etymologies

Both etymologies are hard, for the words are local: brain has a rather inconspicuous German cognate, and the same holds for body. I risked offering tentative suggestions, which were followed by useful, partly critical comments. As usual, I see no reason to repeat what I said in the past and would like to ...

Aritra took notes on videos of old spelling bees and sometimes studied words and their etymologies two to three hours per day. He consumed books, especially non-fiction and fantasy, like the Underland Chronicles by “The Hunger Games”-author Suzanne Collins. Aritra even accepted spelling lessons ...

Most etymologies suggest a Southern origin for “chunking,” which would explain the discrimination against the word—Northerners are always branding Southern and Texan English as ignorant and incorrect. That's also supported by the usage of “chunking” in the African nation of Liberia. Liberia is the only ...

[Isidore of Seville, Etymologies, trans. Stephen A. Barney (Cambridge, 2006), p. 67]. History recorded what was true. Similarly, in China, Sima Qian (145/35–86 bce) illustrated just how concerned he was with recording truthful history when he claimed that he had incurred the displeasure of Emperor Wu on ...

"Instead, they were part of the tradition where knowledge was being rediscovered in the West and languages had to be learned again. That gave rise to dictionaries and etymologies when people were trying to figure it out again, so they could pass the learning and ability to read these languages and unlock ...

That “Gilead,” Marilynne Robinson's eloquent, meditative novel about a Congregationalist minister in Iowa, won the Pulitzer Prize back in 2005 astounded me and gave me hope. With her latest collection, “What Are We Doing Here?” Robinson has come through again, this time with essays on such unhip ...

“Wonderful Testimonies” comprised the entire Hebrew Bible, four different English translations and footnotes giving additional etymologies for some Hebrew words or roots. Paradoxically, it helped the Bene Israel learn Hebrew and come in line with other Jewish communities; hardly a soul converted to ...

Anatoly Liberman's column on word origins, The Oxford Etymologist, appears on the OUPblog each Wednesday. Subscribe to Anatoly Liberman's weekly etymology articles via email or RSS. Buy Now. September 6th 2017. Bogus, tantrum, and dander are fairly recent additions to the vocabulary of English. Like so many ...

It's Independence Day, and it's time to raise Old Glory high, spend a few greenbacks on fireworks, and sing "The Star-Spangled Banner"! While you're doing that, pause for a moment and reflect on a great seldom-asked question: What is the definition of spangle? We all sing it. We all know it in the phrase ...

We did unexpected etymologies a few years ago, but it is time for another list of words whose present meanings have strayed far from their origins, because Paul Anthony Jones's wonderful The Accidental Dictionary (above) was published on Thursday, from which some of these are taken. 1. Alcohol.