Category: Music

Adventures in Etymology – Tasteful Taxis

By Simon

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In this Adventure in Etymology we find out what connects the words taxi, task, tax and taste.

London Taxis

A taxi [ˈtaksɪj / ˈtæksi] is a vehicle, usually a car, that may be hired for single journeys by members of the public, particularly one with an automated meter to calculate the fare.

As a verb, to taxi means to move an aircraft on the ground under its own power, or to travel or transport by taxi. The aircraft moving sense comes from a slang term for training aircraft practicing ground operations, which appeared to move around like taxis.

Taxi is an abbreviation of taximeter cab from French taximètre (taximeter), from German Taxameter (taximeter), from Medieval Latin taxa (tax, charge) and -meter (device to measure a certain property) [source].

A taximeter is a device installed in a taxi that calculates the fare based upon distance travelled and waiting time. It is often abbreviated to meter [source].

Taxa comes from Latin taxō (to feel, charge, rate, judge), from PIE *teh₂g- (to touch, grasp, take with the hand) [source].

Cabriolet !
A cabriolet (carriage)

Cab is a clipping of cabriolet (a car or carriage with a retractable or folding top), which comes from French cabriolet (a convertible car, a cabriolet carriage), from Italian cabriola (horse caper), from Latin capreolus (a roe deer), from PIE *kápros (billy goat [source].

Words from the PIE root *teh₂g- (to touch, grasp, etc) possibly include tage (to take, get, catch, charge) in Danish, taxeren (to evaluate, appraise) in Dutch, taxa (fee, tax, rate) in Portuguese, teimlo (to feel, touch) in Welsh, and tack, tact, take, tangent, task, taste, tax and thwack in English [source].

Words from the PIE root *kápros (billy goat) possibly include gafr (goat) in Welsh, gabhar (goat) in Irish, hafur (billy goat) in Icelandic, kauris (deer) in Finnish, chevron (rafter) in French, and haver (to talk foolishly, to chatter) in Scots [source].

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

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I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog, and I explore etymological connections between Celtic languages on the Celtiadur blog.




Adventures in Etymology – Wending One’s Way

By Simon

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In this Adventure in Etymology we wend our way through the origins of the word wend.

Trudging along

Wend [wɛnd] means to direct (one’s way or course), to pursue one’s way, or to proceed upon some course or way, and used to mean to turn, to change, to adapt, to veer, to pass away, to disappear, to depart or to vanish.

It usually appears in phrases like ‘to wend one’s way’, for example, We wended our weary way westward. The modern past tense form of wend is wended, however it used to be went, which became the past tense of the verb to go.

Wend comes from Middle English wenden (to walk, to travel, to move, to leave, to sail), from Old English wendan (to turn, change, translate, go, depart, happen), from Proto-West Germanic *wandijan (to turn), from Proto-Germanic *wandijaną (to turn), from *windaną (to wind, wrap) from PIE *wendʰ- (to wind, turn) [source].

Words from the same roots include wandern (to hike, migrate, wander) in German, vende (to invite, call, welcome) in Danish, wędrować (to wander, roam) in Polish, vanne (hoop, band, rim) in Finnish, and guantlet, wand, to wander, to wind and possibly and vandal in English [source].

The word vandal (a person who needlessly destroys, defaces, or damages things, especially other people’s property), comes from the Vandals, a group of Germanic peoples who are known for sacking Rome in 455 AD/CE [source].

Their name comes from Proto-Germanic *wandilaz (to wander, a Vandal), from *wandōną (to wander), from PIE *wendʰ- (to wind, turn) [source]. Alternatively, Vandal may come from PIE *wanđ- (water), which is also the root of Old English name for the Mediterranean Sea: Wendelsǣ (“Vandal sea”) [source].

Andalusia, a region in southern Spain, might also get it’s name from the Vandals. It comes from Medieval Latin Andalusia, from Arabic الأندلس [al.ʔan.da.lus], possibly from Vulgar Latin *Vandalicia (“land of the Vandals”) or from Vandalic *Wandalitia / *Vandalitia (“land of the Vandals”) [source].

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

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I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog, and I explore etymological connections between Celtic languages on the Celtiadur blog.




Adventures in Etymology – Beaming Trees

By Simon

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In this Adventure in Etymology we discover what links the word beam with words for tree.

Puivert halle

Meanings of beam [ˈbiːm] include any large piece of timber or iron long in proportion to its thickness, and prepared for use; one of the transverse members of a ship’s frame on which the decks are laid; a ray or collection of approximately parallel rays emitted from the sun or other luminous body.

