Category: Adventures in Etymology

Adventures in Etymology – Theoretical Theatre

By Simon

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In this Adventure in Etymology, we find out what links the words theory and theatre.

The Warning at the O2 Academy Brixton

Theory [ˈθɪə.ɹi / ˈθɪ.ɹi] has a variety of meanings, including:

  • A description of an event or system that is considered to be accurate.
  • (sciences) A coherent statement or set of ideas that explains observed facts or phenomena and correctly predicts new facts or phenomena not previously observed, or which sets out the laws and principles of something known or observed; a hypothesis confirmed by observation, experiment etc.
  • The underlying principles or methods of a given technical skill, art etc., as opposed to its practice.
  • (informal) A hypothesis, conjecture, unsubstantiated statement or idea.

It comes from Middle French théorie (theory), from Late Latin theōria (speculation, theory), from Ancient Greek θεωρία (theōría – contemplation, divine perspective, speculation, a looking at, a seeking) from θεωρέω (theōréō – I look at, view, see, consider, examine), from θεωρός (theōrós – spectator), from θέα (théa – view, perspective, sight) and ὁράω (horáō – I see, look) [source].

Words from the same roots include theorem and theatre / theater in English, θεωρία (theoría – theory, contemplation), θεατής (theatís – spectator, viewer, onlooker) and θεατρίνος (theatrikós – actor, theatrical) in Greek, théâtre (theatre) in French, and teatro (theatre, drama, cinema) in Spanish [source].

Incidentally, in Middle English theatre was written both theatre and theater. It comes from Old French t(h)eatre (theatre), from Latin theātrum (theatre, playhouse, stage), from Ancient Greek θέατρον (théatron – theatre, gathering place, play, spectacle), from θεάομαι (theáomai – to view, watch, observe), from θέα (théa – view, perspective, sight) [source].

Theater is usually written with -er at the end in the USA, and sometimes in Canada, while in other English-speaking countries, it’s usually written with an -re spelling. However, theatrical people in the USA apparently use the -re spelling when referring to the art-form, and reserve the -er spelling to refer to the building in which theatre is performed. It that right?

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Podchaser, Podbay or Podtail and other pod places.

The theme tune for this episode is The Unexpected Badger / Y Mochyn Daear Annisgwyl, a piece I composed and recorded in 2017.

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

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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 – Ridiculous

By Simon

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In this Adventure in Etymology, we’re risking ridicule and getting rather ridiculously ridiculous.

Ridiculous

Ridiculous [ɹɪˈdɪkjələs/ɹɪˈdɪkjʊləs] means deserving or ridicule, foolish, absurd, astonishing, extreme or unbelievable.

It comes from Latin rīdiculus [riːˈd̪ɪkʊɫ̪ʊs̠] (laughable, funny, amusing, silly, absurd, ridiculous), from rīdeō (to laugh (at), ridicule, mock), the origins of which are not known [source].

Words from the same roots include ridicule (mocking words or behaviour; to make fun of), risible (ludicrous, ridiculous, provoking laughter) and derisory (laughably small or inadequate) in English, ridere (to laugh) in Italian, sourire (to smile) in French, and ridikül (ridiculous) in German [source].

The rare English word ridibund (inclined to and easily brought to laughter, happy), and the anatomical term risorius (the facial muscle used when smiling) also come from the same roots [source]

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Podchaser, Podbay or Podtail and other pod places.

The theme tune for this episode is The Unexpected Badger / Y Mochyn Daear Annisgwyl, a piece I composed and recorded in 2017.

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.

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Adventures in Etymology – Haywire

By Simon

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Haywire is wire used to bind bales of hay, and can also refer to something that’s roughly-made, erratic or uncontrollable. How are these meanings related? Let’s find out in this Adventure in Etymology.

Baling twine repair

As a noun, haywire [ˈheɪ.waɪ.ə(ɹ) / ˈheɪ.waɪɚ] means wire used for binding bales of hay, straw or grass, and is also known as bale wire, baling wire, farm wire or soft wire.

As an adjective, haywire means roughly-made, unsophisticated, decrepit, or behaviorally erratic or uncontrollable, especially when referring to machines and mechanical processes.

As a verb, to haywire means to attach or fix with haywire, and to go haywire means to become wildly confused, out of control, or mentally unbalanced. [source].

Originally haywire meant likely to become tangled unpredictably or unusably, or fall apart, as if bound by the soft springy wire used to bind hay bales. This usage comes from lumber camps in New England in 1905, when a haywire outfit was a company that patched up machinery temporarily using haywire rather than fixed it properly [source].

