Timeline for Etymology: of unknown origin
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
14 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 30, 2019 at 2:53 | answer | added | Laurel♦ | timeline score: 1 | |
| Mar 29, 2019 at 15:31 | answer | added | yathish | timeline score: 7 | |
| Sep 25, 2015 at 2:07 | comment | added | deadrat | @JEL Excellent! A round of zythum for everyone at the bar. And see what the stiffs in the back room of the pyramid are having. | |
| Sep 25, 2015 at 1:55 | comment | added | JEL | @deadrat, I'll adopt that idiom. Also, if you ever need to get the last word in, or need to pronounce on what "get the last word in" means, "Zythum!" and its meaning will serve: "In ancient Egypt: a kind of malt beer. // Much of the word's continuing use is due to its status as the last word listed in several dictionaries ...." OED. | |
| Sep 24, 2015 at 18:54 | comment | added | deadrat | @JEL I suggest a new idiom for "completely mysterious": "unknown from aal to zythum." | |
| Sep 24, 2015 at 18:22 | comment | added | rogermue | Of course, we also need to have an idea where OED is only presenting probabilities with formulations like "probably, perhaps" and the like. I don't consider those cases where the semantic logic is obviously in question. | |
| Sep 24, 2015 at 18:11 | comment | added | rogermue | Brewer has sifted through the extensive archive of memos from a century to get at the arguments, debates, prejudices, and fiats of the lexicographers who put the OED together. She demonstrates that thousands of words have faulty histories or poor definitions ... boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=482881 It is post no. 18 | |
| Sep 24, 2015 at 18:10 | comment | added | rogermue | Just googling around I found this post by Exapno Mapcase in the thread English words with unknown etymologies. The post is too long for a comment, so I give the beginning and the link. Those in love with vocabulary and etymology will want to read Treasure-House of the Language: The Living OED, by Charlotte Brewer. It's a bit dry in spots, well, arid, but overall it's a tremendously interesting look backstage at the making of the OED and its supplements. | |
| Sep 24, 2015 at 17:58 | comment | added | JEL | @Mari-LouA 'Aal' is the first and 'zythum' the last for UO in Etymology. | |
| Sep 24, 2015 at 17:56 | comment | added | Mari-Lou A | @JEL That's a surprise, I would have thought more. What's the first and last one? If I can take the liberty of asking. | |
| Sep 24, 2015 at 17:55 | comment | added | JEL | A search of the etymology sections returns 815 for OUO and 822 for UO. | |
| Sep 24, 2015 at 17:52 | comment | added | JEL | A full text search returns 849 entries containing 'unknown origin' and 843 containing 'of unknown origin'. | |
| Sep 24, 2015 at 17:50 | comment | added | Mari-Lou A | If, as I believe is the case, the OED is available online, I would search (Ctrl + f) "of unknown origin" in inverted commas, and the computer should say how many instances there are. | |
| Sep 24, 2015 at 17:42 | history | asked | rogermue | CC BY-SA 3.0 |