It comes from Middle English be(e)m [bɛ̝ːm] (beam, pole, antler, tree), from Old English bēam [bæɑːm] (tree, beam, gallows), from Proto-West Germanic *baum (tree, beam), from Proto-Germanic *bagmaz (tree, beam), possibly from PIE *bʰuH- (to become, grow, appear) [source].

Words from the same Proto-Germanic roots include Baum (tree, boom) and beamen (to beam, teleport, project) in German (borrowed from English, popularised by Star Trek), bom (bar, barrier, beam) in Danish, boom (tree, beam, mast) in Dutch, puomi (boom, barrier, pole) in Finnish, boom in English [source].

Incidentally, in Middle English there were several words for tree, including tre (tree, plants, wood), bem (beam, a set of scales, antler, tree) and arbre (tree). The first two come from Old English and Proto-Germanic, while arbre comes from Old French arbre (tree).

Related words in English include arboretum (a place where many varieties of tree are grown for research, educational, and ornamental purposes), arboreal (tree-like, relating to trees) [source].

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

The Fastest Way to Learn Japanese Guaranteed with JapanesePod101.com

I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog, and I explore etymological connections between Celtic languages on the Celtiadur blog.




Adventures in Etymology – Feeble Foibles

By Simon

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In this Adventure in Etymology we discover what links the words feeble and foible with bleating and bells.

Feeble Foibles

Feeble [ˈfiːbəl] means deficient in physical strength; lacking force, vigour or effectiveness in action or expression, or faint.

It comes from Middle English feble [ˈfeːbəl / ˈfeːblə] (feeble, weak, insidious), from Anglo-Norman feble (weak, feeble), from Latin flēbilis (lamentable, doleful), from fleō (to weep, cry, lament), ultimately from PIE *bʰleh₁- (to bleat, cry), from *bʰel- (to sound, speak, roar, bark) [source].

Words from the same PIE roots include блеять (blejat’ – to bleat) in Russian, blaten (to bleat, to speak pointlessly) in Dutch, bjalla (bell, to be noisy, to call) in Icelandic, and bell, bleat and blatant in English [source].

Foible [ˈfɔɪbəl] means a quirk, idiosyncrasy, frailty or mannerism; an unusual habit that is slightly strange or silly, or a weakness or failing of character.

It comes from Early Modern French foible (feeble, weak), from Old French feble / foible (weak, feeble), from Latin flēbilis (lamentable, doleful), and so on – the same root as feeble [source].

Words from the same Latin roots include feble (weak, feeble) in Catalan, flébil (tearful, fragile) in Portuguese, fäbless (penchant, fondness) in Swedish, and Faible (soft spot, weakness, craze) in German [source].

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

The Fastest Way to Learn Japanese Guaranteed with JapanesePod101.com

I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog, and I explore etymological connections between Celtic languages on the Celtiadur blog.




Adventures in Etymology – Woven Waves

By Simon

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In this Adventure in Etymology we unravel the woven origins of the word wave.

Tide's Coming In

As verb, to wave [wɛjv / weɪv] can mean to move back and forth repeatedly and somewhat loosely; to move one’s hand back and forth in greeting or departure; to call attention to by a waving motion, or to have an undulating or wavy form.

It comes from Middle English waven [ˈwaːvən] (to shake, swing, go away, waver, wave), from Old English wafian [ˈwɑ.vi.ɑn] (to wave), from Proto-West Germanic *wabbjan (to cause to weave, wrap, entangle), from Proto-Germanic *wabjaną (to cause to weave, wrap, entangle), from *webaną (to weave), from PIE *webʰ- (to weave, braid) [source].

Words from the same roots include wasp, waver, weave, web and weft (the horizontal threads that are interlaced through the warp in a woven fabric) in English, weben (to weave, intertwine) in German, väv (weave, fabric, web) in Swedish, guêpe (wasp) in French, and vespa (wasp) in Italian [source].

A wave is a moving disturbance in the level of a body of liquid; an undulation, a moving disturbance in the energy level of a field, and so on.

It comes from partially from the same roots as the verb to wave, and also from Middle English wawe [wau̯] (a wave), from Old English wǣġ [wæːj] (wave, water), from Proto-West Germanic *wāg (wave), from Proto-Germanic *wēgaz (wave, sea), from PIE *weǵʰ- (to bring, transport) [source].