The expression to go haywire, which first appeared in writing in the 1920s, represents something held together or repaired with haywire falling apart or behaving unpredicatbly, or something that has gone wrong or is no good. As haywire tends to whip itself into wild and unruly tangles when cut, this meaning makes sense [source].

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Podchaser, Podbay or Podtail and other pod places.

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.

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Adventures in Etymology – Accents

By Simon

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In this Adventure in Etymology, we find what the word accent has to do with singing.

Adventures in Etymology - Accents

An accent [ˈak.sənt / ˈæk.sɛnt] is:

  • The way in which people in a particular area, country, or social group pronounce words.
  • A mark written or printed over a letter to show how to pronounce it.
  • A special emphasis given to a particular syllable in a word, word in a sentence, or note in a set of musical notes. [source – other meanings are available]

It comes from Middle English accent (accent, modulation), from Latin accentus (a blast, signal, accent, tone), from accinō / accanō (to sing to), from ad (to[wards]), and canō (to sing, recite, sound), a calque of Ancient Greek προσῳδία (prosōidía – song sung to music; pronunciation of syllable), from πρός (prós – to) and ᾠδή (ōidḗ – song) [source].

Words for accent in many other languages come from the same roots, as do the words chant, descant, enchant, incant and hen in English, canu (to sing, intone, chant) in Welsh, can (to say) in Scottish Gaelic, cicogna (stork) in Spanish, káně (buzzard) in Czech, and خوانْدَن (xândan – to read, recite, sing, study) in Persian [source].

Incidentally, the Ancient Greek word προσῳδία (prosōidía – song sung to music; pronunciation of syllable) is the root (via Middle French and Latin) of the English word prosody, which is study of rhythm, intonation, stress, and related attributes in speech, or the study of the patterns of sounds and rhythms in poetry [source].

You might believe that you don’t have an accent, but you do. We all do. You might think that because you sound similar to most people around you, you don’t have an accent, while people from elsewhere do. From their perspective, it’s you that has an accent. I have a bit of a wandering accent that changes depending on who I’ve been listening and/or talking to.

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Podchaser, Podbay or Podtail and other pod places.

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.

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Adventures in Etymology – Bottles, Boots and Butts

By Simon

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In this Adventure in Etymology, we find connections between words for bottle, boot and butt in various languages.

Balcony pix

Meanings of bottle [ˈbɔtɫ̩ / ˈbɑ.təl] include:

  • A container, typically made of glass or plastic and having a tapered neck, used primarily for holding liquids.
  • The contents of such a container.

It comes from Middle English botel [ˈbutəl] (bottle, flask, wineskin), from Old French boteille [buˈteʎə] (bottle), from Late Latin butticula (bottle, flask), from buttis (cask, barrel), from Ancient Greek βοῦττῐς (boûttĭs – a type of vessel), perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeHw- (to swell, puff) [source].

Words from the same roots include boot, butt (cask, barrel), and butler in English, bottiglia (bottle) in Italian, botte (boot, oppression) in French, botija (jug, vessel) in Spanish, butoi (barrel, cask) in Romanian, buta (butt, cask, stock, stocky person) in Irish, and búča (pumpkin, squash, head) in Slovenian [source].

Words for bottle in Old English included:

  • flasce [ˈflɑs.ke] (bottle, flask), which comes from Proto-Germanic *flaskǭ (flask, bottle), lives on as flask in English, and is related the German word Flasche (bottle, flask, flagon), fles (bottle) in Dutch, and flaska (bottle) in Swedish [source].
  • ampella [ˈɑm.pel.lɑ] (flask, bottle, flagon, vial), which comes from Proto-West Germanic *ampullā (flask), from Latin ampulla (a two-handled vessel with a swollen middle), from amphora (a large vessel, especially one made of clay with two handles used for storing and transporting wine and oil), from Ancient Greek ἀμφορεύς (amphoreús – jar with a narrow neck, amphora). It lives on as ampoule in English [source].

A related word in German is Ampel, which can refer to a traffic light, a ceiling lamp or a container which hangs from the ceiling (for a plant, etc.) [source]

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Podchaser, Podbay or Podtail and other pod places.

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.

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Adventures in Etymology – Cluttered Klutzes

By Simon

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In this Adventure in Etymology, we find connections between clutter, clods and klutzes.

My kitchen halfway through renovation
My cluttered kitchen part way through its current renovation

Clutter [ˈklʌtə(ɹ) / ˈklʌtɚ] is:

  • A confused disordered jumble of things
  • Background echoes, from clouds etc., on a radar or sonar screen.
  • Clatter; confused noise. (obsolete)

It comes from Middle English cloteren (to form clots, coagulate, heap on), from clot (clot, ball of earth of clay), from Old English clot(t) (mass, lump), from Proto-West-Germanic *klott (clod, lump, ball), from Proto-Germanic *kluttaz (clod, lump, ball), from Proto-Indo-European *gel- (to ball up, amass, clench) [source].

