Etymology is the history of the origin of words and phrases.
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Did Shakespeare really invent 1700 words?
I am having a discussion with colleagues about a recent news article relating to new words in the dictionary (cleggmannia? really?) and got onto the subject of evolution of language, and how many ...
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Why “Greater Toronto” rather than “Great Toronto”
Many big cities have their names preceded by Greater. Why not just Great? Does Greater indicate that the city is ambitious to expand itself?
Why is Greater not used for country names such as Great ...
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Is it correct to say Person A is the “spitting image” or the “splitting image” of Person B?
I understand that when trying to describe a person who has a resemblance to another, the common term is spitting image. As in:
Person A is a spitting image of Person B.
Here's my issue, I've ...
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Origin of “bug” in reference to software
What is the origin of the expression bug when used to refer to software? Wikipedia says it's from 1843 in Ada Byron's notes on the analytical engine. Another source I found was on dictionary.com:
...
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Why is “primer” pronounced with a short “i” sound?
This word—used to mean an elementary textbook, not a painting material—annoys me to no end. Does anyone know why, exactly, "primer" is pronounced with a short "i" sound? I don't know why, call it ...
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King James Bible archaic style
I am currently reading the King James Version of the Bible and I have noticed some features that I would like to know more about.
Almost every verse of the First Book of Moses starts with “and”. ...
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Why is the “ph” pronounced like a “v” in “Stephen”? Is this the only word like that?
While I know how my name is pronounced, I've run into many non-native english speakers who have stumbled over this unique exception to English. Even in the female name, "Stephanie", the ph is ...
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When did “while” and “whilst” become interchangeable?
I think most folk happily use either "while" or "whilst". I've a vague recollection that at one time "while" indicated the passing of time and "whilst" was essentially the same as "whereas" or ...
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Why are there two pronunciations for “either”?
A few weeks ago, I had a conversation with an individual who told me that pronouncing the word "either" is wrong when pronounced like \ˈī-thər\ instead of \ˈē-thər\ , but I didn't argue the point ...
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“Fluctuates widely” or “fluctuates wildly”
I think changes to phrases that don't change their meaning are interesting. Example: an ice cold beer and a nice cold beer mean pretty much the same thing.
I heard another one this morning on the ...
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“Whereäs” as an alternative spelling of “whereas”
Wiktionary shows whereäs as a valid alternative spelling of the word whereas (see here).
It gives the following quotations to illustrate the usage:
1 Permanent International Association of ...
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Why are nicknames called “nicknames”?
Where did this term originate from? According to Etymonline.com, it originates from O.E. eaca, which means to "increase". However, I can't see how the "n" got stuck in there too.
Does anyone have ...
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What is the origin of the word “goodbye”?
I've heard that goodbye comes from God be with you. Is that true? If so how did it become good? Did goodbye always have the same meaning it has now?
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When should I say “thee”?
If I want to be posh, old school, when I'm writing, and decide to use "thee" then what is the correct technical usage for it? Does it simply replace "the" ?
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What is the origin of the phrase “I'll take a raincheck”?
What is the origin of the phrase I'll take a raincheck?
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What is the “Ap” in the surname “ApSimon”?
There are two questions here (1,2) concerning names with “Mc” in them (such as McGregor), revealing that Mc comes from Mac, which is Gaelic for “son of”.
I have now come across the last name ApSimon. ...
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Why do we “get cold feet”?
A sudden loss of nerve when embarked on a venture is called cold feet. Does anyone know why that should be? An etymology is suggested at englishdaily626.
If your 'feet' are 'cold', you can't walk ...
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Etymology for Mc and O' in names
There is clearly a prefix in names like McDonald, McChrystal, O'Brian, O'Neal
What does this Mc and O signify? Looks like Donald, Chrystal, Brian, Neal are perfectly fine names on their own so why is ...
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Where did the “ue” in “tongue” come from?
How I remember being told over and over how to spell tongue! I didn't understand it then; I don't understand it now. What evolution might put a silent "ue" at the end of a word?
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What's the origin of “yo”?
I have some friends, and they say “Yo!” when I call them. I haven”t heard this response until quite recently (somehow), and I thought it was some word coined by rappers in their songs, and was adopted ...
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The origin of the term “Baker's Dozen”?
There's a "hot question" at the moment about the use of the apostrophe in the phrase Baker's Dozen, and it got me to wondering: where did this phrase originate?
Did bakers really offer 13 in a dozen? ...
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How did “sinister”, the Latin word for “left-handed”, get its current meaning?
Sinister is the Latin word for left-handed. What evolution of meaning turned left-handed into evil and threatening?
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Is the “-b” to be pronounced in the word “limb”? What about “thumb”? “Crumb”?
I'm confused about the differing pronunciations of words that end in "-b". For example, I remember being told by some of earliest teachers that the "-b" in limb was meant to be silent, and one ...
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Why do we call our lovers “baby”?
It is common in American English and culture to refer to one's lover or significant other as "baby" or "babe", for example:
Come on baby, light my fire! 1
or
I got you, I won't let go. I got ...
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What's up with the word “egregious”?