Words from the same roots include vector, vehicle, wagon, way, wedge and weight in English, weg (way, road, manner) in Dutch, veslo (oar) in Czech, gwaith (work, labour, act) in Welsh, and féan (wagon, cart) in Irish [source].

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

The Fastest Way to Learn Japanese Guaranteed with JapanesePod101.com

I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog, and I explore etymological connections between Celtic languages on the Celtiadur blog.




Adventures in Etymology – Index

By Simon

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In this Adventure in Etymology we point out the origins of the word index.

Index

An index [ˈɪndɛks] is an alphabetical listing of items and their location; the index finger; a movable finger on a gauge, scale, etc (other meanings are available).

As a verb to index can mean to arrange an index for something; to inventory; to measure by an associated value, and other things.

It comes from Latin index (a pointer, index finger, index, list, sign, informer, spy), from in (in, at, on) and dicō (to say, talk, speak, declare, tell) [source].

Dicō comes from Proto-Italic *deikō (to show, indicate, say, tell), from Proto-Indo-European *déyḱeti (to be pointing out), from *deyḱ-. (to point out, to show) [source].

English words from the same roots include dictate, diction, dictionary, digit, edict, indicate, judge, preach, predict, teach, toe, token, verdict and vindicate [source].

Words in other languages from the same roots include decir (to say, tell) in Spanish, vingar (to avenge, revenge, thrive) in Portuguese, দিক (dik – direction, side, end) in Bengali, Zeh (toe) in German, teikn (omen, sign, icon) in Icelandic, and mallacht (curse) in Irish [source].

Incidentally, if there is more than one index, do you talk about indexes or indices?

I prefer indexes, but think you could use indexen (similar to ox / oxen, child / children, and aurochs / aurochsen) instead. The -en plural ending used to be a more common and used for words such as cheesen (cheeses), kneen (knees), eyen (eyes), foxen (foxes) and shoon (shoes) [source].

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

The Fastest Way to Learn Japanese Guaranteed with JapanesePod101.com

I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog, and I explore etymological connections between Celtic languages on the Celtiadur blog.




Adventures in Etymology – Awkwardly Odd

By Simon

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In this Adventure in Etymology we discover the odd origins of the word awkward.

Awkward!

Meanings of awkward [ˈɔːk.wəd / ˈɔk.wɚd] include: lacking dexterity in the use of the hands, or of instruments; not easily managed or effected; embarrassing; lacking social skills, or uncomfortable with social interaction; difficult to handle.

It comes from awk, an obsolete word meaning odd, out of order, perverse, wrong or clumsy, and -ward, a suffix denoting course or direction to, motion or tendency toward, and so on [source].

Awk comes from Middle English auk(e) (backhanded, perverse, wrong, strange, marvelous), from Old Norse ǫfugr (turned the wrong way, unkind, harsh), from Proto-Germanic *abuhaz (inverted, wicked, bad), from PIE *h₂époh₃kʷos, from *h₂epó (off, away) and *h₃ekʷ- (to see, eye) [source].

Words from the same roots include öfugur (reversed, backwards, wrong) in Icelandic, avig (backwards, inside out) in Swedish, opak (opposite) in Czech, and опак (opak – wicked, nefarious, dastardly) in Macedonian [source].

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

The Fastest Way to Learn Japanese Guaranteed with JapanesePod101.com

I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog, and I explore etymological connections between Celtic languages on the Celtiadur blog.




Adventures in Etymology – A Fountain of Fonts

By Simon

In this Adventure in Etymology we uncover the roots of the word font.

font

A font [fɒnt / fɑnt] is a receptacle in a church for holy water, especially one used in baptism, or a receptacle for lamp oil in a lamp.

It comes from Old English fant/font (font, fountain, spring), from Latin fōns (spring, well, fountain), from Proto-Italic *fontis (spring, well), possibly from PIE dʰenh₂- (to flow, set in motion) [source].

Words from the same roots include fonte (source, spring) in Italian, fuente (spring, fountain, source, dish, bowl, font) in Spanish, fontaine (fountain, cistern, tank) in French, ffynnon (spring, fountain, well) in Welsh, and fountain English [source].

Typefaces Galore

A font is also a set of glyphs of unified design, belonging to one typeface, style, and weight. Usually representing the letters of an alphabet and its supplementary characters. Or in other words, a typeface.

It comes from Middle French fonte (the act/process of founding, melting), which comes from Old French fondre (to melt), from Latin fundō (to pour out, melt, cast, found), Proto-Italic *hundō (to pour out), from PIE *ǵʰewd- (to pour) [source].

