Cave canem!

Carea Castellano

I received a email today asking when the Spanish word perro (dog) replaced can, a word for dog derived from the Latin canis, which appears in the name Canary Islands, (Islas Canarias in Spanish).

The Spanish word perro first appeared in the Diccionario de la Real Academia Española in 1737 [source]; was originally pejorative [source] and is possibly of onomatopoeic origin from the growling sounds made by dogs, perr perr (sounds more like a cat’s purr to me). Shepherds also used that sound to call their dogs. Another possibility is that perro comes from a pre-Roman language [source].

In Spanish the word can was used for dog until about the 14th century, after which it was gradually replaced by perro. The words for dog in most other Romance languages come from the Latin word canis: cane (Italian), chien (French), câine (Romanian), cão (Portuguese), can (Galician). One exception is Catalan, in which the word for dog is gos. [source].

The root of the Latin word canis, which appears in biological name for the subspecies of dogs: canis lupus familiaris, comes from the Proto-Indo-European base *kwon- (dog). This is also the root of the English hound (via the Proto-Germanic *khundas and the Old English hund), the English canine, the Greek κυων (kuōn), the German hund, the Irish cu and the Welsh ci [source].

The English word dog comes from the Old English docga, a word of unknown origin which was probably the name of a particular breed of dog, and had largely replaced the word hound as the general term for dog by the 16th century [source]. Hound started to be used to mean “a dog used for hunting” from the 12th century [source].

The name Islas Canarias probably comes from the Latin Insula Canaria (Island of the Dogs), which was originally just the name of Gran Canaria. It is possible that the dogs referred to were seals [source].

Gargalesthesia, gongoozler and misodoctakleidism

Here are a few unusual and interesting words that I came across today on this page that I thought I’d share with you.

gargalesthesia [ˈgɑːɡəlɪsθiːzɪə] – the sensation caused by tickling, from the Greek gargalos (itching) + esthesia. A medical term that also exists in French (gargalésie). The word gargalos also means bottleneck in Portuguese. Related words include gargalesis (heavy tickling) and knismesis (light tickling).

ginglyform [ˈɡɪŋɡlɪfɔːm] – hinge-shaped, from the Greek ginglumos (a hinge). A medical term used to refer to types of joints such as knee and elbow joints. Related words include ginglymus (a hinge joint), and ginglymoid (a hinge-like movement). [Source]

gongoozler [ɡɒnˈguːzlə] – an idle spectator, especially one who enjoys idly watching activity on canals. It is thought to come from canal workers’ slang, possibly from the Lincolnshire dialect words gawn and gooze, which both mean to stare or gape [source]

misodoctakleidist – someone who hates practising the piano [I can’t find any more information about this word]

mytacism [miːˈtəsɪzˌəm]- excessive use of or fondness for, or incorrect use of the letter M and the sound it represents [source]. Another definition of this medical term is “stammering in which the letter M is frequently substituted for other consonants.” [source].

When I come across lists of words like this I find it interesting to check the usage and etymology of the words – they are often obscure medical terms from Greek that are rarely if ever heard in everyday conversation, but are interesting nonetheless.

Study Abroad is Essential For Language Majors

Today we have a guest post by Lindsey Wright.

Nearly everyone will take a language course in college. For some students, the course simply fills a general education requirement by giving them basic knowledge of a language, while others plan to study a language extensively in college. However, for people to truly grasp a language, it is necessary to spend time among those who speak it. Therefore, ideally, every language study course should require a student to participate in a study abroad program. Yet this is not the case for most schools. This could be due to the fact that there aren’t enough students interested in the program or that the universities simply do not have the funding. However, if you take a moment to think consider all the reasons why language students should study abroad, the case is quite compelling.

Perhaps the biggest reason to require a study abroad program is how much it can help you learn a language. There is no better way to learn a language than be immersed in it. When you travel to another country, you constantly hear the language you are studying. Before long, you will start understanding what people are saying with ease. In many situations, you will be forced to speak that language in order to get something you need. Thus, when you are studying abroad, your speaking and listening skills will improve rapidly. In addition, you experience that language in the proper cultural context. You will get a feel for the way people talk and the slang terms they use. If you are going to be a language expert, these are things you need to understand.

Another huge benefit of studying abroad is that you have the opportunity to understand a different culture. While learning slang and mannerisms is a part of experiencing another culture, there is much more to it than that. By traveling abroad, you will get an idea of every aspect of that culture. You will learn what words and motions are appropriate and which ones aren’t. You will learn how loud or soft people talk in various situations. You can’t fully grasp these things unless you spend time in that country. Learning the little things will go a long way in your career. If nothing else, understanding the culture will make your travel experience a lot easier.

