Interesting (and International) Word Origins Flashcards
Around the World French Words Eponyms Words with Strange Origins
kowtow (v.)
(from the imperial courts of China) to kneel and touch the ground with his or her forehead. Such a gesture was intended to show respect and submission.
Today, kowtow has a negative connotation and implies that a person is acting in a subservient or sycophantic manner.
Paul kowtowed to his boss so often the boss herself soon became nauseated by his sycophancy.
powwow (n./v.)
(from Algonquin tribe) involved a big party of dancing and dining between tribes.
Today: an informal discussion or colloquy
Before the team takes the field, the coach always calls for a powwow so that he can make sure all the players are mentally in the right place.
junta (n.)
(from Portugal and Spain) to join un-peacefully. Whenever military groups joined forces to usurp the existing regime, they would form a military junta.
Today: the aggressive takeover by a group
As dangerous of a threat as North Korea is, some analysts believe that were a junta suddenly to gain power, it could be even more unpredictable and bellicose than the current leadership.
imbroglio (n.)
(from mid-18th century Italian) to embroil in a confusing, embarrassing situation
The chef cook-off featured one gourmand who had the unfortunate distinction of mixing the wrong broths, creating an imbroglio that viewers will not soon forget.
juggernaut (n.)
(from Hindi and X-Men 2) to knock over and destroy anything in one’s path; a juggernaut was a large temple vehicle under which followers of Krishna would supposedly throw themselves.
Today: any large force that cannot be stopped.
Napoleon was considered a juggernaut, until he decided to invade Russia in winter; within weeks his once seemingly indomitable army was decimated by cold and famine.
schadenfreude (n.)
(from German) harm-joy
Today: to take joy in the suffering of others
From his warm apartment window, Stanley reveled in schadenfreude as he laughed at the figures below, huddled together in the arctic chill.
amuck (adv.)
(from Malay) to run about frenzied
Wherever the bowl-cut teen-idol went, his legions of screaming fans ran through the streets amuck, hoping for a glance of his boyish face.
pariah (n.)
(from Hindi) an outcast
The once eminent scientist, upon being inculpated/blamed for fudging his data, has become a pariah in the research community.
nabob (n.)
(from Hindi) described a wealthy British person living in India
Today: a wealthy, influential person
The nabobs can be seen, heads a bobbing, driving by in their Italian sports cars, listening to techno.
zeitgeist (n.)
(from German) “time-ghost”
Today: spirit of the times
Each decade has its own zeitgeist—the 1990’s was a prosperous time in which the promise of the American Dream never seemed more palpable. The zeitgeist of the 2000’s was a curious admixture of fear and frivolity; when we were not anxious over the state of the economy and the world, we escaped into reality T.V. shows, either those on popular networks or the ones we would create ourselves on YouTube.
sangfroid (n.)
French: cold-blooded
Today: calmness and poise, especially in trying situations
The hostage negotiator exhibited a sangfroid that oftentimes was more menacing than the sword at his throat or the gun at his head.
parvenu (n.)
French
One who has recently acquired wealth, thereby rising in class (derogatory connotation)
The theater was full of parvenus who each thought that they were flanked by aristocrats.
demur (v.)
French
To object or express reluctance to do something (not confused with demure: coy/shy)
When asked if she wanted to visit the war torn region without a translator by his side, the journalist demurred.
arriviste (n.)
French
One who has recently acquired wealth, thereby rising in class (more ruthless connotation than parvenu)
The city center was aflutter with arrivistes who each tried to outdo one another with their ostentatious sports cars and chic evening dress.
melee (n.)
French
a wild, confusing fight or struggle
Despite the scornful stares from entrenched aristocrats, the parvenu walked blithely about the palace grounds, maintaining his sangfroid and demurring to enter into the melees that the snobbish were so fond of baiting arrivistes into.
lagniappe (n.)
French
an unexpected gift
The islanders thought that the seafarers had brought them a lagniappe when the latter presented them with gold coins; little did the islanders know that their days of bartering were numbered.
picayune (adj.)
French: a trifling or meager coin
Today: fussing over some trivial point
English teachers are notorious for being picayune; however, the English language is so nuanced and sophisticated that often such teachers are not being contrary but are only adhering to the rules.
eponym
a word derived from a person’s name
mesmerize (v.)
to hold spellbound
Franz Mesmer, an Austrian physician prominent the turn of the 19th century, was renowned for hypnotizing people. His method included kneeling near a patient, touching his/her knees and looking into the person’s eyes (I’m curious if he ever proposed to one of his clients).
gerrymander (v.)
the manipulation of boundaries to favor a certain group
Elbridge Gerry was the vice president of James Madison, the 4th president of the United States. Elbridge had an interesting idea. To get elected a president had to win a certain number of districts. So Elbridge came up with the following plan: if he partitioned a city in a certain way he could ensure that the president would win the majority of the votes from that district.
