#etymology — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #etymology, aggregated by home.social.
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The surprisingly connected origins of "urchin" and "caprice".
#etymology #wordnerd #linguistics #HistoricalLinguistics #language #words #lingcomm #urchin #caprice #hedgehog
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The surprisingly connected origins of "urchin" and "caprice".
#etymology #wordnerd #linguistics #HistoricalLinguistics #language #words #lingcomm #urchin #caprice #hedgehog
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The surprisingly connected origins of "urchin" and "caprice".
#etymology #wordnerd #linguistics #HistoricalLinguistics #language #words #lingcomm #urchin #caprice #hedgehog
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The surprisingly connected origins of "urchin" and "caprice".
#etymology #wordnerd #linguistics #HistoricalLinguistics #language #words #lingcomm #urchin #caprice #hedgehog
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The surprisingly connected origins of "urchin" and "caprice".
#etymology #wordnerd #linguistics #HistoricalLinguistics #language #words #lingcomm #urchin #caprice #hedgehog
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www.japanology.nl: our actual language school in Leiden, with in-person classes in Dutch. #Japanese #Kanji #LearnJapanese #JLPT #KanjiOfTheDay #Japanology #Etymology #夜
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“Turkey: A large bird whose flesh, when eaten on certain religious anniversaries has the peculiar property of attesting piety and gratitude”*…
Your correspondent is hitting the road, so (Roughly) Daily will be in hiatus for ten days ro so. Regular service should resume on (or about) May 24…
Tal Lavin devotes the latest installment of The Sword and the Sandwich, the wonderful newsletter he co-authors with David Swanson, to the quintessentially-American fowl, the turkey…
There are very few occasions in life in which someone gets to choose their own name: confirmation, conversion, or, in my case, transition from female to male. Out of all the names in the world, I chose my own; I wanted to pick something that would allow me to present as my male self, that would erase confusion, that would say something essential about me. Choosing your own name is not to be taken lightly.
In the case of the turkey—that busty bird whose thinly-sliced meat is a ubiquitous filler for club sandos, Thanksgiving-leftover feasts and deli lunch-hour specials—the ability to choose its own name might have been a mercy, and avoided a tremendous amount of confusion. The etymological journey of why a turkey is called a turkey makes the fraught rite of transgender name-choosing seem like a cake walk (or bird strut).
The turkey, meleagris gallopavo, is a big galumphing bird indigenous to the Americas, famous for its huge breast, commanding carriage, and bland but abundant meat. In English, it is named after Turkey, which is a country across an entire ocean from its native stomping grounds. In Turkish, the language of Turkey, a turkey is called a hindi, which means “from India.” In Hindi, the language of India, a turkey is called a टर्की (Ṭarkī). In Slovak and Albanian, its name means “chicken from overseas.” In Scandinavian languages and Dutch, it’s named for Calicut, a major trading post along India’s Malabar Coast. In Welsh, it’s twrci. In Polish, Russian and Ukrainian, it’s indyuk, indyk or indeyka—Indian bird.
In other words, languages across the entire world are eager to praise (or blame) the wrong country for this entirely American bird. And they can’t even agree on what wrong country to attribute it to. Linguists and historians have put their heads together on why this is, and it seems to come down to a fowl case of mistaken identity.
What’s undoubtedly central to this geographical misunderstanding is the role the Ottoman Empire played in trade to Europe around the period of the Columbian Exchange…
Read on the rest of the fascinating story: “Turkey,” from @swordsjew.bsky.social.
* Ambrose Bierce, The Devil’s Dictionary
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As we gobble, we might recall that it was on this date in 1607 that a group of 104 colonists from England arrived in what we now know as Virginia and established the first permanent English colony in America. They named the settlement Jamestown in honor of King James I.
We might also recall that we have this group (as it grew)– not the New England pilgrims– to thank for Thanksgiving.
Captain John Woodleaf conducts the first American Thanksgiving in Virginia (source)The first documented English Thanksgiving in North America happened in Virginia in 1619, one year before the Pilgrims even arrived at Plymouth Rock. This first Thanksgiving lasted “10, 15 minutes,” according to Graham Woodlief, the president of the Virginia Thanksgiving Festival. No Native Americans were invited, no women were present, and there’s scant evidence of turkeys or yams.
