Etymology of Words

[NikolaiI]

I've always enjoyed etymology. . I suppose "etymology of words" is technically redundant. .

Although I know little about it - I think it's a very useful subject, and often it can be very illuminating and useful.


For instance, we've all heard the phrase, "Be happy, Don't worry," in all likelihood, or at least most English speaking people probably have at some point. Well - a few years ago I learned something that shed even more light on it. The etymology of "worry," I learned, was "to strangle." It made a great deal of sense, and also shed insight on the whole subject for me. . for that's exactly what it's like, it seems.

Being aware of this helped me to realize that we should never worry. :)

At least, not for very long. . . actually, I'm fairly strongly a believer that action is usually called for, if something needs to change, but worry and negative emotions are almost never useful. . .that's a personal philosophy though, and strayed from the topic of etymology.

So - please discuss, and share insights or interesting facts about etymology and words.

[Eiseabhal]

I too am interested in etymology and in word derivations. Some respected dictionaries are not good at that. Chambers Dictionary which is of Scottish origin is notoriously bad at ascribing word derivations to languages that the compilers looked down on. It is very much a dictionary created by ethnocentrics who were prejudiced. It is however a good dictionary for crosswords.

[NikolaiI]

It's one of those things, knowledge can be so useful or helpful.

I also liked this one - "busy" in Chinese, the word they use for it literally means "heart-killing."

It's interesting to see how different cultures view the world.. I personally sort of agree with that one, especially since time is the most valuable thing to me.. Money, and the rest, the only thing it's really good for is your time... that's why I don't waste time on things that are not really worth it. (Mostly) :p

[Sancho]

I've read that the word "silly" used to mean something like "pious" or "close to God," or "touched by God," and then it sort of morphed into meaning "touched" as in - "that boy ain't right, he's a little touched in the head." And finally it sort of lightened up into its present meaning of silly as, well, silly.

[NikolaiI]

Could be. I found this from Meriam Webster online, under origin of silly -

Middle English sely, silly happy, innocent, pitiable, feeble, from Old English sǣlig, from sǣl happiness;
akin to Old High German sālig happy

I don't know for sure though; nor does that refute what you said.

I have a vague recollection of that as well, I think, actually. Or maybe just a bit of deja vu.

[Sancho]

Now the etymology of entomology goes way back. All the way back to cave-man times, in fact. Although back then they didn't say "entomology," they just said "bug science", or more precisely they just said, "bug". It was a onomatopoetic rendering of the sound a louse makes when a caveman picks it out of a cave woman's hair and then squishes it between his fingers (or teeth, the record's not clear on that point). Anyway, I can sort of picture it - the two of them sitting there on their rock, in their cave, going through each other's hair, and every so often triumphantly yelling, "BUG"!

Whoops! I've strayed into the serious-discussion area again, haven't I. Sorry.

[NikolaiI]

It's okay, you're not bugging anyone :)

Okay, I am being silly - sometimes am.

It's only a semi-serious discussion if we only take it semis-seriously. Or superciliously.

Oh I've got one - no, nope, it wouldn't do to tell a Gandhi joke on a etymology thread.

And, I have to admit, I didn't know completely what that word meant! lol. It's nothing to do with "super-silly," well, sort of, but not precisely.

[NewSecret]

Etymology of words can be fascinating. I too, for a time, researched the history of words directly associated with my own life such as my name, names of loved ones, etymology of phrases and words that I use often. One thing that I like about the English language is that it morphs as time goes on, unlike French or German, both languages that are determined under linguists for approval of new words or altering the definition of old words. I also find that there are several English languages if you consider the language of doctors and the health professionals or if you consider the language of scientists or chemists. They use thousands and thousands of words in their professions on a daily basis that we never hear. To know not only what a word means fully, but add to that the knowledge of how, when and where it was created and how it morphed through the years really is a linguistic advantage over others who can barely grasp what others say or read into the words of others wrongly.