. 3. Anatomy See malleus. 4. Sports A metal ball weighing 16 pounds (7.2 kilograms) and having a long wire or wooden handle by which it is thrown for distance in track-and-field competition. 5. A small mallet used by auctioneers
Verb:
1. To hit, especially repeatedly, with or as if with a hammer; pound. See synonyms at beat. 2. To beat into a shape with or as if with a hammer: hammered out the dents in the fender; hammered out a contract acceptable to both sides. 3. To put together, fasten, or seal, particularly with nails, by hammering. 4. To force upon by constant repetition: hammered the information into the students' heads. 5a. To defeat soundly. b. To inflict a heavy loss or damage on. (Intransitive) 1. To deal repeated blows with or as if with a hammer; pummel: “Wind hammered at us violently in gusts” (Thor Heyerdahl). 2. To undergo beating in the manner of a hammer: My pulse hammered. 3. Informal To keep at something continuously: hammered away at the problem."
I'm slightly disappointed that the AHD doesn't have the slang terms that might get thrown around Hendrix on Wednesday nights; but I believe as far as definitions go, this one has enough.
Sacrosanct
The OED defines the word sacrosanct as, "Of persons and things, esp. obligation, laws, etc.: Secured by a religious sanction from violation, infringement, or encroachment; inviolable, sacred." This word started out being used within a religious environment, where it was meant to evoke piety. Now, it has taken on a more negative connotation and has been secularized so as to be used in a wider variety of circumstances. In its modern usage it often takes on a sarcastic and demeaning connotation. I think that the shift in this words usage is very interesting. I have been watching quite a bit of The West Wing today, so this word seemed relevant since it is mostly used today in more educated and professional conversations in business and especially in politics.
The etymological history, according to the OED, of this word is from two separate words, both of which are Latin. The first is "sacrum" meaning "sacred rite," and the second word that makes up sacrosanct is "sanctus" meaning "to render holy or inviolable."
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Quelea
Today I was watching a recording of my favorite television show Ed. In episode 52 "Trapped," Phil and Eli are playing Scrabble when Phil uses the word quelea and Eli questions if it is a real word. I took it upon myself to determine if this was in fact a real word. According to the American Heritage Dictionary, quelea is in fact a real word.
Quelea is "an African weaverbird of the genus Quelea, especially Q. quelea, a small red-billed bird that is destructive to grain crops." Quelea originally came from Vulgar Latin coacula, a word of imitative origin. From there, the genus name Quelea came from New Latin, an adaptation of the Medieval Latin word qualea meaning quail.
Source: American Heritage Dictionary 4th Edition, image from http://www.kenyabirds.org.uk/quelea.htm
googol
Ah, how excited I was to see that this wonderful word had not yet been taken!
So, have you ever wondered where those fine people at Google got the name for their search engine? Well, it didn't just come out of thin air. It is derived from a delightfully absurd little word, googol.
According to the AHD, googol is 10 to the power of 100... or, in other words, 1 followed by 100 zeroes. Such an absurdly large number rarely sees any real use, and so it is instead used for exaggerations, typically. However, in spite of this, it is not slang, and has actually been accepted as a legitimate term.
Such a wonderfully silly word also has a delightfully silly etymology: the word googol is derived, according to the AHD, from nine-year-old Milton Sirotta. Milton just so happened to be the nephew of Edward Kasner, an American mathematician. In to Kasner's book, Mathematics and the Imagination, Kasner details how, in order to pique the interest of his nephews, he asked them for suggestions on what a number that represented "a 1 with a hundred zeroes after it" should be called; Milton suggested a "googol". He further postulated on a number that was even larger, a "googolplex", which would be a 1 with as many zeroes as you could write behind it before you got tired. Oddly, although such a nonstandard definition could not be accepted, both a googol and a googolplex were adopted as legitimate mathematical terms, with a googolplex being 10 to the power of googol(i.e., a 1 with a googol zeroes behind it).
This whimsical tale is a poignant reminder of how easily a word can be adopted into accepted English... why, even a 9 year old can do it.
So, have you ever wondered where those fine people at Google got the name for their search engine? Well, it didn't just come out of thin air. It is derived from a delightfully absurd little word, googol.
According to the AHD, googol is 10 to the power of 100... or, in other words, 1 followed by 100 zeroes. Such an absurdly large number rarely sees any real use, and so it is instead used for exaggerations, typically. However, in spite of this, it is not slang, and has actually been accepted as a legitimate term.
