Etymology Flashcards
What is the etymology of the word “Jumbo?”
Jumbo was most likely originally the word for “elephant” in a west African language. It took on the meaning of “large” when an elephant in London zoo was named Jumbo in 1860.
What is the etymology of the word “Quarantine?”
Quarantine comes from the French “qarante” for 40. Whenever a ship arriving in port was suspected of being infected it had to forego contact with the shore for a period of about 40 days.
What is the etymology of the word “Hazard?”
Hazard comes from the Arabic “al zahr” which means “the dice”. The term came to be associated with dice during the Crusades and eventually took on a negative connotation because games of dice were associated with gambling.
What is the etymology of the word “Disaster?”
Disaster comes from the Greek “dis” meaning bad, and “aster”, meaning star. The ancient Greeks used to blame calamities on unfavorable planetary positions.
What is the etymology of the word “Lemur?”
Lemur comes from a Latin word that means “spirit of the dead”. The person that named them cited their nocturnal nature as a source of influence.
What is the etymology of the word “Loophole?”
Loophole (or murder hole) originally referred to the slits in castle walls that archers would shoot their arrows through.
What is the etymology of the word “Nice?”
Nice comes from a Latin word “nescius” meaning “ignorant.”
What is the etymology of the word “Muscle?”
Muscle comes from a Latin root meaning “little mouse”. Apparently people used to think muscles looked like little mice under their skin.
What is the etymology of the word “War?”
War comes from a Germanic root that meant “to confuse.”
What is the etymology of the word “Heresy?”
Heresy comes from a Greek word meaning choice.
What is the etymology of the word “Mortgage?”
The word “mortgage” comes from a French expression meaning “death pledge.”
What is the etymology of the word “Lunatic?”
Lunatic is derived from the Latin word “luna” meaning “moon”. It originated from the belief that insanity is caused by changes in the moon.
What is the etymology of the word “Lukewarm?”
Lukewarm is actually a redundant word. Luke meant “warm” in Middle English so lukewarm technically would mean “warm warm”.
What is the etymology of the word “Nightmare?”
Nightmare comes from an old English word “mare” that refers to a demon who suffocates you in your sleep.
What is the etymology of the word “Buck?”
Buck, the slang term for an American dollar comes from the fact that on the American frontier deerskins were used as units of commerce.
