Who loves etymology like I do? I'm fascinated by words and their meanings and origins. The English language is such an eclectic mix of borrowed words from other language it makes such an interesting study! Etymology is different from definitions in that it's the study of the roots and history of word instead of just their meanings. It's surprising sometimes where our common words come from.
Here's some examples:
The word NICE: (This one's interesting!)
From Middle English nyce, nice, nys, from Old French nice, niche, nisce (“simple, foolish, ignorant”), from Latin nescius (“ignorant, not knowing”); compare nesciō (“to know not, be ignorant of”), from ne (“not”) + sciō (“to know”).
The word MUSIC:
Middle English musik, from Anglo-French musike, from Latin musica, from Greek mousikē any art presided over by the Muses, especially music, from feminine of mousikos of the Muses, from Mousa Muse (The Muses were the Greek goddesses of poetic inspiration, song, dance, and memory.
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The word VACCINE:
earlier, "fluid from cowpox pustules used in inoculation," noun use of vaccine "of cowpox" (in the phrases vaccine disease, vaccine matter), borrowed from New Latin vaccina (in variolae vaccinae "cowpox"), going back to Latin, feminine of vaccīnus "of or from a cow," from vacca "cow" (perhaps akin to Sanskrit vaśā "cow") + -īnus -ine entry 1; in extended sense, "preparation of organisms administered to produce immunity," in part borrowed from French vaccin, masculine derivative of vaccine "cowpox, matter from cowpox pustules," borrowed from New Latin or English... Basically the root word cow!
Yes, I'll admit I'm a bit of a nerd...lol. But it just fascinates me. Do I have any comrades? What are some of your faves?
Here's some examples:
The word NICE: (This one's interesting!)
From Middle English nyce, nice, nys, from Old French nice, niche, nisce (“simple, foolish, ignorant”), from Latin nescius (“ignorant, not knowing”); compare nesciō (“to know not, be ignorant of”), from ne (“not”) + sciō (“to know”).
The word MUSIC:
Middle English musik, from Anglo-French musike, from Latin musica, from Greek mousikē any art presided over by the Muses, especially music, from feminine of mousikos of the Muses, from Mousa Muse (The Muses were the Greek goddesses of poetic inspiration, song, dance, and memory.
The word VACCINE:
earlier, "fluid from cowpox pustules used in inoculation," noun use of vaccine "of cowpox" (in the phrases vaccine disease, vaccine matter), borrowed from New Latin vaccina (in variolae vaccinae "cowpox"), going back to Latin, feminine of vaccīnus "of or from a cow," from vacca "cow" (perhaps akin to Sanskrit vaśā "cow") + -īnus -ine entry 1; in extended sense, "preparation of organisms administered to produce immunity," in part borrowed from French vaccin, masculine derivative of vaccine "cowpox, matter from cowpox pustules," borrowed from New Latin or English... Basically the root word cow!
Yes, I'll admit I'm a bit of a nerd...lol. But it just fascinates me. Do I have any comrades? What are some of your faves?
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