Such a wonderfully silly word also has a delightfully silly etymology: the word googol is derived, according to the AHD, from nine-year-old Milton Sirotta. Milton just so happened to be the nephew of Edward Kasner, an American mathematician. In to Kasner's book, Mathematics and the Imagination, Kasner details how, in order to pique the interest of his nephews, he asked them for suggestions on what a number that represented "a 1 with a hundred zeroes after it" should be called; Milton suggested a "googol". He further postulated on a number that was even larger, a "googolplex", which would be a 1 with as many zeroes as you could write behind it before you got tired. Oddly, although such a nonstandard definition could not be accepted, both a googol and a googolplex were adopted as legitimate mathematical terms, with a googolplex being 10 to the power of googol(i.e., a 1 with a googol zeroes behind it).
This whimsical tale is a poignant reminder of how easily a word can be adopted into accepted English... why, even a 9 year old can do it.
Louse
The AHD defines louse as a noun meaning:
The word comes through Middle English from the Old English word lus. I liked how the use of the slang word on people can be connected to the insect, in the fact that a human louse is in a way like a parasite on humanity, just like lice are parasites on animals.
1. pl lice Any of numerous small wingless insects of the orders Mallophaga or Anoplura, many of which are external parasites on various animals, including humans.It can also be used as a verb with the meaning:
2. Slang A mean or despicable person.
3. Slang To bungle
The word comes through Middle English from the Old English word lus. I liked how the use of the slang word on people can be connected to the insect, in the fact that a human louse is in a way like a parasite on humanity, just like lice are parasites on animals.
yogurt
This tasty dairy product, also spelled yoghurt or yoghourt, is “n. A custardlike tart-flavored food prepared from milk curdled from bacteria..., often sweetened or flavored” (AHD). The word comes to English from the Turkish yoğurt, from yoğur, “to knead.” It is interesting to me that the name yogurt has anything to do with kneading, since kneading is usually associated with bread. However, this etymological story makes sense since the yogurt mass is probably “squeeze[d or] press[ed]” in processing (AHD).
embezzle
Embezzle is a verb that means "To take (money, for example) for one's own use in violation of a trust."
It's etymological history goes through Middle English, embesilen, from Anglo Norman enbesiler, which comes from Old French, en- an intensive prefix and the Old French besillier, to ravage.
When you think about it embezzling is just that, ravaging, since it is taking money for "one's own use in violation of a trust."
--AHD Fourth Edition
It's etymological history goes through Middle English, embesilen, from Anglo Norman enbesiler, which comes from Old French, en- an intensive prefix and the Old French besillier, to ravage.
When you think about it embezzling is just that, ravaging, since it is taking money for "one's own use in violation of a trust."
--AHD Fourth Edition
candle
We already know that "candle" (Old English: candel) comes from the Latin word candere, to shine. It ultimately comes from the Indo-European root kand-, which is "to glow, to shine, to shoot out light."
But what is especially neat I think is that my source specifies that having candles on a birthday cake was probably originally a German custom!
Also, "burning the candle at both ends" is recorded from 1730.
(http://www.etymonline.com/)
P.S. I chose this word because I have the song "Light My Candle" from Rent stuck in my head and have for several days now.
But what is especially neat I think is that my source specifies that having candles on a birthday cake was probably originally a German custom!
Also, "burning the candle at both ends" is recorded from 1730.
(http://www.etymonline.com/)
P.S. I chose this word because I have the song "Light My Candle" from Rent stuck in my head and have for several days now.
Grotesque
While this word is relatively recent in comparison with many of the other words we look at, considering it was first seen in about 1640, it might have a very interesting story. First it is interesting to look at a few different definitions given in the OED:1) A kind of decorative painting or sculpture, consisting of representations of portions of human and animal forms, fantastically combined and interwoven with foliage and flowers. (Noun)2) In a wider sense, of designs or forms: Characterized by distortion or unnatural combinations; fantastically extravagant; bizarre, quaint. Also transf. of immaterial things, esp. of literary style. (Adj.)3) Ludicrous from incongruity; fantastically absurd. (Adj.)It seems that our modern community uses the last sense of the adjective the most often. There is a commonly preferred story that the OED admits as plausible while the Chamber's Dictionary presents it as fact. The word has been traced back to the italian word grottesca which is said to be taken from the word for "grotto," which is, according to the OED, "a cave or cavern, esp. one which is picturesque, or which forms an agreeable retreat." The italian root grot- can be traced back to the greek word kruptein which meant "to hide." The suffix came to us through Latin but is of ultimate Germanic origin.The story thus given, is that the word was used to identify the type of paintings that were found through archaelogical digs. They were discovered in certain buried Roman buildings that had been covered over time, and they often held paintings of what Chamber's describes as "odd representations of human and animal forms." It would seem that our use of the word as an adjective to describe something that appears gross or "fantastically absurd" comes from these odd paintings.