Years ago, savvy politicians had gerrymandered the city center to ensure their re-election.
hector (v.)
to bully or intimidate
The boss’s hectoring manner put off many employees, some of whom quit as soon as they found new jobs.
pollyannaish (adj.)
extremely optimistic
Even in the midst of a lousy sales quarter, Debbie remained Pollyannaish, never losing her shrill voice and wide smile, even when prospective customers hung up on her.
chauvinist (n.)
anyone who thinks that their group is better than anybody else’s group
Nicolas Chauvin, a one-time recruit in Napoleon’s army, used to go about town, thumping his chest about how great France was.
The chauvinist lives on both sides of the political spectrum, outright shunning anybody whose ideas are not consistent with his own.
picayune (adj.)
French: a trifling or meager coin
Today: fussing over some trivial point
English teachers are notorious for being picayune; however, the English language is so nuanced and sophisticated that often such teachers are not being contrary but are only adhering to the rules.
eponym
a word derived from a person’s name
mesmerize (v.)
to hold spellbound
Franz Mesmer, an Austrian physician prominent the turn of the 19th century, was renowned for hypnotizing people. His method included kneeling near a patient, touching his/her knees and looking into the person’s eyes (I’m curious if he ever proposed to one of his clients).
gerrymander (v.)
the manipulation of boundaries to favor a certain group
Elbridge Gerry was the vice president of James Madison, the 4th president of the United States. Elbridge had an interesting idea. To get elected a president had to win a certain number of districts. So Elbridge came up with the following plan: if he partitioned a city in a certain way he could ensure that the president would win the majority of the votes from that district.
Years ago, savvy politicians had gerrymandered the city center to ensure their re-election.
hector (v.)
to bully or intimidate
The boss’s hectoring manner put off many employees, some of whom quit as soon as they found new jobs.
pollyannaish (adj.)
extremely optimistic
Even in the midst of a lousy sales quarter, Debbie remained Pollyannaish, never losing her shrill voice and wide smile, even when prospective customers hung up on her.
chauvinist (n.)
anyone who thinks that their group is better than anybody else’s group
Nicolas Chauvin, a one-time recruit in Napoleon’s army, used to go about town, thumping his chest about how great France was.
The chauvinist lives on both sides of the political spectrum, outright shunning anybody whose ideas are not consistent with his own.
pyrrhic (adj.)
a pyrrhic victory is a victory with such a devastating cost that it carries the implication that another such victory will ultimately lead to defeat.
So any win that comes at so great a cost that it is not even worth it is a pyrrhic victory.
George W. Bush’s win in the 2000 election was in many ways a pyrrhic victory: the circumstances of his win alienated close to half of America.
kafkaesque (adj.)
absurdity we have to deal with living in a world of faceless bureaucracies.
So next time you are put on hold for three hours and then volleyed back in forth between a dozen monotone-voice employees, think to yourself, hey this is Kafkaesque.
The process of applying for a passport was so Kafkaesque that Charles ultimately decided not to take a vacation.
quixotic (adj.)
one who is wildly idealistic (e.g. think you can end world hunger on your own)
For every thousand startups with quixotic plans to be the next big thing in e-commerce, only a handful ever become profitable.
maudlin (adj.)
(from Mary Magdalene and her weeping)
One who cries in public for no good reason; one who deepest feelings with a stranger
(think Forrest Gump)
Just as those who were alive during the 70’s are mortified that they once cavorted about in bell- bottoms, many who lived during the 80’s are now aghast at the maudlin pop songs they used to enjoy— really, just what exactly is a total eclipse of the heart?
panglossian (adj.)
(from Voltaire’s Candide: Dr. Pangloss)
blind optimism
Despite the fact that his country had been marred by a protracted civil war, Victor remained ever Panglossian, claiming that his homeland was living through a Golden Age.
malapropism (n.)
(from George Sheridan’s The Rivals; known for mixing up similar sounding words to comic effect)
mistaken use of a word in place of a similar-sounding one, often with unintentionally amusing effect
quisling (n.)
(from Nazis’ Vichy govt and Viktor Quisling)
traitor
for arrant perfidy (i.e. utter deceitfulness)
bzantine (adj.)
(from Byzantium’s adorning architecture)
anything extremely intricate and complex (usually negative connotation)
Getting a driver’s license is not simply a matter of taking a test; the regulations and procedures are so byzantine that many have found themselves at the mercy of the DMV.
galvanize (v.)
(from Galvani’s experiment with electric current passing a dead frog’s legs making them twitch)
to shock or urge somebody/something into action
The colonel’s speech galvanized the troops, who had all but given up.
supercilious (adj.)
(from cilia)
to be haughty and disdainful
Nelly felt the Quiz Bowl director acted superciliously towards the underclassmen; really, she fumed, must he act so preternaturally omniscient each time he intones some obscure fact—as though everybody knows that Mt. Aconcagua is the highest peak in South America.
protean (adj.)
(from Proteus, who could change into shape/forms)
- tending/able to change frequently/easily
- versatile
Peter Sellers was truly a protean actor—in Doctor Strangelove he played three very different roles: a jingoist general, a sedate President and a deranged scientist.
sartorial (adj.)
(from sartorial muscle)
of or relating to tailoring, clothes, or style of dress
Monte was astute at navigating the world of finance; sartorially, however, he was found wanting—he typically would attempt to complemented his beige tie with a gray suit and white pants.
