Author Topic: The random etymology of the day (Read 237922 times)

Jonathon · « **Reply #900 on:** July 06, 2009, 08:34:40 AM »

I just learned this weekend that spatula comes from Latin and means "little blade". It's cognate with spade, which is a native English word, as well as spoon. In Latin spatula also referred to the shoulder blade, and this word evolved into epaule in French. The word epaulette means "little shoulder" and denotes a shoulder decoration usually used to signify military rank.

Tante Shvester · « **Reply #901 on:** July 06, 2009, 08:39:33 AM »

When I was a little kid, I didn't know that "spatula" was an English word. I thought it was Yiddish. "Ladle", too.

sweet clementine · « **Reply #902 on:** July 06, 2009, 10:15:30 AM »

This seems like the perfect time to throw out one of my all-time favorite Gilmore Girl quotes!

"This isn't a fight, it's a spat.
--What's the difference?
A spat can be diffused by the clever use of a spatula!"

Tante Shvester · « **Reply #903 on:** July 06, 2009, 08:50:56 PM »

I'll have to remember that.

Tante Shvester · « **Reply #904 on:** July 17, 2009, 10:08:25 AM »

Onion comes from the same word as "union", because all the different layers of the onion are joined together in common purpose of making you cry. Or be tasty, or something like that.

The Genuine · « **Reply #905 on:** July 17, 2009, 11:43:14 AM »

That is a ridiculous piece of information.

To this day I still have to think about it for a second when I am writing either word.

What was the Confederacy thinking?

saxon75 · « **Reply #906 on:** July 17, 2009, 11:49:41 AM »

"We're gonna whoop them Yankees"?

The Genuine · « **Reply #907 on:** July 17, 2009, 11:52:55 AM »

Now that's just mean.

saxon75 · « **Reply #908 on:** July 22, 2009, 01:05:11 PM »

The words "accommodate," "commodious," and "commode" all share a Latin root. The first two both have to do with comfort or convenience. The third usually means "toilet" these days. Does this have to do with toilets being convenient?

Something I didn't know before is that the word "commode" has also been used to describe a particular style of women's hat, a washstand, and a type of chest of drawers.

The Genuine · « **Reply #909 on:** July 22, 2009, 02:02:31 PM »

Lot more convenient for the passerby under your window.

Jonathon · « **Reply #910 on:** July 22, 2009, 02:40:16 PM »

My understanding is that it comes from the use of commode as a type of cabinet or chest of drawers. The OED gives the definition "A small article of furniture enclosing a chamber utensil; a close-stool", which backs it up.

saxon75 · « **Reply #911 on:** July 22, 2009, 02:43:49 PM »

I can see the progression from a cabinet or chest of drawers to a washstand to a chamberpot stand to a toilet. I can't see how to get to the cabinet in the first place, though.

Jonathon · « **Reply #912 on:** July 22, 2009, 03:05:24 PM »

Because a cabinet is a convenient place to put things? I'm really not sure.

saxon75 · « **Reply #913 on:** July 22, 2009, 03:53:11 PM »

Bah!

Tante Shvester · « **Reply #914 on:** July 22, 2009, 04:18:10 PM »

It is a convenient place to put stuff. Before the invention of the cabinet, people had to use off-site storage.

Noemon · « **Reply #915 on:** July 24, 2009, 07:13:01 PM »

Usually if a word has been borrowed from another language (and doesn't have a synonym in the original language), it's a sign that the object or concept in question was imported into the culture from whatever language the borrowed word came from. I assume that the pencil was introduced to Thailand by English speakers due to the fact that their word for it transliterates to "dinso" (which, when properly pronounced, sounds an awful lot like the word "pencil" does when said by someone with a Thai accent).

The Thai word for "fire" is something that transliterates to "fie". Thai isn't an Indoeuropean language, and it's not possible that fire was introduced to speakers of the language by the speakers of some Indoeuropean language. And yet...it's so close! It's a word that definitely strikes me as being in the same family as pyr, pir, pu continumum of fire words. Any idea what gives with this one, Jonathan?

Jonathon · « **Reply #916 on:** July 24, 2009, 07:58:58 PM »

Unfortunately, I don't have any resources on Thai etymology, so I don't know how to check on that one. Borrowing isn't always an indication that a culture was lacking a concept, though it is pretty uncommon to borrow a word for a basic concept if you've already got a word for it. But note that this dictionary gives two different words for 'fire' that sound completely unrelated. One could be the native word while the other is borrowed (presumably from British English, based on how it sounds).

Noemon · « **Reply #917 on:** July 24, 2009, 08:19:38 PM »

Interesting; I wasn't aware of the other one.

In my original version of the post I had some information about other circumstances in which borrowing might occur, but I decided that the post was getting too wordy, so I cut it.

The guy who does the pronunciation for the Thai word (or phrase, really) for the translation of "furious" does the male pronunciation for about 80% of the Thai language resources I've used. He's like the Thai version of Don LaFontaine or something.

[Edit--cool site, by the way. I'll be bookmarking it. Thanks for the link!]

Jonathon · « **Reply #918 on:** August 19, 2009, 10:30:40 AM »

I just learned the other day that sergeant is related to servant—both come from the Latin servientum, meaning 'servant, vassal, soldier'. I'm not quite sure how to account for the change from /v/ to /d?/ or /?/, especially in light of the fact that both forms survived.

The interesting thing is that this same change occurred in words like sage meaning 'wise', which comes from the Latin sapere, and sage the herb, which is related to save and safe. I'm sure there are more that I can't recall off the top of my head.

Jonathon · « **Reply #919 on:** September 10, 2009, 10:44:09 AM »

This is just bizarre: I just learned that Christ and cream are related. They both derive from a Greek word chriein, meaning 'to anoint'. Christ comes from christos, which means 'anointed'. The form chrisma meant 'anointing oil', which was borrowed into Latin and became cresme in Old French. Its meaning started to broaden from 'anointing oil' to 'oil' more generally and especially to the fatty part of milk. It then became crême before being borrowed into English, eventually becoming cream.

The Genuine · « **Reply #920 on:** September 10, 2009, 10:59:09 AM »

What about "charisma" ?

How do you "just learn" these things, anyway? Instead of doing crosswords at lunch you just read the OED?

Porter · « **Reply #921 on:** September 10, 2009, 11:03:33 AM »

Nope. From the online etymology dictionary:

Quote

from Gk. kharisma "favor, divine gift," from kharizesthai "to show favor to," from charis "grace, beauty, kindness," related to chairein "to rejoice at,"

saxon75 · « **Reply #922 on:** September 10, 2009, 11:08:47 AM »

Quote

What about "charisma" ?

In case you forgot, dude, etymology by sound is not sound etymology.

Jonathon · « **Reply #923 on:** September 10, 2009, 04:23:45 PM »

Oh, snap.

Jonathon · « **Reply #924 on:** September 10, 2009, 04:26:34 PM »

Quote

How do you "just learn" these things, anyway? Instead of doing crosswords at lunch you just read the OED?

Not quite. I was reading an article that talked about the ancient Christian practice of chrism, which is anointing with oil. It also mentioned that it derived from the same root as Christ. I'd never seen the word chrism before, so I looked it up in the OED and then saw the cream connection.