Posted by Dan G.R. at 10:03 PM
Posted by Dan G.R. at 10:03 PM
Coriander
"Coriander" is defined as " an aromatic Eurasian herb (Coriandrum sativum), in the parsley family, and is cultivated for its edible fruits, leafy shoots, and roots." The part of the herb most often used for seasoning are the leaves, which are full of flavor and make a good garnish. The ultimate origin of "coriander" comes from Greek koriandron. It then made its way through Latin coriandrum, Old French, and Middle English coriandre, before entering its Modern English form.
-From AHD.
-From AHD.
tub-thumper
When I saw this phrase, I knew I had to write a post about it. Maybe you guys remember the 1996 alt-pop anthem “Tubthumping” and its near-eponymous album, Tubthumper.
--I don't remember it; I consume it on a daily basis like a multivitamin.
“Pissing the night away! Pissing the night away!” --oh immortal poetry. There was a time in my life when I believed that such a visionary title as “Tubthumping” could only be the result of divine inspiration. God must have spoken to Chubawumba, and he said “tubthumping.”
Nope, I was wrong. The phrase “tub-thumper” has been around since the 17th century.
Anyway, back in the 1600's, English-speakers used “tub” as slang for pulpit.1 Tub is derived from Middle English tubbe, from Middle Dutch tubbe, akin to Low German tubbe, meaning “tub”.2 --not very exciting.
And few years hence, if anarchy goes on,
Jack Presbyter shall here erect his throne,
Knock out a tub with preaching once a day,
And every prayer be longer than a play.3
From this root, common folks devised the word tub-thumper to refer to incendiary preachers --the kind of fiery sermonists who would pound their pulpits for dramatic effect (or perhaps to wake up their audience).4
[The word thump has existed in English since the 16th century. It is ontomatopoetic, of imitative origin.5]
The Oxford English Dictionary, however, provides an alternate usage of "tub-thumper" from the 19th century: a cooper!6 (either a barrel-maker or a coffin-maker).
So the ultimate question, at least for me, is what usage meaning did Chubawumba intend, if any?
You may recall the opening monologue of “Tubthumper”:
Truth is, I thought it mattered.--sounds like an angry sermon to me.
I thought that music mattered.
But does it bollocks!
Not compared to how people matter.
1"tub." Online Etymology Dictionary. 12 April 2009. http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=tub.
2"tub." Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2009. Merriam-Webster Online. 12 April 2009. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tub.
3Dryden, John. Introduction to Sophonisba. The Poetical Works of John Dryden Vol. II. 12 April 2009. http://www.fullbooks.com/The-Poetical-Works-of-John-Dryden-Volx10524.html.
4"tub-thumper." Carolyn's Corner. Scripps National Spelling Bee. 12 April 2009. http://www.spellingbee.com/glance/talking_words.shtml#tub.
5"thump." Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2009. Merriam-Webster Online. 12 April 2009. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thump.
6"tub-thumper." Oxford English Dictionary. 2007. Oxford University Press. 12 April 2009. http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/entry/50259409.
Photograph of album art of Chubawumba's Tubthumper by Greg Deacy. http://www.flickr.com/photos/gregdeacy/2391913423/
2"tub." Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2009. Merriam-Webster Online. 12 April 2009. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tub.
3Dryden, John. Introduction to Sophonisba. The Poetical Works of John Dryden Vol. II. 12 April 2009. http://www.fullbooks.com/The-Poetical-Works-of-John-Dryden-Volx10524.html.
4"tub-thumper." Carolyn's Corner. Scripps National Spelling Bee. 12 April 2009. http://www.spellingbee.com/glance/talking_words.shtml#tub.
5"thump." Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2009. Merriam-Webster Online. 12 April 2009. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thump.
6"tub-thumper." Oxford English Dictionary. 2007. Oxford University Press. 12 April 2009. http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/entry/50259409.
Photograph of album art of Chubawumba's Tubthumper by Greg Deacy. http://www.flickr.com/photos/gregdeacy/2391913423/
Feral
I just think the word feral sounds beautiful. There is no real story as to why I like it other than it sounds pretty.
According to the AHD feral is defined as:
1a. Existing in a wild or untamed state.
b. Having returned to an untamed state from domestication.
2. Of or suggestive of a wild animal; savage
The word originates from the Latin word fera meaning wild animal which was derived from another Latin word ferus meaning wild.
Essence
The AHD defines essence as:
1)The intrinsic or indispensable properties that characterize or identify something
2)The most important ingredient; the crucial element
3)The inherent unchanging nature of a thing or class of things
4)An extract that has the fundamental properties of a substance in concentrated form
5)A perfume/scent
6)One that has or shows an abundance of a quality as if highly concentrated
7)Something that exists, especially a spiritual or incorporeal entity
Phrases commonly used with this word include:
1)In essence, meaning "by nature" or "essentially"
2)Of the essence, meaning "of the greatest importance; crucial"
The etymology of the word goes back to Latin essentia,* a noun formed from esse, to be. This was created to translate the Greek ousia, formed from ousa, a form of einai, to be. The Latin essentia later went through French to become essence, which passed through Middle English as essencia.