Words from the same roots include cleat, clod, clot, cloud and klutz in English, Klotz (block, log, chunk, klutz) in German, klut (rag, cloth, patch, sail) in Swedish, klode (globe) in Danish, and possibly cludair (a heap, pile) in Welsh [source].

The word klutz, which in the USA refers to a clumsy or stupud person, comes from the Yiddish word קלאָץ (klots – wooden beam, log, block, oaf, blockhead), from Middle High German kloz (stump, ball), from Old High German kloz (stump, ball), from Proto-West Germanic *klott (clod, lump, ball), etc. [source].

In the UK, one equivalent of a klutz might be a clot, which is used to refer to a silly person, and not so much a clumsy person Other words with similar meanings are available. For a clumsy person, we might say butterfingers [source].

Some related words related to clutter include:

  • cluttercore – An interior design trend and aesthetic, popular in the 2020s, based on densely filling spaces with personal objects and decorative items, resulting in a vibrant and eclectic arrangement of contrasting colours and textures – a.k.a. ‘TikTok aesthetic’ [source]
  • clutterblug – someone who collects lots of things that have value or personal meaning, unlike a hoarder, who collects huge amounts of stuff, often of seemingly little value to themselves or others [source].
  • (to) declutter – The act or process of removing clutter; a decluttering; to remove clutter from, to tidy – a.k.a. (to) unclutter [source]. This is something I’m attempting to do at the moment in my late mother’s house, and my own house.

I am a bit of a clutterblug, and tend to hold on to things that might be useful one day. I seem to go through phases of cluttering, decluttering and recluttering. How about you?

I thought I’d just made up reclutter (the process of cluttering after a declutter), but apparently it’s a thing: “recluttering encourages us to discard our negative associations towards ‘clutter’ and create a conscious, more mindful relationship with our belongings, instead. Essentially, if something brings joy, purpose or personality to us and our homes, it’s worth holding on to, whether it’s ‘necessary’ or not.” [source].

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Podchaser, Podbay or Podtail and other pod places.

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.

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Adventures in Etymology – Windy Wings

By Simon

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In this Adventure in Etymology, we find connections between the words wing, wind and feather.

Soaring gull

A wing [wɪŋ] is:

  • An appendage of an animal’s (bird, bat, insect) body that enables it to fly.
  • A fin at the side of a ray or similar fish.
  • Part of an aircraft that produces the lift for rising into the air. (other meanings are available)

It comes from Middle English winge / wenge [ˈwinɡ(ə) / ˈwɛnɡ(ə)] (wing, flank of an army, shelter, refuge), from Old Norse vængr [ˈwɛ̃ːŋɡr̩] (wing), possibly from Proto-Germanic *wēingijaz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂weh₁- (to blow) [source].

Words from the same Old Norse root include vinge (wing) in Danish, vængur (wing) in Icelandic, and vinge (wing) in Swedish [source].

Words from the same PIE root possibly include aeroplane, athlete, fan, vent, and weather in English, waaien (to blow, be windy, wave) in Dutch, vento (wind) Italian, and vent (wind, flatulence, empty words) in French [source].

The English word wind [wɪnd] also comes from the same roots, via Middle English wynd / wind [wi(ː)nd] (wind), from Old English wind [wind] (wind, flatulence), from Proto-West-Germanic *wind (wind from Proto-Germanic *windaz [ˈwin.dɑz] (wind) from Proto-Indo-European h₂wéh₁n̥ts (blowing, that which blows, air, wind), from *h₂weh₁- (to blow) [source].

Incidentally, ityn Old Englsh, a word for wing was fiþre [ˈfiθ.re], which was displaced by the Old Norse vængr (wing). It comes from Proto-Germanic *fiþriją [ɸi.θri.jɑ̃] (feathers, plummage, wing) from Proto-Indo-European *péth₂r̥ / pth₂én- (wing, feather), from *peth₂- (to fly). It became em>feþer / fether (feather) in Middle English, and feather in modern English. [source].

By the way, Happy New Year! Blwyddyn newydd dda! Bonne année ! ¡Feliz Año Nuevo! 新年快樂！ 新年快乐！ Felice anno nuovo! 新年おめでとうございます! Bliain úr faoi shéan is faoi mhaise duit! Bliadhna mhath ùr! Blein Vie Noa! Ein gutes neues Jahr! Feliĉan novan jaron! Поздравляю с Новым Годом! Šťastný nový rok! Godt nytår! Gott nytt år! La Mulți Ani! Onnellista uutta vuotta! 🎆🎉🥂🥳

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Podchaser, Podbay or Podtail and other pod places.

