Eternal Etymology

Ever wondered how all the words that we use every day came into being? How and when they were formed? Why do many languages share similar words for the same things?

All the answers we are looking for can be found in Etymology. This concerns the roots of words and how the sounds and spellings, as well as the meanings, have evolved over time.

The word etymology comes from the Ancient Greek language. It is composed of two parts: the Greek word etymon, which means “the true sense of a word”, and logia, which means “doctrine or study”.

Thus, Etymology is the study of the origin of words and the evolution of their meanings

For example- The Greek word hippos means horse. And potamus means river. Hence hippopotamus literally means river horse.

A few other parts of words coming from Ancient Greek are

tele (long distance),
micro(small),
phone (speak),
and scope (look).

From these come such words as telephone, telescope, microphone, and microscope.

Obviously all words are not derived from Ancient Greek. The English language is an amalgamation of many languages, and that is what makes its etymology so interesting

Take a look at some amusing word histories:

Quarantine

In layman language, this word refers to strict isolation especially to prevent contagious diseases.

It comes from the French word quarante meaning forty. The way we add –ish to words in English to give them a degree of roughness or uncertainty, the suffix –aine is added to French numbers, so quarantaine means about forty. Originally when a ship arriving in port was suspected of being infected with a contagious disease, its cargo and crew were forced to remain at sea for a period of around forty days before they could come ashore. This was done to make sure that the cargo and people disembarking would not infect anyone else. This term came to be known as period of Quarantine.

Malaria

We all are acquainted with this infectious disease caused by the bite of an infected anopheles mosquito.

This comes from the mediaeval Italian word mal which means bad and aria meaning air, describing the haze from the wetlands around Rome. This bad air was believed to be the cause of the fever that often developed in the people who frequented areas around the swamps. Obviously it was the mosquitoes that bred in such bad air that caused the disease.

Jeans

Although jeans are characteristically American, the name of the popular garment is actually of European origin. The fabric which Levi Strauss used for his trousers was first produced in Genoa, Italy and Nimes, France.

The French word for Genoa is Gênes, and the name Jeans is probably an Anglicization of the material’s city of origin. Similarly, the word denim most likely comes from de Nimes, meaning from Nimes in French.

Salary (Origin: Latin)

The word salary comes from the Latin Salarium; the payment for salt.

In ancient times, salt was used for many important things. It was often referred to as white gold. In the Egyptian Empire, labourers were paid with salt. The Roman Empire too used this form of payment and it took on the name Salary for the remuneration given to workers at the end of the working month.

So why study Etymology?

Etymology not only improves understanding of your native language, but also gives you insights into its shared roots and histories with other languages.
And of course for the amusing stories that lie in the origins of language!