Interesting Words and Their Origins
Interesting Words and Their Origins
The study of the origin of words is called etymology, which is, in and of itself, a fascinating word. The word “etymology” is a derived combination of two Greek words, which mean “true sense” and “to study.” Many of the most intriguing words in English are derived from Greek, though sometimes they are derived from Latin or German. Sometimes they are straight up borrowed from languages such as French. This is the case with the phrase “coup d’état,” meaning the sudden overthrow of an established government. We have successfully borrowed the term “prima donna” from Italian, altering its meaning slightly from the original “first lady.” The English meaning of the phrase has become slightly derogatory. When used in English conversation, it refers to a woman who is vain and self-absorbed.
These examples demonstrate one of the most clever concepts in the English language which allows for it to be extremely versatile and flexible. We have a long-standing tradition of borrowing from other languages when we do not have a phrase or word to fit; perhaps this explains why use of the English language has expanded so rapidly across the world and has become an international language of business, even though it is idiosyncratic in nature, with rules which are difficult to learn.
By attempting to look up the etymology of interesting words, it is possible to trace many of them back to their language of origin and learn a great deal about the languages they were originally borrowed from. For example, the word “lunistice” is a combination of the words “luna,” which is Latin for moon, and “solstice,” from the Latin word “solstium,” or the point at which the sun seems to stand still. Playing word detective with an online search engine can be an interesting activity.
Learn more here:
- Some Interesting Words and Their Meanings
- Interesting Words and Their Origins
- Words and Their Meaning