Transcript ETYMOLOGY - Kwary's Free Resources

ETYMOLOGY
Deny A. Kwary, Airlangga University,
http://www.kwary.net
What is Etymology?
(1) the study of the origin of words,
and
(2) the way in which their meanings
have changed throughout history.
(1) The Origin of English Words

Native Vocabulary (the Anglo-Saxon
Lexemes):
• Grammatical words (in, on, be, that)
• Lexical words (father, love, name)
• Affixes (mis-, un-, -ness, -less)

Foreign Borrowings:
• Over 350 languages are on record as
sources of English present-day vocabulary
Foreign Borrowings

Latin  after the arrival of Christianity
• bishop, church, priest.

Scandinavian  Viking invasion (8th Cent)
• Egg, sky, window

French  Norman Conquest (11th Cent)
• Warden, reward, mansion

Latin  End of Renaissance (16th Cent)
Borrowings in 18th – 19th Centuries
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Australia: boomerang, kangaroo
New Zealand: kiwi, pakeha
Javanese: batik, lahar
Japanese: bonsai, geisha
Spanish: Puma, quinine
Inuit: kayak, igloo
Etc.
A Sample of New Words in the
Oxford Dictionary of English,
revised 2nd edition
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boo
• noun (US informal) a person's boyfriend or
girlfriend.
Hinglish
• a variety of English used by speakers of Hindi,
characterized by frequent use of Hindi
vocabulary or constructions.
Jilbab
• a full-length outer garment, traditionally
covering the head and hands, worn in public by
some Muslim women.
spit
• verb (black English) perform rap music.
(2) Semantic Change
Four kinds of semantic change:
 Extension or generalization: A lexeme widens its
meaning, e.g. doctrine.
 Narrowing or specialization: A lexeme becomes
more specialized in its meaning, e.g. engine
 Amelioration: A lexeme develops a positive
sense of approval, e.g. revolutionary
 Pejoration or detorioration: A lexeme develops a
negative sense of disapproval, e.g. villain
The semantic change of the word:
hot spot
1. A place of political danger.
2. A lively nightclub.
3. An area on the screen which can be
clicked on to start an operation such as
loading a file.
4. An area where you can get connected
to the Internet through a wireless
network.
Examples of Word Origin
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Guru
Entrepreneur
Buffet
Rector
Tycoon
Propaganda
Genius
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Hindi
French
French
Latin
Japanese
Italian
Latin
Internet Activity:
Find out the history and the
meaning of the following words
1. Antimacassar
2. Scrabble
3. Hamburger
4. Jumbo
That’s All For Today
See You Next Week
Deny A. Kwary, Airlangga University,
http://www.kwary.net