I chose this word because it has so many different meanings, all stemming from a very basic idea, being. Also, my Herbal Essences shampoo with Rose essences inspired me to look it up. :)
*(Sorry about the previous errors, just to clarify, the presumed part of the etymology is the stem, essent. )
1)The intrinsic or indispensable properties that characterize or identify something
2)The most important ingredient; the crucial element
3)The inherent unchanging nature of a thing or class of things
4)An extract that has the fundamental properties of a substance in concentrated form
5)A perfume/scent
6)One that has or shows an abundance of a quality as if highly concentrated
7)Something that exists, especially a spiritual or incorporeal entity
Phrases commonly used with this word include:
1)In essence, meaning "by nature" or "essentially"
2)Of the essence, meaning "of the greatest importance; crucial"
The etymology of the word goes back to Latin essentia,* a noun formed from esse, to be. This was created to translate the Greek ousia, formed from ousa, a form of einai, to be. The Latin essentia later went through French to become essence, which passed through Middle English as essencia.
I chose this word because it has so many different meanings, all stemming from a very basic idea, being. Also, my Herbal Essences shampoo with Rose essences inspired me to look it up. :)
*(Sorry about the previous errors, just to clarify, the presumed part of the etymology is the stem, essent. )
Floccinaucinihilipilification
Oxford English Dictionary lists the definition as "The action or habit of estimating as worthless." According to the OED, floccinaucinihilipilification derives from four Latin words: flocci, nauci, nihili, and pili combined with the suffix -fication, which is from fic, meaning make. As found in The Eton Latin Grammar, the four Latin stems of floccinaucinihilipilifi- cation all mean "worthless," in various forms of figurative speech. Flocci means "of a lock of wool;" nauci "of a nutshell;" nihili "of nothing;" and pili "of a hair." The word came to existance as an "in" joke among Latin elitists. The creator combined flocci+nauci+nihili+pili from The Eton Latin Grammar together and stuck -fication on the end. The word is therefore highly redundant. The OED credited the first recorded use of floccinaucinihilipilification in a letter by William Shenstone. Shenstone wrote, "I loved him for nothing so much as his flocci-nauci-nihili-pili-fication of money." The word's most noticeably been in the spotlight when used by Senator Jesse Helms in debate on the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty in 1999. He said, “I note your distress at my floccinaucinihilipilification of the CTBT" (World Wide Words.org).
sources: Eton Latin Grammar, OED.com, & worldwidewords.org
sources: Eton Latin Grammar, OED.com, & worldwidewords.org
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Sandals and Socks
It's springtime, folks, and with the warmer temperatures, people are breaking out the warmer weather clothes, and with the warmer weather also comes that old wonderful fashion faux pas:
Sandals with Socks!!!!
Contemplating the yearly reappearance of this combination of footwear, I decided to look up the etymology of sandals and socks, interested to find out the classical origins of the two.
Sandals came from Latin sandalium, itself coming from the Greek sandalion. Apparently these words referred to the same thing that they refer to today: "a kind of shoe with an open-work top, originally and still frequently consisting of a sole fastened by straps or [strings] passed over the instep and round the ankle" (OED).
Socks, of course, are "a short stocking covering the foot and usually reaching to the calf of the leg", however, this definition only goes back to around 1327; the older definition (originating around 725) was "a covering for the foot, of the nature of a light shoe, slipper, or pump" (OED). Our word sock comes from the Old English socc which came from the Latin soccus, "a light, low-heeled shoe or slipper".
Thus both words are of classical derivation, though I don't think that they ever combined sandals and socks themselves.
Photo thanks to www.rock102rocks.com, all etymologies and definitions are from the OED.
Flibbertigibbet & Co.
A lovely noun that came to us in Middle English, a Flibbertigibbet is "a silly, scatterbrained, or garrulous person" (AHD).
And now for a nitpicker's definition:
Silly--This adverb originated in Old English as gasælig meaning "blessed." In Middle English a spelling more recognizable developed as seli, silli with a likewise more familiar definition: "blessed, innocent, hapless." Today the word is used to denote something "foolish," "frivolous," or "dazed" (AHD).
Scatterbrained--As a compound this adjective describes someone who is "flighty, thoughtless, or disorganized." The first of its parts, scatter, comes from a possible Middle English "dialectical alteration of OE sceaterian." Brained, the second portion, has its origins in Old English as brægen with the same definition we use today (AHD).
Garrulous--An adjective describing one "given to excessive and often trivial or rambling talk; tiresomely talkative," garrulous' origins are traced to the Latin word for chatter garrire (AHD).