Words from the same roots include fondre (to melt, smelt) in French, hundir (to sink, engulf, ruin) in Spanish, gieten (to pour, mould, cast) in Dutch, ffynnu (to prosper) in Welsh, and found, fund, fuse English [source].

Rick Springs - Water from the Rocks

A font can also be a source of wellspring. This possibly comes from fount (a spring), which is a clipping of fountain [source].

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

The Fastest Way to Learn Japanese Guaranteed with JapanesePod101.com

I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog, and I explore etymological connections between Celtic languages on the Celtiadur blog.




Adventures in Etymology – Scribbling Scribes

By Simon

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In this Adventure in Etymology we scratch at the roots of the word scribe.

Scribe
Thoth, Egyptian god of the Moon, wisdom, knowledge, writing, science, magic, art and judgement, scribe of the gods, inventor of (Egyptian hieroglyphic) writing, reading and music

A scribe [skɹaɪ̯b] is someone who writes, a draughtsperson, a writer for another, a secretary, notary or copyist, and to scribe means to write, engrave, inscribe, record, and so on.

It comes from Middle English scribe (a public official who deals with writing or accounts, a clerk), from Old French scribe (scribe), from Late Latin scrība (writer, scribe, secretary, clerk), from Latin scrībō (to write), from Proto-Italic *skreiβō (to carve), from PIE *(s)kréybʰeti, from *(s)kreybʰ- (to scratch, tear) [source].

Words from the same roots may include schrijven (to write) and rijven (to rake, rasp, grate) in Dutch, scrie (to write) in Romanian, skriva (to write, type, copy) in Swedish, scríobh (to write, fill in, compose) in Irish, and écriture (writing, scripture) in French [source].

The English words scribble, script, scripture, describe, inscribe, prescribe, proscribe, transcribe, shrive (to hear or receive a confession [of sins, etc]), shrine also come from the same roots [source]. As does the word scrivener, which refers to a professional writer, particularly one whose occupation is to draw contracts or prepare writings, and used to mean a broker [source].

Incidentally, if you’re prone to excessive writing, you could be described as scribacious [source], and if you are a bad at transcribing, you could be called a transcribbler [source]

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

The Fastest Way to Learn Japanese Guaranteed with JapanesePod101.com

I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog, and I explore etymological connections between Celtic languages on the Celtiadur blog.




Omniglot News (05/07/26)

By Simon

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Omniglot News

Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

New language pages:

  • Anaang (Anaañ), a Cross River language spoken in Akwa Ibom State in the southeast of Nigeria.
  • Kilivila (Kiriwana), a Western Oceanic language spoken in the Trobriand Islands in Papua New Guinea.
  • Sudest (Vanatɨna), a Western Oceanic language spoken on Sudest Island in Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea.
  • Bwanabwana, a Western Oceanic language spoken in Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea.

New numbers pages:

  • Kilivila (Kiriwina), a Southern Oceanic language spoken on Ambae Island in Vanuatu.
  • Sudest (Vanatɨna), a Western Oceanic language spoken on Sudest Island in Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea.

New Tower of Babel translations:

  • Kilivila, a Western Oceanic language spoken in the Trobriand Islands in Papua New Guinea.
  • Mato, a Western Oceanic language spoken in Morobe Province in Papua New Guinea.
  • Sembeleke, which is spoken in Papua New Guinea.
  • Sudest, a Western Oceanic language spoken in Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea.
  • Bwanabwana, a Western Oceanic language spoken in Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea.

New constructed script: Amai, was created by Alex Krylov to write his constructed language called Bearnese.

Sample text in the Amai script (Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Bearnese in the Amai script)

New constructed script: Celestial alphabet, which was created by myAphelion to write his constructed language Kelixal [ʧɛɭiˈʃæɭ], a fan language for One Piece.

Sample text in the Celestial alphabet script (Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Kelixal)

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology, entitled Odd Umpires, we discover the odd roots of the word umpire.

It’s also available on Instagram and TikTok.

On the Omniglot blog we investigate words for tsunami in Chinese and Japanese in a post entitled Roaring Ocean, and there’s the usual language quiz. See if you guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in Ecuador.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Wiyot (Soulatluk), an Algic language that was spoken in northern California in the USA, and which is being revived.

On the Celtiadur blog this week there’s a new post entitled Boards & Planks, about words for board, plank and related things in Celtic languages.

New song: Delays Expected, a song I wrote recently about train delays.

For more Omniglot News, see:
https://www.omniglot.com/news/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/omniglot/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100046466483286

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If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.




Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.