We might also note that it was on this date in 1968 that Frank Zappa released his debut solo album, Lumpy Gravy on MGM’s Verve Records label (an early version of the album had been issued by Capitol Records on 4-track cartridge in August 1967).
#culture #etymology #Food #history #Jamestown #OttomanEmpire #sandwich #TalLavin #Thanksgiving #Turkey #turkeySandwich -
“Turkey: A large bird whose flesh, when eaten on certain religious anniversaries has the peculiar property of attesting piety and gratitude”*…
Your correspondent is hitting the road, so (Roughly) Daily will be in hiatus for ten days ro so. Regular service should resume on (or about) May 24…
Tal Lavin devotes the latest installment of The Sword and the Sandwich, the wonderful newsletter he co-authors with David Swanson, to the quintessentially-American fowl, the turkey…
There are very few occasions in life in which someone gets to choose their own name: confirmation, conversion, or, in my case, transition from female to male. Out of all the names in the world, I chose my own; I wanted to pick something that would allow me to present as my male self, that would erase confusion, that would say something essential about me. Choosing your own name is not to be taken lightly.
In the case of the turkey—that busty bird whose thinly-sliced meat is a ubiquitous filler for club sandos, Thanksgiving-leftover feasts and deli lunch-hour specials—the ability to choose its own name might have been a mercy, and avoided a tremendous amount of confusion. The etymological journey of why a turkey is called a turkey makes the fraught rite of transgender name-choosing seem like a cake walk (or bird strut).
The turkey, meleagris gallopavo, is a big galumphing bird indigenous to the Americas, famous for its huge breast, commanding carriage, and bland but abundant meat. In English, it is named after Turkey, which is a country across an entire ocean from its native stomping grounds. In Turkish, the language of Turkey, a turkey is called a hindi, which means “from India.” In Hindi, the language of India, a turkey is called a टर्की (Ṭarkī). In Slovak and Albanian, its name means “chicken from overseas.” In Scandinavian languages and Dutch, it’s named for Calicut, a major trading post along India’s Malabar Coast. In Welsh, it’s twrci. In Polish, Russian and Ukrainian, it’s indyuk, indyk or indeyka—Indian bird.
In other words, languages across the entire world are eager to praise (or blame) the wrong country for this entirely American bird. And they can’t even agree on what wrong country to attribute it to. Linguists and historians have put their heads together on why this is, and it seems to come down to a fowl case of mistaken identity.
What’s undoubtedly central to this geographical misunderstanding is the role the Ottoman Empire played in trade to Europe around the period of the Columbian Exchange…
Read on the rest of the fascinating story: “Turkey,” from @swordsjew.bsky.social.
* Ambrose Bierce, The Devil’s Dictionary
###
As we gobble, we might recall that it was on this date in 1607 that a group of 104 colonists from England arrived in what we now know as Virginia and established the first permanent English colony in America. They named the settlement Jamestown in honor of King James I.
We might also recall that we have this group (as it grew)– not the New England pilgrims– to thank for Thanksgiving.
Captain John Woodleaf conducts the first American Thanksgiving in Virginia (source)The first documented English Thanksgiving in North America happened in Virginia in 1619, one year before the Pilgrims even arrived at Plymouth Rock. This first Thanksgiving lasted “10, 15 minutes,” according to Graham Woodlief, the president of the Virginia Thanksgiving Festival. No Native Americans were invited, no women were present, and there’s scant evidence of turkeys or yams.
We might also note that it was on this date in 1968 that Frank Zappa released his debut solo album, Lumpy Gravy on MGM’s Verve Records label (an early version of the album had been issued by Capitol Records on 4-track cartridge in August 1967).