According to Google's dictionary (and MacOS/iOS dictionary), egregious has the following definitions:
I've seen words with multiple definitions, but not ones that are exact contradictions. Some ...
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Why does “impregnable” mean *cannot be impregnated*?
Well not exactly, but according to the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, impregnable means:
ADJECTIVE:
1. Impossible to capture or enter by force: an impregnable fortress.
...
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What does “packing heat” mean?
I believe it means “to carry a weapon”, but I would also like the phrase origins, if possible. So the full question is:
What is the meaning of the phrase “packing heat” and what are its origins?
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Why “ain't I” and “aren't I” instead of “amn't I”?
Why do we say "ain't I" or "aren't I" instead of "amn't I"? What's the history of this usage? Are there any other similar patterns in English?
I'm guessing it has something to do with the ...
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Hump, Rump, Lump, Bump
I’m referring to the similar definitions of these four nouns – something raised and rounded. Why do these four rhyming words have similar meanings?
I have not found very specific sources for these ...
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How did 'sanction' come to have two opposite meanings?
Sanction is an unusual ambiguous word to me. In some cases it means to approve some action, while in other cases it means to prohibit or punish some action; and there being near opposite meanings, ...
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Why “homophobia” and not “sexualism” or similar?
A phobia is an irrational fear of something. An intolerance to something is usually an -ism, not a -phobia, as in
sexism
racism
ageism
Yet people who object to homosexual practices or discriminate ...
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Why does “for good” mean “forever”?
A very recent and similar question was closed asks what "for good" means. While general reference can answer the question, I became curious as to the etymology of the idiom. Googling around got me ...
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What is the origin of the “-th” suffix? What is the linguistic term for the meaning it adds to words?
I was teaching my young nephew some math the other day, and from discussing the typical sort of word problems he's encountering in class, I noticed that the "-th" suffix adds a distinct meaning to ...
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Does a gerund always end with -ing? If so, why?
After asking what the difference is between a gerund and a participle, I began to wonder if all gerunds end with -ing, since I couldn't think of any that didn't. If they do, why?
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What is the meaning of the phrase “The morning constitutional”?
What exactly is the meaning of the phrase “The morning constitutional”? Is it an early morning walk or the first visit to the bathroom during the day?
What is the origin of this phrase? What is the ...
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Why is a woman's purse called a “pocketbook”?
It's not a book, and it doesn't fit in anyone's pocket. Why does my brother-in-law insist on calling his wife's purse a pocketbook?
I'm interested in the etymology, and in the chronological and ...
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What's the literal meaning of “Real Estate”?
Today I realized that the word "Real" in "Real Estate" might be about "royalty" instead of "reality".
English is a foreign language to me, so I don't really know the literal meaning and origin of the ...
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Origin of “Too Clever by Half”
The phrase "Too Clever by Half" is used to criticize someone for being overconfident in their thinking.
What is the origin of this phrase?
I read somewhere that it started as a backhanded compliment ...
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What is the origin of “holy smoke”?
What is the origin of holy smoke?
To what is holy smoke referring?
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Why do we “paint the town red”?
Why is the phrase "paint the town red" used to mean go on a colossal drinking spree? Does anyone know where it came from?
Green's Slang Dictionary tentatively suggests a famous toot by the Marquis of ...
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A murder of crows?
I love the subset of collective nouns known as the terms of venery. These are collective nouns specific to a particular group of animals. Some of the more inventive examples are: a murder of crows, a ...
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Why 'Mrs.' isn't read as 'mistress'?
Wasn't Mrs. short for mistress? Why do we read Mrs. as missus(or sometimes missis) instead of mistress?
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What is the origin of the term “ginger” for red-headed people?
I'd like to know the etymology of the word "ginger" in reference to red-headed people.
In particular, if "ginger" in this context is related to the plant root used in cooking, I'd like to know how ...
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Where does “patching through” come from?
Where does "patching through" come from?
And what did it originally mean?
Usage: "I'm patching through a call from Mr. X"
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Where does the phrase “run code” or “run software” come from? Why “run”?
Historically speaking, it makes sense to me someone would say run "the computer". Early computers (not a human computer) were mechanical machines with moving parts that could achieve a velocity deemed ...
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Why father is called “dada” and not “fafa”
Read the words below :
Mother - mama - mammy
Father - dada - daddy
Why is father not called fafa or faddy?
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Origin of “he's 6 feet tall if he's an inch”
I have heard this pattern used before in American English:
She's 6 feet tall if she's an inch.
It was a gallon of blood if it was a drop.
The baby was 10 pounds if it was an ounce.
I ...
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Is “curiouser,” in fact, a word (e.g., in the phrase “curiouser and curiouser…”)?
Is "curiouser," in fact, a word?
(Yes, this question is very short, but that's really all I need to ask.)
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Why are not “infamous” and “inflammable” the opposite of “famous” and “flammable”?
Why are not infamous and inflammable the opposite of famous and flammable, like incomplete, inactivity, inappropriate and so on?
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Who coined the term “Holocaust” to refer to the Nazi “final solution” for the Jewish people?
Before World War II the word "holocaust" referred most often to a huge inferno. Who first used the term to describe the Nazi murder of 6 million Jews? When and where?
