Transcript Etymology - Mrs. A`s Web Connection

Etymology
Etymology
• The study of the origin and
development of a word.
Borrowing
• Borrowing is the act of taking words from
other languages to use as English words.
• For example, tobacco was borrowed from
Spanish to name a plant and a product for
which there was no English word.
• Perish was borrowed from French to use as a
synonym for the word die.
• Through invasions, trade, exploration, and
colonization, the people of England came in contact
with virtually every language in the world. Thus
English borrowed thousands of words, including gas
from Dutch, etiquette from French, shampoo from
Hindi, balcony from Italian, tattoo from Polynesian,
and moccasin from Northern American Indian.
• Many words passed through two or more languages before
they entered English. The following etymology states that
English borrowed assassin from French, French borrowed it
from Medieval Latin, and Medieval Latin borrowed it from an
Arabic word that means “hashish addict.”
• In the dictionary we read:
as-sas-sin 1. Capital A. A member of a secret order of Moslem
fanatics who terrorized and killed Christian Crusaders. 2. A
murderer, especially one who carries out a plot to kill a public
official or other prominent person. [French, from Medieval
Latin assassinus, from Arabic hashshashin, plural of
hashshash, “hashish addict,” from hashish, HASHISH.]
When an etymology lists more than one language, English
borrowed the word from the language listed first.
• Over the long course of its development,
English has borrowed more words and phrases
from Latin and French than from any other
languages.
• Examine the twenty Latin phrases on pg. 52
and 53 of “Understanding Word Origin.”
Notice the examples of foreign expressions
that you are likely to encounter.
People and Places
• Among the most interesting word origins are those
that come from the names of people and places.
• The etymology for derrick explains that the word
derives from a man named Derick, who was a famous
hangman at Tyburn, England, about four hundred
years ago.
• In the dictionary we read:
der-rick 1. A large crane for hoisting and moving heavy
objects…[Originally. A gallows, after Derick, noted
hangman at Tyburn, England, circa 1600.]
• Other words derived from people’s names include
nicotine and dunce. The word jeans has its origin in
the name of a place.
• In the Dictionary we read:
Jean 1. A heavy, strong, twilled cotton, used in making
uniforms and work clothes…[Earlier iene fustian,
geane fustian, from Middle English Jene, Gene,
Genoa, where it was first made.]
The etymology for jean states that the word derives
from Genoa, Italy, where the fabric from which jeans
are made was first manufactured.
Fictitious People and Places
• Some words have their origins in the names of
fictitious people and places. For example, quixotic,
which means “romantic but impractical,” is derived
from the name of a fictitious character.
• In the Dictionary we read:
Quix-ot-ic…Caught up in the romance of noble deeds,
or unreachable ideals: romantic without regard to
practicality. [After Don Quixote.]
• The words DON QUIXOTE printed in capital letters
in this etymology for quixotic are a cross-reference to
the entry for Don Quixote.
• In the Dictionary we read:
Don Qui-xo-te …An impractical idealist bent on
righting incorrigible wrongs. [After Don Quixote,
hero of a satirical chivalric romance by Miguel de
Cervantes, published 1605-15.]
This etymology explains that Don Quixote is a character
in a book.
Shortening
• Shortenings are shortened forms of words, such as
phone for telephone, plane for airplane, and exam for
examination. The etymology for fan, meaning
“admirer,” states that the word was derived by
shortening a longer word. The following etymology
states that fan is short for fanatic.
• In the Dictionary we read:
Fan…An ardent devotee or admirer, as of a sport,
athletic team, or famous person. [Short for
FANATIC.]
The dozens of shortenings include ad (advertisement),
burger (hamburger), ref (referee), tux (tuxedo), and
flu (influenza).
Coinage
• Coinages are words such as Jell-O, Vaseline, zipper,
Kleenex, and nylon that were invented
to name products.
• In the dictionary we read:
ny-lon…1. Any of a family of high-strength, resilient,
synthetic materials…[Coined by the inventors, E. I.
duPont de Nemours & Co., Inc.]
The etymology for nylon states that the word was
coined by the company that invented the material.
Blending
• A blend is a word formed by combining a part of one
word with a part of another word, or a part of one
word with a complete other word. Motel was formed
by combining the first two letters of motor and the
last three letters of hotel: [MO(TOR) + (HO) TEL].
• In this etymology, the letters tor and ho are enclosed
in parentheses to indicate that they are not included in
motel.
• Medicare was formed by combining a part of one
word with a complete other word.
• In the Dictionary we read:
Med-i-care A program under the Social Security
Administration…
[MEDI(CAL) + CARE.]
In this etymology the letters cal are enclosed in
parenthese to indicate that they are not included in the
word Medicare.
Other blends include smog [SM(OKE) + (F)OG], twirl
[TW(IST) + (WH)IRL], hassle [HA(GGLE) +
(TU)SSLE], and dumfound [DUM(B) +
(CON)FOUND].
Acronym
• An acronym is a word made from the initial letters of other
words. The etymology for scuba illustrates how the acronymic
origins of words are indicated in dictionaries.
• In the Dictionary we read:
scu-ba …An apparatus containing compressed air and used for
free-swimming underwater breathing. [S(ELF)
C(ONTAINED) U(NDERWATER) B(REATHING)
A(PPARATUS).]
In the etymology, the letters elf
in self and other letters are enclosed
in parentheses to indicate that they
are not included in the word scuba.
Imitation
• Imitation is the formation of a word by imitating a
sound that is associated with an animal, action or
object. Examples of imitation include cock-a-doodledoo, gargle, and zing.
• In the Dictionary we read:
zing … A brief high-pitched humming or buzzing
sound…[Imitative.]
Etymologies usually state when words are imitative.
Other imitative words include bump, boom, bash,
wham, crunch, bang, and pow.
Reduplication
• Reduplication is the formation of a word by
repeating either the word itself or a sound in it.
Tom-tom, chitchat, shilly-shally, and mishmash are examples of reduplication.
• In the Dictionary we read:
mish-mash…A collection or mixture of unrelated
things;… [Reduplication of MASH.]
Etymologies usually state when words are formed by
reduplication.
Derivation
• Derivatives are words formed by joining prefixes or
suffixes to bases. For example, unkind and kindness
are derivates formed by joining the prefix un- and the
suffix –ness to the base word of kind.
• Derivatives may have bases that are not English
words. For instance, object is a derivative formed by
joining the Latin prefix ob-, which means “toward,”
to the Latin word jacere, which means “to throw” and
is spelled ject in the word object.
Compounding
• Compounds are words formed by joining two
or more words. There are thousands of
compounds, including drugstore, shortstop,
brainwash, hitchhike, and earring. Compounds
of more than two words include mother-in-law,
hand-me-down, and merry-go-round.
Desk dictionaries usually do not state the
etymologies of compounds.
Other Etymologies
• These types of etymologies explain the origins of at least 99
percent of all English words. However, there are other types of
etymologies. For instance, a few words and expressions have
their origins in customs that are no longer observed, such as
the custom explained in the etymology for baker’s dozen.
• In the Dictionary we read:
baker’s dozen. A group of 13; one dozen plus one. [From the
former custom among bakers of adding an extra roll to every
dozen purchased as a safeguard against the possibility that 12
rolls might weigh light.]
The punishment for giving customers less bread than they were
supposed to receive was so severe that bakers added a roll to
make certain that customers received full measure.
“Understanding Word Origins”