#culture #etymology #Food #history #Jamestown #OttomanEmpire #sandwich #TalLavin #Thanksgiving #Turkey #turkeySandwich -
The #ConnectedAtBirth #etymology of the week is RANSOMWARE/EXAMPLE/PROMPT/PEREMPTORY #wotd #ransomware #ransom #beware #example #prompt #peremptory #canvas #canvasbreach
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Ever wonder about the origin of 'salary'? It comes from the Latin word 'salarium', which referred to the money ancient Roman soldiers received to buy salt. Fascinating, isn't it? https://beword.fun #bewordfun #etymology #vocabulary
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Try the quiz with Kiko, see what other 奇 words you can stack. We start with the easy stuff, jump in wherever you are. #Japanese #LearnJapanese #Kanji #JLPT #KanjiOfTheDay #Japanology #JapanCulture #Etymology #奇
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Happy #StarWarsDay! The #ConnectedAtBirth #etymology of the week is PROTOCOL DROID / COLLOID #wotd #protocol #droid #colloid #MayTheFourth
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The English word cow is related to other Germanic words: Icelandic kýr and Swedish ko. These words are also connected to a surprising group of words across other Indo‑European branches thought to derive from a common Proto‑Indo‑European root, *gʷṓws, for example Irish bó, Latvian govs, and Armenian կով (kov).
https://mapologies.com/animals/
#map #mapologies #etymology #etymologymap #language #lingusiticmap #languagemap #cartography #mapa #karte #lingustics #languages #learnlanguages #geography
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(prophetic ethnic music) says the subtitles of this 1986 Australian documentary
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In the Synoptic Gospels, Jesus gives Peter the nickname “Cephas” (Aramaic: kefa, “rock/stone”), which the Greek‑language tradition renders as “Petros” and later Latin as “Petrus,” giving us the English “Peter.”
In Matthew 16:18, Jesus plays on this when he says, “You are Peter (Petros), and on this rock (petra) I will build my church,” creating a deliberate pun between the man’s name and the foundational “rock” of the community.
Jesus made a joke!
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The surprisingly connected origins of "bandit" and "banal". #etymology #wordnerd #linguistics #HistoricalLinguistics #language #words #lingcomm #bandit #ban #banal
https://youtube.com/shorts/zkTNzr-f2Ko -
Years ago, I read a book by Umberto Eco that served as an introduction to semiotics; it takes things back even further.
But etymology is truly fascinating. In German (I’m a native speaker), for example, the word “Freiheit” (freedom) has its roots in “being with friends.” Exploring such echoes within language deepens our capacity for perception and expression.
#etymology #semiotic #ethymologie #semiotik #umbertoeco #freunde #freiheit #freedom
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The proper name “#Jessica” is a neologism coined by Billy Shakes
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𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗘𝘁𝘆𝗺𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘆, 𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀
English "cow" comes from Proto-Indo-European *gʷeh₃-u-s [gwous], perhaps something like this (listen):
🔊 https://www.ancientsounds.net/eastern-origins/cow-from-PIE-gwous.wavwhich also developed into Dari گاو [gau] and Persian گاو [gov]:
🔊 https://www.ancientsounds.net/eastern-origins/PIE-gwous-to-Persian-gov.wav
and very many other Indo-European languages, such as Ancient Greek βοῦς [bous]:
🔊 https://www.ancientsounds.net/eastern-origins/PIE-gwous-to-Ancient-Greek-bous.wav
@linguistics #linguistics #etymology #EnglishLanguage #AcousticPhonetics #phonetics #ProtoIndoEuropean #Iranian #Persian #Dari #AncientGreek
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𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗘𝘁𝘆𝗺𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘆, 𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀
English "cow" comes from Proto-Indo-European *gʷeh₃-u-s [gwous], perhaps something like this (listen):