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

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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.

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Adventures in Etymology – Office Opus

By Simon

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In this Adventure in Etymology, we find connections between the word office and words like copy, manure, opera, opulence and opus.

My studio / office
My garden office / studio

An office [ˈɒfɪs/ˈɔfɪs] is:

  • A room, set of rooms, or building used for non-manual work.
  • A position of responsibility.
  • An official position, particularly high employment within government.
    (other meanings are available)

It comes from Middle English office [ɔˈfiːs(ə)] (employment, occupation, obligation), from Old French office (office, job, service), from Latin officium (duty, service, office, obligation) from opificium (work), from opifex (someone who does [creative / constructive] work) from opus (work), from PIE *h₃ep- (to work, toil, make, ability) [source].

Words from the same roots include copy, manure, opera, operate, opulence and opus (a work of music or art) in English; usine (factory) in French; ofício (craft, trade, profession) in Portuguese; oficina (office, workshop, laboratory) in Spanish, and ufficio (office) and officina (workshop, laboratory) in Italian [source].

Hang on, manure? It comes from Middle English maynouren (to supervise, reign, exercise one’s authority), from Anglo-Norman meinourer, from Old French manouvrer (to work, make, create), from Vulgar Latin *manuoperare (to work by hand), from Latin manū (by hand) and operārī (to work). The word manoeuvre comes from the same roots [source].

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Podchaser, Podbay or Podtail and other pod places.

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

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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.

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Adventures in Etymology – Monitoring Monsters

By Simon

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In this Adventure in Etymology, we’re finding connections between monitors and monsters.

Monitoring Monsters

A monitor [ˈmɒn.ɪ.tə/ˈmɔn.ɪ.tɚ] is:

  • Someone who watches over something; a person in charge of something or someone.
  • A device that detects and informs on the presence, quantity, etc., of something.
  • A device used to give a graphical display of the output from a computer. (other meanings are available)

It comes from Latin monitor (counsellor, preceptor, prompter), from moneō (to warn, advise, remind), from Proto-Italic *moneō (to remind, warn), from Proto-Indo-European *moné-ye-ti, from *mon-éye-, from *men- (to think) [source].

Words from the same roots include admonish, amnesia, automatic, comment, dementia, summon, mental and possibly music in English, monieren (to criticize) in German, amonestar (to warn, reprimand, admonish) in Spanish, and premonire (to forewarn, foretell) in Italian [source].

Monsters

The word monster (a terrifying and dangerous creature, especially one of an imaginary or mythical kind, etc) also comes from the same roots, via Middle English monstre (monster, beast, strange happening), Old French monstre (monster), Latin mōnstrum (evil omen, monster), and moneō (to warn, advise, remind) – so a monster is something you need to be warned about [source].

Money

The word money possibly also comes from the same roots, via Middle English moneye (money, currency, coinage), Anglo-Norman muneie (money), Latin monēta (money, coin, mint), from the temple of Juno Moneta, the home of the ancient Roman mint, whose name is may be connected to moneō [source].

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Podchaser, Podbay or Podtail and other pod places.

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.

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Omniglot News (03/11/24)

By Simon

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Omniglot News

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

New language pages:

  • Central ǃKung (ǃXun), a Kxʼa language spoken in northern Namibia.
  • Ik (Icétôd), a Kuliak language spoken in Karamoja in the Northern region of Uganda.
  • Markwet (Markweta), a Southern Nilotic language spoken in Elgeyo-Marakwet County in western Kenya.
  • Sudanese Arabic (لهجة سودانية), a variety of Arabic spoken mainly in Sudan, and also in South Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia and other countries.

New numbers pages:

  • Ik (Icétôd), a Kuliak language spoken in Karamoja in the Northern region of Uganda.
  • Dagaare (Dàgáárè), a Gur language spoken in Ghana and Burkina Faso.
  • Genoese (zeneise), a Gallo-Romance language spoken mainly in Genoa in Italy.

On the Omniglot blog there are new posts about the words Hire & Rent and Hat Tricks, and there’s the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

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

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Mayo (Yoreme Nokki), an Uto-Aztecan language spoken in northern Mexico.

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology, Weaving Text, we unweave the origins of the word text.

On the Celtiadur blog there’s a new post entitled Teary Drops about words for tear, drop and related things in Celtic languages.

New song: Terms & Conditions, a song I wrote in October 2024 about all those pesky terms & conditions that we have to agree to, but few of us ever read, and even fewer understand.

Improved page: Turkish language page.

For more Omniglot News, see:
https://www.omniglot.com/news/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/omniglot/
https://www.facebook.com/Omniglot-100430558332117

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