Ice
You all know the song that Vanilla Ice ripped off of Queen's "Under Pressure." And if you know that pop culture reference, you certainly know that ice is frozen water. Period. However, ice can also refer to "something resembling frozen water" or "a frozen dessert consisting of water, sugar, and a liquid flavoring" (AHD). And when it comes to slang, this word delivers (I really didn't know what I was getting myself into with this "ice" choice). As a noun, it may refer to "a pebbly white form of methamphetamine that is smoked and considered highly addictive," "diamonds," or "a payment over the listed price of a ticket for a public event" (AHD). As a verb, it can mean, "to ensure of victory, as in a game; clinch," or "murder, kill" (AHD). While some of these slang terms are obviously related to the entity that actually is ice, I would have to venture a guess that the others come either from the world of ice hockey or the cold nature of the action being taken.
Not surprisingly, this word comes from the Old English word "is" (AHD). It seems like a word that any society would need, though I assume that those who originally used the term had no idea just how many definitions this word would adopt.
Not surprisingly, this word comes from the Old English word "is" (AHD). It seems like a word that any society would need, though I assume that those who originally used the term had no idea just how many definitions this word would adopt.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
verisimilitude
I'm not sure what I like so much about this word. It has a pretty simple meaning, and a pretty simple story. Somehow, I suppose it just feels delicate to say, as if the truth were a dainty vintage lace handkerchief or porcelain teacup you have to handle just so, lest it disintegrate into a million tiny pieces and blow away in some no longer recognizable form.
"1a. The fact or quality of being verisimiliar; the appearance of being true or real; likeness or resemblance to truth, reality or fact; probability
1b. especially of statements, narratives, etc.
2. A statement, etc., which has the mere appearance or show of being true or in accordance with fact; an apparent truth."
The AHD tells us that the word comes from veri, the feminine genitive form of Latin verum, meaning truth, plus similis, meaning similar or like.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Kowtow
This word can be either a noun or a verb. In noun form kowtow is "The act of kneeling and touching the forehead to the ground" or "an obsequious act" (AHD). As a verb kowtow means "To kneel and touch the forehead to the ground in an expression of deep respect, worship, or submission, as formerly done in China" or alternately "to show servile deference" (AHD). The word itself comes to English directly from the Mandarin Chinese word, "kòu tóu" (AHD). Since "kòu" means to knock and "tóu" means head, the components of the Mandarin word imply its meaning--since a person performing the ritual touches his forehead to the floor, he literally knocks his head.
Monday, April 6, 2009
comet
A comet is a celestial body orbiting the sun which is composed of a "head" of solid material and a "tail" of vapor. Comet comes to us from Greek komētēs which means "long-haired." The Greek word for hair itself is komē. So what we commonly call the tail of the comet is really its hair....
Mountebank
Mountebank is an excellent word, one that has sadly fallen out of use in favor of the far more dull and mundane "con man" or something similarly uninspired. The AHD defines mountebank as "A hawker of quack medicines who attracts customers with stories, jokes or tricks" (an oddly specific definition) or simply "A flamboyant charlatan." It can also be used as a verb, as in "To ensnare or prevail with trickery."
The word comes from the Italian "montambanco" which is a contraction of the phrase "monta im banco," meaning one who gets onto the bench. one can imagine Italian snake-oil salsemen climbing onto a bench in order to get the attention of potential customers. The word is something of a hybrid, as "monta" comes from the Vulgar Latin "montare," (to mount) and of course "im" comes from the Latin "in," but "banco" can be traced back to the Old High German "bank," meaning bench or table.
The word comes from the Italian "montambanco" which is a contraction of the phrase "monta im banco," meaning one who gets onto the bench. one can imagine Italian snake-oil salsemen climbing onto a bench in order to get the attention of potential customers. The word is something of a hybrid, as "monta" comes from the Vulgar Latin "montare," (to mount) and of course "im" comes from the Latin "in," but "banco" can be traced back to the Old High German "bank," meaning bench or table.
Gaggle
For some reason, the term gaggle stands out to me as the most unique term to describe a group of a certain animal. Geese surely have the most interesting plural noun.
Gaggle is defined in the AHD as "a flock of geese" and also as "a cluster or group" of any other sort.
Etymologically, the AHD says it comes from the Middle English gagel, from gagelan, meaning "to cackle"
Gaggle is defined in the AHD as "a flock of geese" and also as "a cluster or group" of any other sort.
Etymologically, the AHD says it comes from the Middle English gagel, from gagelan, meaning "to cackle"
Menagerie
I recently (as in, within the last few minutes, yes I have a terrible sleep schedule) had the honor of using this word. It is a roundabout way of saying varied, in my day to day usage of the word, although it occasionally gets used in its primary context.
According to the AHD, a menagerie is "a collection of live wild animals on exhibition." However, I more frequently use it to mean a "diverse or miscellaneous group".
