etymology Posts

The MOST Shocking False Etymologies in English

False etymology: These false etymology stories sometimes take a really dark turn. According to this online legend, at one point in history, English cemeteries were running out of burial spaces. Consequently, it became common to retrieve old coffins and reuse grave sites.

What's Portmanteau? Surprising Etymologies of Common Words

Related: 10 Everyday Words With Surprising Etymologies How did the term portmanteau originate? What do you know?

The Fascinating Origins of 11 Lovely Flower Names

You have to agree there is no better time than spring to dive headfirst into the fascinating world of flower name etymologies! Here are the etymology, or origins, of the names of 11 lovely flowers. 1. Anemone Image Source: Wikimedia Commons You may know the anemone as ‘windflower’.

The Extraordinary Origins of 10 Common English Words

In this article, we uncover the extraordinary etymology of 10 similarly-common English words, including 'daisy,' 'eavesdropper,' and 'vaccine.' 1. Lemur What’s so special about this cute animal’s name that it made this list? Well, there’s actually quite a cool and somewhat spooky story behind it.

From Salt to Salary: Surprising Origins of Ordinary Words

Even more fun word etymology here: The Extraordinary Origins of 11 Ordinary Words 4. From 'Ninth' to 'Noon' Another word with a Latin origin, the word 'noon', confusingly enough, used to refer to 3 PM.

When GH Says F: Why Does This Occur?

The many forms of GH So how did this etymological nuisance come about? The origins are truly ancient. Back when the English language was still developing, we didn't have a formal English alphabet. We used Latin letters, as we do today.

30 Essential Medical Terms For Bodily Functions

As for the word deglutition , it’s related to words like glutton and glut and shares their etymology from the Latin “gula” and “gluttire,” meaning "throat" and "gulp down, devour," respectively.

These Words Wouldn’t Exist Without These 10 Famous Authors

Share these fascinating word etymologies with those who enjoy learning!

You Know These 10 Foreign Words Without Even Realizing It

Related Article: 10 Everyday Words With Surprising Etymologies 3. Canyon A canyon is a deep gorge created by a river. This word is derived from the Spanish word cañon , which means "a pipe or tube".

10 English Words That Come From Native American Languages

But these are hardly the only linguistic borrowings from Native American languages, it's only the beginning of a huge pool of words we think of as "ordinary" English words that actually have Native American etymologies.

1950’s Slang Is a Blast! Learn 10 Essential Terms

As for the etymology of the word, it was first mentioned in Dr. Seuss's "If I Ran the Zoo" book as the name of one of the imaginary creatures in the zoo, but the slang meaning was first mentioned in Newsweek Magazine as a synonym for "square" among the youth in Detroit, Michigan. 3.

10 Popular “Contemporary” Words Coined by Shakespeare

Bandit If you were about to exclaim that banditto and bandit are not the same, let’s look into the etymology of the English word bandit . According to Shakespeare’s English, the word bandit was borrowed from the Italian word bandito that means “outlaw.”

Using These French Phrases in English Elevates Your Speech

Related Article: 10 Ordinary English Words That Have a Surprising Etymology 7. Déjà vu (de-zha-voo) Meaning : A feeling that you’ve already been in a situation you’re in before. Example sentence : It was my first time in London, but that bookstore made me experience a severe case of déjà vu.

These Age-Old Idioms Date Back to the Renaissance!

And to most they are, but linguists and people like you interested in etymology know that appearances are deceptive, and even some words that sound fresh may actually be centuries old.