🔊 https://www.ancientsounds.net/eastern-origins/cow-from-PIE-gwous.wavwhich also developed into Dari گاو [gau] and Persian گاو [gov]:
🔊 https://www.ancientsounds.net/eastern-origins/PIE-gwous-to-Persian-gov.wav
and very many other Indo-European languages, such as Ancient Greek βοῦς [bous]:
🔊 https://www.ancientsounds.net/eastern-origins/PIE-gwous-to-Ancient-Greek-bous.wav
@linguistics #linguistics #etymology #EnglishLanguage #AcousticPhonetics #phonetics #ProtoIndoEuropean #Iranian #Persian #Dari #AncientGreek
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𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗘𝘁𝘆𝗺𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘆, 𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀
English "cow" comes from Proto-Indo-European *gʷeh₃-u-s [gwous], perhaps something like this (listen):
🔊 https://www.ancientsounds.net/eastern-origins/cow-from-PIE-gwous.wavwhich also developed into Dari گاو [gau] and Persian گاو [gov]:
🔊 https://www.ancientsounds.net/eastern-origins/PIE-gwous-to-Persian-gov.wav
and very many other Indo-European languages, such as Ancient Greek βοῦς [bous]:
🔊 https://www.ancientsounds.net/eastern-origins/PIE-gwous-to-Ancient-Greek-bous.wav
@linguistics #linguistics #etymology #EnglishLanguage #AcousticPhonetics #phonetics #ProtoIndoEuropean #Iranian #Persian #Dari #AncientGreek
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𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗘𝘁𝘆𝗺𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘆, 𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀
English "cow" comes from Proto-Indo-European *gʷeh₃-u-s [gwous], perhaps something like this (listen):
🔊 https://www.ancientsounds.net/eastern-origins/cow-from-PIE-gwous.wavwhich also developed into Dari گاو [gau] and Persian گاو [gov]:
🔊 https://www.ancientsounds.net/eastern-origins/PIE-gwous-to-Persian-gov.wav
and very many other Indo-European languages, such as Ancient Greek βοῦς [bous]:
🔊 https://www.ancientsounds.net/eastern-origins/PIE-gwous-to-Ancient-Greek-bous.wav
@linguistics #linguistics #etymology #EnglishLanguage #AcousticPhonetics #phonetics #ProtoIndoEuropean #Iranian #Persian #Dari #AncientGreek
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𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗘𝘁𝘆𝗺𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘆, 𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀
English "cow" comes from Proto-Indo-European *gʷeh₃-u-s [gwous], perhaps something like this (listen):
🔊 https://www.ancientsounds.net/eastern-origins/cow-from-PIE-gwous.wavwhich also developed into Dari گاو [gau] and Persian گاو [gov]:
🔊 https://www.ancientsounds.net/eastern-origins/PIE-gwous-to-Persian-gov.wav
and very many other Indo-European languages, such as Ancient Greek βοῦς [bous]:
🔊 https://www.ancientsounds.net/eastern-origins/PIE-gwous-to-Ancient-Greek-bous.wav
@linguistics #linguistics #etymology #EnglishLanguage #AcousticPhonetics #phonetics #ProtoIndoEuropean #Iranian #Persian #Dari #AncientGreek
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The #ConnectedAtBirth #etymology of the week is SOLIDARITY/SAVE #wotd #solidarity #save #safe #MayDay #LabourDay #InternationalWorkersDay
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@futurebird
Look, what I just found:@mapologies 🔗 https://mastodon.social/users/mapologies/statuses/116471504187488342
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Last map has ants in its pants#insects #map #mapologies #etymology #etymologymap #ant #ants #languagemap
Most European languages are united by a common thread: the word for ant. From the Galician formiga to the Romanian furnică, and from Greek μυρμήγκι (myrmígki) to Finnish muurahainen. Surprising, huh? We can find the traces of a single Proto-Indo-European ancestor: *mórwis.
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Last map has ants in its pants
#insects #map #mapologies #etymology #etymologymap #ant #ants #languagemap
Most European languages are united by a common thread: the word for ant. From the Galician formiga to the Romanian furnică, and from Greek μυρμήγκι (myrmígki) to Finnish muurahainen. Surprising, huh? We can find the traces of a single Proto-Indo-European ancestor: *mórwis.