The Etymology for this one is a bit confounding, as it passes through French Three times before it reached English. Its most recent root was the French ménagerie, which is derived from the Old French mesnage, meaning a menage. Having no idea what a menage was outside of its more... Ahem... specific usage in our language, I was intent on finding the etymology of this as well. Turns out, a menage is, according to the AHD, "People living together as a unit; a household", which certainly answered some curiosities I had. It's etymology, as shown before, starts with the Old French mesnage. That, in turn, came from an alternation of the Old French word maneir, meaning to stay. It was altered by the word maisnie, meaning "family", so it's obvious how the two blended together. Maneir, lastly, came from the Latin manere, meaning "to remain". (AHD)
According to the AHD, a menagerie is "a collection of live wild animals on exhibition." However, I more frequently use it to mean a "diverse or miscellaneous group".
The Etymology for this one is a bit confounding, as it passes through French Three times before it reached English. Its most recent root was the French ménagerie, which is derived from the Old French mesnage, meaning a menage. Having no idea what a menage was outside of its more... Ahem... specific usage in our language, I was intent on finding the etymology of this as well. Turns out, a menage is, according to the AHD, "People living together as a unit; a household", which certainly answered some curiosities I had. It's etymology, as shown before, starts with the Old French mesnage. That, in turn, came from an alternation of the Old French word maneir, meaning to stay. It was altered by the word maisnie, meaning "family", so it's obvious how the two blended together. Maneir, lastly, came from the Latin manere, meaning "to remain". (AHD)
Skulk
The word skulk has possible Scandinavian origins according to the OED.
It means, "to move in a stealthy or sneaking fashion, so as to escape notice."
I recently watched the movie Four Weddings and a Funeral with some friends and in a pivotal scene between Hugh Grant and his love interest their awkward attraction, their discussion of whether to spend time together involves the use of the word skulk many times. It is a British film, and so they do use several wonderful words and phrases not usually hear in America. I do not know if the word is used more over there but I do know that it is not a word that I hear being used very much, and I also know that I enjoy saying 'skulk' and plan on doing so more often!
Buffalo
The word buffalo means "any of several ox like Old World mammals of the family Bovidae, such as the water buffalo and African buffalo." It is also used to refer to "the North American bison." Buffalo can also be a verb meaning "to intimidate; to deceive; hoodwink; to confuse; bewilder."
Buffalo originally comes from Greek, boubalos from bous, meaning cow. From there it went through Latin as bubalus, for antelope and buffalo, then Late Latin, bufalus. From there it came into the English language one of three possible ways, Italian bufalo, Portugese or Spanish bufalo.
Source: American Heritage Dictionary 4th Edition, Picture from http://www.northforktrolley.com/images/buffalo.jpg
Necromancy
Necromancy, according to the OED, has three definitions:
The word comes through Latin, necromantia, from the Greek word nekromanteia which meant the art of predicting the future through supposed communication with the dead. It's made up from the parts nekros νεκρος-, "corpse", and manteia μαντεία-, "divination".
Ι was particularly interested to learn about the last definition concerning the book of the Odyssey, which is instead referred to in my translation as 'The Kingdom of the Dead'. I much prefer the use of Necromancy as the title because it sums up the content of book 11 in one nice little word. Odysseus provide blood to the dead, in order that he may speak with them. In particular, Teiresias, tells him much of what will come to pass and what he needs to do.
1. a. The art of predicting the future by supposed communication with the dead; (more generally) divination, sorcery, witchcraft, enchantment.
b. fig. and in extended use. Something resembling necromancy in nature or effect.
2. As a count noun: an act of necromancy; (more generally) a spell.
3. With capital initial. A name formerly given to the part of the Odyssey (Book 11) describing Odysseus' visit to Hades. Obs.
The word comes through Latin, necromantia, from the Greek word nekromanteia which meant the art of predicting the future through supposed communication with the dead. It's made up from the parts nekros νεκρος-, "corpse", and manteia μαντεία-, "divination".
Ι was particularly interested to learn about the last definition concerning the book of the Odyssey, which is instead referred to in my translation as 'The Kingdom of the Dead'. I much prefer the use of Necromancy as the title because it sums up the content of book 11 in one nice little word. Odysseus provide blood to the dead, in order that he may speak with them. In particular, Teiresias, tells him much of what will come to pass and what he needs to do.
lord, lady, and loaf
We don't refer to lords much any more, but one does often hear the term lady to this day. When I stumbled across these words in the dictionary, I found their etymology particularly interesting, so I thought that I would share.
The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary (SOED) defines lord as "a master, a ruler". The SOED also tells us that it apparently came from the Old English word hlāford, which comes from a contraction of hlāfweard from Germanic, from the base of loaf + ward. Of course, loaf means "bread", or "a portion of bread baked in one mass"; while ward means "protection, defence, control". So, a lord is a person who is in charge of controling the bread (food) of the people; the one who oversees its distribution.