Studying abroad also gets you out of the classroom, which is crucial. You can only learn so much from lectures and books. However, participating in a study abroad program will allow you to learn everything first hand. By doing so, you may find a specific aspect of the language or culture you love, that could help you figure out a career path. On the flip side, you may find that learning the language isn’t for you. Either way you are teaching yourself, which in itself will prove invaluable, as it is a different experience entirely from learning in a classroom.

By traveling abroad, you increase your chances of networking with people in that culture, which could prove handy if you enter a career in business. The more connections you have, the better your career prospects will be. You may even meet someone who can offer you a job right out of college. American companies are becoming increasingly global, and having experience in a different culture is a huge plus on your resume. If you aren’t interested in business, you will still be satisfied with making connections in a social context. No matter what you want to do in life, building relationships is essential. Making friends or contacts from another country will expand your horizons.

When you study abroad, you also enhance your education. While abroad, you will have the opportunity to take classes that aren’t offered on your regular campus. Not only is this a great way to learn something you never thought you would, but it will also look good on your transcript. One of the best ways to find unique classes is to participate in a study abroad program.

If you are interested in studying a language, you should definitely participate in a study abroad program. In the short term, the experience will enhance your college experience and education. In the long term, it will prove beneficial when it comes to pursuing a career. Given all the benefits, every language student should study abroad.

Hands and pockets

In English when you know something or somewhere well, you can say that you “know it like the back of your hand” or that you “know it inside out / back to front / upside down”. If you’re talking about people, you might say “I know him/her/them like I know myself.”

Yesterday I learnt that the equivalent idiom in French is “Je le connais comme ma poche” (I know it like my pocket) or “Je le connais comme le fond de ma poche” (I know it like the bottom of my pocket).

In Spanish the equivalent is “Lo/la conozco como la palma de mi mano” (I know it like the palm of my hand), and in Turkish it also the palm of the hand that is best known: “Avcumun içi gibi biliyorum” (I know it like the palm of my hand).

The German equivalent is “Ich kenne es wie meine Westentasche” (I know it like my waistcoat pocket).

What about in other languages?

Taverns, columns and caps

What do the words in the title of this post have in common?

Well, they all originally come from Etruscan, according to Nicholas Ostler in Ad Infinitum – A Biography of Latin and the World it Created, one of the books I’m reading at the moment.

The English word tavern dates from the late 13th century, when it meant “wine shop”, and later came to mean “public house”. It comes from the Old French taverne, (shed made of boards; booth; stall; tavern; inn), from the Latin taberna (shop, inn, tavern) – originally “hut or shed”, from Etruscan [source]. The Greek word ταβέρνα (taverna) comes the Latin [source].

Column comes from the Old French colombe (column, pillar), from the Latin columna (pillar), which the Online Etymology Dictionary says is a collateral form of columen (top, summit), from the Proto-Indo-European base *kel- (to project), but which Nicholas Ostler believes comes from Etruscan.

Cap comes from the Old English cæppe (hood, head-covering, cape), from the Late Latin cappa (a cape, hooded cloak), which is possibly a shortened from capitulare (headdress) from caput (head) [source], or from the Etruscan.

Other Latin words that are thought to come from Etruscan include voltur (vulture), ātruim (forecourt), fenestra (window), caseus (cheese), culīna (kitchen), tuba (trumpet), urna (urn), mīles (soldier), Aprīlis (April), autumnus (autumn) and laburnum (shrub).

Bellies, bags and bellows

Yesterday a friend asked me whether bellyache was considered rude or vulgar, and whether tummy ache or stomach ache were preferable in formal conversation. I thought that the word belly might be seen as vulgar and/or informal by some; that stomach ache might be better in formal situations, and that tummy ache tends to be used by and with children. Would you agree?

Belly comes from the Old English belg (bag, purse, bellows, pod, husk), from the Proto-Germanic*balgiz (bag), from the PIE base *bhelgh- (to swell), which is also the root of the Old Norse belgr (bag, bellows) and bylgja (billow); the Gothic balgs (wineskin), the Welsh bol (belly, paunch), the Irish bolg (abdomen, bulge, belly, hold, bloat), and the Latin bulga (leather sack). The English words bellows, billow, bolster, budget and bulge also come from the same root [source].

In English belly came to refer to the body during the 13th century, and the abdomen during the 14th century. By the late 16th century its meaning had been extended to cover the bulging part or concave convex surface of anything. In the late 18th century some people in England decided that belly was vulgar and banished it from speech and writing – replacing it with stomach or abdomen. [source].