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𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗘𝘁𝘆𝗺𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘆, 𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀
English "choose" comes from Proto-Indo-European *ǵéus-, perhaps something like this (listen):
🔊 https://www.ancientsounds.net/eastern-origins/choose-from-PIE-geus.wavYou can't choose your relatives, but you can choose your friends. The same root *ǵéus- developed into Persian دوست duust "friend", i.e. (originally) one who is chosen:
🔊 https://www.ancientsounds.net/eastern-origins/PIE-geus-to-Persian-duust.wav@linguistics #linguistics #etymology #EnglishLanguage #AcousticPhonetics #phonetics #ProtoIndoEuropean #Iranian #Persian
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We have 32,500+ words and 2,017 kanji waiting on learn.japanology.nl/? utm_source=mastodon. Start with our free 10-word demo. See tomorrow's kanji for free. No credit card. #Japanese #LearnJapanese #Kanji #JLPT #WordOfTheDay #Japanology #Family #Etymology
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The surprisingly connected origins of "asparagus" and "aspersions". #etymology #wordnerd #linguistics #HistoricalLinguistics #language #words #lingcomm #asparagus #aspersions
https://youtube.com/shorts/DkJZDgze3j4 -
𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗘𝘁𝘆𝗺𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘆, 𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀
Here's a classic of Proto-Indo-European reconstruction. The English word "brother" descends from Proto-Indo-European *bʰréh₂tēr, perhaps something like this (listen):
🔊 https://www.ancientsounds.net/eastern-origins/brother-from-PIE-bhrater.wav*bʰréh₂tēr also developed into Old Persian 𐎲𐎼𐎠𐎫𐎠 (b-r-a-t-a) and then Modern Persian برادر barodar:
🔊 https://www.ancientsounds.net/eastern-origins/PIE-bhrater-to-Persian-barodar.wav
and related forms in most other Indo-European languages.Image source: Persian Wikipedia, https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/برادر
@linguistics #linguistics #etymology #EnglishLanguage #AcousticPhonetics #phonetics #ProtoIndoEuropean #Iranian #Persian
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𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗘𝘁𝘆𝗺𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘆, 𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀
English "bough" comes from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂ǵʰu- (pronounced [bʱa:g̟ʲʱu]), something like this (listen):
🔊 https://www.ancientsounds.net/eastern-origins/bough-from-PIE-bheh2gh.wav
The same stem developed into Persian بازو bazu, maybe like this:
🔊 https://www.ancientsounds.net/eastern-origins/PIE-bheh2gh-to-Persian-bazu.wav
A bough is an "arm" of a tree, and the Persian word بازو bazu means "arm".
(Image from the website of an Iranian fitness centre, https://morabihamrah.com/)
@linguistics #linguistics #etymology #EnglishLanguage #AcousticPhonetics #phonetics #ProtoIndoEuropean #Iranian #Persian
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The #ConnectedAtBirth #etymology of the week is BLASPHEMY/BLAME/MALICIOUS/BANAL #wotd #blasphemy #blame #malicious #banal #Trump #Pope #Jesus
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#Ecumenical derives from the Greek oikoumenikos, meaning “of the whole world” or “universal,” specifically referring to the inhabited world (he oikoumene ge) as known to ancient Greeks.
It traces back to oikoumenos, the present passive participle of oikein (“to inhabit”), from oikos (“house” or “household”), rooted in the Proto-Indo-European woi̯k̑-os for “clan” or “social unit.”
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𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗘𝘁𝘆𝗺𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘆, 𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀
The English word “barrow”, i.e. a burial mound, comes via Proto-Germanic *berga from a Proto-Indo-European ancestor *bʰerǵʰ-os, meaning “height” and by extension “hill, mountain”.
🔊 https://www.ancientsounds.net/eastern-origins/barrow-from-PIE-bherghos.wav
The same Proto-Indo-European root *bʰerǵʰ- also developed into Persian برج borj “tower”:
🔊 https://www.ancientsounds.net/eastern-origins/PIE-bhergh-to-Persian-borj.wav
The Arabic word برج burj “tower”, as in the name of the Burj Khalifa tower, is not a Semitic word but is a loan-word from Persian.
Kurdish برج berdz (Kurmani birc), Balochi برز ئه borza “height”, and English “borough” (originally referring to a town with raised fortifications), are also descended from *bʰerǵʰ-.
@linguistics #linguistics #etymology #EnglishLanguage #AcousticPhonetics #phonetics #ProtoIndoEuropean #Iranian #Persian #Arabic #Kurdish #Balochi
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The surprisingly connected origins of "grow" and "green".
#etymology #wordnerd #linguistics #HistoricalLinguistics #language #words #lingcomm #grow #green #grass #spring
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𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗘𝘁𝘆𝗺𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘆, 𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀
The word "khaki" is a loan from Urdu خاکی xākī, a loan from Persian, from خاک xâk "earth", from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eh₂s [ħaχs], something like this (listen):
🔊 https://www.ancientsounds.net/eastern-origins/khaki-from-PIE-h2eh2s.wavEnglish "ash" (the grey-coloured burnt substance) also descends from *h₂eh₂s:
🔊 https://www.ancientsounds.net/eastern-origins/ash-from-PIE-h2eh2s.wav
In most Indo-European languages, *h₂ usually developed into [a], but in Iranian it's sometimes [x]. If you want a more detailed but much more technical explanation of the Proto-Indo-European "laryngeals" and how they were possibly or probably pronounced, try this: https://www.ancientsounds.net/laryngeals.html
(The image used below is from an Iranian wood industry supplier's site, venonwood.biz, which currently seems to be still working in spite of the general internet blackout in Iran right now.)