What does this mean for lady, then? Well, the SOED tells us that lady was simply "a designation for a woman (or girl)", but goes on to mention that in Old English, it often refered to "a mistress in relation to servants; the female head of a household" or "a woman to whom obedience or feudal homage is due: the feminine designation corresponding to lord". Lady came from Old English hlˉæfdīġe (sorry, I couldn't figure out how to get the bar over the 'ash'), which comes from hlāf (there's that 'loaf' again) + the Germanic base meaning 'knead'.
So, a lady, then, is the one who makes and provides the food, and the lord is the one who controls it. Who'd have thought that lords, ladies, and loaves were all so closely connected?
The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary (SOED) defines lord as "a master, a ruler". The SOED also tells us that it apparently came from the Old English word hlāford, which comes from a contraction of hlāfweard from Germanic, from the base of loaf + ward. Of course, loaf means "bread", or "a portion of bread baked in one mass"; while ward means "protection, defence, control". So, a lord is a person who is in charge of controling the bread (food) of the people; the one who oversees its distribution.
What does this mean for lady, then? Well, the SOED tells us that lady was simply "a designation for a woman (or girl)", but goes on to mention that in Old English, it often refered to "a mistress in relation to servants; the female head of a household" or "a woman to whom obedience or feudal homage is due: the feminine designation corresponding to lord". Lady came from Old English hlˉæfdīġe (sorry, I couldn't figure out how to get the bar over the 'ash'), which comes from hlāf (there's that 'loaf' again) + the Germanic base meaning 'knead'.
So, a lady, then, is the one who makes and provides the food, and the lord is the one who controls it. Who'd have thought that lords, ladies, and loaves were all so closely connected?
smirk and smile
There is only a vaguely discernible distinction between these two facial expressions, and yet it is one that we all perceive. Our AHD defines a smirk as “an affected, often offensively self-satisfied smile.” This word, which can be either a verb or noun, comes from the Middle English smirken, passed down from the Old English smercian, "to smile." Immediately we notice something interesting – that the meaning of smirk has changed over time to take on its present negative connotation. It therefore seems germane to investigate the word smile. The AHD reports that smile (which we also use as both noun and verb) comes from the Middle English smilen, "to smile, probably of Scandinavian origin." It looks like the Old English smercian must have been used the way we use the verb smile today (in a positive or usually at least neutral sense), until it was supplanted by the likely Scandinavian-related smilen when Middle English flourished. This is seems to be another example of the far-reaching effects of the Scandinavian culture during this time period. The influence appears strong enough to morph everyday vernacular.
jail
Jail is defined as "A place for the confinement of persons in lawful detention, especially persons awaiting trial under local jurisdiction."
It comes from two Middle English words jaiole coming from Old French, and gaiol, gaol from Old North French gaiole. Both of these words come from the Vulgar Latin *gaviola, from Latin *caveola, diminutive of cavea, "cage, hollow."
--From the American Heritage College Dictionary Fourth Edition
It comes from two Middle English words jaiole coming from Old French, and gaiol, gaol from Old North French gaiole. Both of these words come from the Vulgar Latin *gaviola, from Latin *caveola, diminutive of cavea, "cage, hollow."
--From the American Heritage College Dictionary Fourth Edition
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Fiasco
This is a fun word to try to put into an everyday conversation. "That party was a complete fiasco!" I think it is just fun to say. Fiasco means, according to the AHD, "a complete failure." That's probably the real reason it is fun to say this word: how often do things just completely fail?
Like most of my blogs, the best part of the word is not the actual word, but the etymologies behind them. The AHD says that the word comes from the French. This was taken by the Italian phrase fare fiasco, which means "to make a bottle, fail." This comes from just fiasco, or bottle. The AHD gives the story as such: this word is probably a translation of the French word bouteille, which means "bottle, error." It was used by the French to insult the 18th century Italian actors when they committed a linguistic error on the stage in France. Fiasco, in turn, came from the Late Latin flasco. This word, however, is from a Germanic origin.
I think it is interesting that it started in a Germanic origin, went to through Latin, and we took it back into our originally Germanic-based language. Hrm. Maybe the word itself is not a fiasco at all!
I think it is interesting that it started in a Germanic origin, went to through Latin, and we took it back into our originally Germanic-based language. Hrm. Maybe the word itself is not a fiasco at all!
Quintessential
There’s something very pleasing about letting the world quintessential slip across your tongue. I really like this word, and sought out its origints tonight.