@linguistics #linguistics #etymology #englishlanguage #acousticphonetics #phonetics #ProtoIndoEuropean #Iranian #Persian #Urdu
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The #ConnectedAtBirth #etymology of the week is STRAIT/RESTRICT #wotd #strait #restrict #straight #StraitOfHormuz #Hormuz #IranWar
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#Almanac comes from an Arabic word that means “calendar of the heavens.”
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Chop Gate: Pedlars, Vikings and a Farmer’s Opinion
Chop Gate sits quietly in Bilsdale until the TT roars through and reminds everyone it exists. But the village has a quieter puzzle that never goes away: nobody can agree on what to call it, or what it means.
Travel guides and linguists will tell you confidently that it is pronounced “Ch ...
http://www.fhithich.uk/2026/04/11/chop-gate-pedlars-vikings-and-a-farmers-opinion/
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Japanese isn't memorization. It's a few hundred building blocks that snap together in new combinations. learn.japanology.nl is built around the click moment, not the rote. What Japanese word secretly made sense once you broke it apart? Drop one in the comments. We start with the easy stuff on https://learn.japanology.nl. Try the quiz today and see if 外来 (gairai) sticks. #Japanese #LearnJapanese #Kanji #JLPT #WordOfTheDay #Japanology #外来 #Etymology
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The surprisingly connected origins of "polio" and "appalling".
#etymology #wordnerd #linguistics #HistoricalLinguistics #language #words #lingcomm #polio #appal #appalling
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What kind of profanity is this?
Regular readers will be familiar with Strong Language, a group blog about swearing that I co-founded with James Harbeck in 2014. If you’re interested in swearing as a linguistic or cultural phenomenon, I recommend bookmarking or subscribing to it.
New posts by our excellent contributors are less frequent now, but that makes it easier to catch up if you haven’t visited before or feel like browsing the archives. The blog has over 400 posts: fascinating and colourful explorations of profanity for readers not averse to such material.
I also contribute to Strong Language now and then, and this post on Sentence first introduces the last few that I wrote. What follows below is not very sweary – there’s one reference to a strong swear – but if this type of language freaks you out like it does Ned Flanders, or just plain doesn’t interest you, you may prefer to bail out here.
From “Be-bop-a-Lisa” in Simpsons Comics no. 6 (1994). Script & pencils: Bill Morrison; Inks: Tim Bavington; Colours: Cindy Vance. Editor: Steve Vance
I’m interested in how people refer to swearing: as bad language, explicit language, dirty language, adult language, and so on. The adjectives form an intriguing set. ‘Strong bad mature filthy language’ examines the patterns that emerge and explains why I proposed Strong Language as the name for the blog.
The title of the present post, you may have twigged, alludes to Amy Winehouse and her song ‘Me & Mr Jones’, which contains a line I borrowed more directly for ‘What kind of “fuckery” is this?’. The post delves into that word’s meanings and use, originally literal but now usually (and variously) figurative.
Also in a pop-cultural vein, John Boorman’s 1987 drama film Hope and Glory has a scene that depicts swearing as a rite of passage for a group of boys in London during World War II. My short post puts the scene in context and discusses its effects.
Most recently, I wrote about a remarkably successful euphemism in ‘Another freaking f-word’. This use of freaking first appeared in 1928, as far as we know, so its centenary is just around the corner. In the post I look at why and where it has become so freaking popular.
#blogging #etymology #language #linguistics #popCulture #pragmatics #profanity #slang #strongLanguage #swearing #usage #words -
The surprisingly connected origins of "good", "gather", and "fondue".
#etymology #wordnerd #linguistics #HistoricalLinguistics #language #words #lingcomm #good #god #gather #GoodFriday #fondue #giddy