The AHD gives a definition that I think does not do this dynamic word justice: “Of, relating to, or having the nature of a quintessence; being the most typical.” I think of something being quintessential not when it has the most typical characteristics of something, but the most critically important characteristics. The OED gives this entry due credit, offering what I feel is a more precise definition of its figurative meaning: “a. The most essential part or feature of some non-material thing; the purest or most perfect form or manifestation of some quality, idea, etc.; b. typical example of a category or class; the most perfect embodiment of a certain type of person or thing.” The OED also traces this definition’s first use in English back to 1590!
I found out tonight that the word quintessential bears a variety of meanings. The very first definition cited by the OED relates to ancient alchemy, and helps tell part of the word’s story:
“1. a. In classical and medieval philosophy: a fifth essence existing in addition to the four elements, supposed to be the substance of which the celestial bodies were composed and to be latent in all things; (Alchemy) this essence, supposed to be able to be extracted by distillation or other procedures.”
The OED tells us that the story begins with the Greek αιθηρ, meaning ether. This is the word Aristotle used to refer to the celestial substance. It becomes πεμπτη ουσια in the Greek, meaning fifth ether. It travels into classical Latin as an equivalent phrase composed of the Latinate counterparts, (as the Greek penqe becomes Latin’s quincta) quinta essentia. The phrase makes its way intact into Middle French quinte + essence and becomes assimilated, quintessence.
I find it interesting that this mysterious substance travelled from language to language in feminine forms, as if it were itself some dark, cosmic feminine energy. A current astrolnomical usage cited by the OED upholds this notion: “b. Astron. A form of dark energy that varies in time and space and has negative pressure, proposed to account for the apparent accelerating expansion of the universe as suggested by observations of some distant supernovae.”
The 1997 blockbuster hit The Fifth Element’s lead Milla Jovovich possessed the unique power necessary to keep Evil from destroying life on earth. She is likewise portrayed a mysterious cosmic force, and must reunite with the other four elements in order to save the world from impending doom.
"Man is a microcosm, or a little world, because he is an extract from all the stars and planets of the whole firmament, from the earth and the elements; and so he is their quintessence.'- Philipus Aureolus Paracelsus
Picture courtesy: http://www.lowculture.com/archives/images/milla_ronald_mcdonald.jpg
Quote courtesy: http://www.thinkexist.com/
Dictionaries: American Heritage College Dictionary, Oxford English Dictionary
Tedious
I chose this word because I have just recently finished codifying surveys for a homework assignment and I felt it to be the best description for the task. The OED defines tedious as
"2. Wearisome in general; annoying, irksome, troublesome, disagreeable, painful."
This about sums up the project I just spent 2 hours of my life on. The etymological history is much less tedious: the word originates in Latin in the word taedium meaning weariness, disgust. The word then traveled into late Latin in the form taedios-us, irksome. There is also some possibility that it came through Old French via tedieus.
And so that was my night in a nutshell. Or, in this case, in one word: tedious.
"2. Wearisome in general; annoying, irksome, troublesome, disagreeable, painful."
This about sums up the project I just spent 2 hours of my life on. The etymological history is much less tedious: the word originates in Latin in the word taedium meaning weariness, disgust. The word then traveled into late Latin in the form taedios-us, irksome. There is also some possibility that it came through Old French via tedieus.
And so that was my night in a nutshell. Or, in this case, in one word: tedious.
eavesdrop
I don't know if I'm one of the few people who's too stupid to have already known the etymology of this word, so I apologize if this is common knowledge, because it's new to me.
The OED defines the verb "eavesdrop" as:
"To stand within the ‘eavesdrop’ of a house in order to listen to secrets; hence, to listen secretly to private conversation. Also trans. To listen secretly to (conversation); formerly also, to listen within the ‘eavesdrop’ of (a house); to listen to the secrets of (a person)."
That definition didn't even satisfy my ignorace's hunger. I had to look up "eaves" which the OED defines as:
"The edge of the roof of a building, or of the thatch of a stack, which overhangs the side."
"Eaves" is an Old English word as is "drop."
The OED defines the verb "eavesdrop" as:
"To stand within the ‘eavesdrop’ of a house in order to listen to secrets; hence, to listen secretly to private conversation. Also trans. To listen secretly to (conversation); formerly also, to listen within the ‘eavesdrop’ of (a house); to listen to the secrets of (a person)."
That definition didn't even satisfy my ignorace's hunger. I had to look up "eaves" which the OED defines as:
"The edge of the roof of a building, or of the thatch of a stack, which overhangs the side."
"Eaves" is an Old English word as is "drop."
Clementine
A deep red-orange, often seedless mandarin orange.
It originates from the French word clementine, perhaps after Pere Clement, a French missionary in Africa.
Well, I was hoping for a more interesting definition and/or story but this one is pretty much plain as day. Definitely not as cool as old Huckleberry Hound's song.
Source of Pic : www.carnabystreetthemusical.com
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