The Etymology of Words and Their Histories

The Etymology of Words and Their Histories The derivation of a word alludes to its cause and chronicled improvement: that is, its soonest known use, its transmission starting with one language then onto the next, and its adjustments in structure and importance. Historical underpinnings is additionally the term for the part of phonetics that reviews word accounts. Whats the Difference Between a Definition and an Etymology? A definition mentions to us what a word means and how its utilized time permitting. A derivation reveals to us where a word originated from (regularly, however not generally, from another dialect) and what it used to mean. For instance, as indicated by The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, the meaning of the word calamity is an event causing across the board obliteration and trouble; a disaster or a grave setback. Be that as it may, the historical underpinnings of the word catastrophe returns us to when individuals ordinarily accused extraordinary hardships for the impact of the stars. Catastrophe previously showed up in English in the late sixteenth century, without a moment to spare for Shakespeare to utilize the word in the play King Lear. It showed up by method of the Old Italian word disastro, which implied troublesome to ones stars. This more established, celestial feeling of catastrophe gets more clear when we study its Latin root word, astrum, which additionally shows up in our advanced star word space science. With the negative Latin prefix dis-(separated) added to astrum (star), the word (in Latin, Old Italian, and Middle French) passed on the possibility that a disaster could be followed to the malevolent impact of a star or planet (a definition that the word reference lets us know is presently old). Is the Etymology of a Word Its True Definition? Not in the least, however individuals once in a while attempt to make this contention. The word historical underpinnings is gotten from the Greek word etymon, which implies the genuine feeling of a word. Be that as it may, in actuality the first importance of a word is regularly unique in relation to its contemporary definition. The implications of numerous words have changed after some time, and more established faculties of a word may become extraordinary or vanish altogether from ordinary use. Catastrophe, for example, no longer methods the malevolent impact of a star or planet, similarly as think about no longer way to watch the stars. Lets take a gander at another model. Our English word pay is characterized by The American Heritage Dictionaryâ as fixed remuneration for administrations, paid to an individual all the time. Its historical underpinnings can be followed back 2,000 years to sal, the Latin word for salt. So whats the association among salt and pay? The Roman history specialist Pliny the Elder reveals to us that in Rome, a warrior was paid in salt, which in those days was broadly utilized as a food additive. In the end, this salarium came to connote a payment paid in any structure, generally cash. Indeed, even today the articulation deserving at least moderate respect demonstrates that youre trying sincerely and gaining your pay. Notwithstanding, this doesnt imply that salt is the genuine meaning of pay. Where Do Words Come From? New words have entered (and keep on entering) the English language from numerous points of view. Here are probably the most well-known techniques. BorrowingThe larger part of the words utilized in current English have been acquired from different dialects. Albeit the greater part of our jargon originates from Latin and Greek (regularly by method of other European dialects), English has acquired words from in excess of 300 unique dialects around the globe. Here are only a couple examples:futon (from the Japanese word for bedclothes, bedding)gorilla (Greek Gorillai, a clan of furry ladies, maybe of African origin)hamster (Middle High German hamastra)kangaroo (Aboriginal language of Guugu Yimidhirr, gangurru , alluding to a types of kangaroo)kink (Dutch, turn in a rope)moccasin (Native American Indian, Virginia Algonquian, likened to Powhatan mksn and Ojibwa makisin)molasses (Portuguese melaã §os, from Late Latin mellceum, from Latin mel, honey)muscle (Latin musculus, mouse)slogan (change of Scots slogorne, fight cry)smorgasbord (Swedish, actually bread and butter table)whiskey (Old Irish uisce, water, and bethad, of life)Clippin g or ShorteningSome new words are just abbreviated types of existing words, for example non mainstream from autonomous; test from assessment; influenza from flu, and fax from copy. CompoundingA new word may likewise be made by consolidating at least two existing words: fire motor, for instance, and babysitter.BlendsA mix, additionally called a portmanteau word,â is a word framed by blending the sounds and implications of at least two different words. Models incorporate sulked, from mo(tor) ped(al), and early lunch, from br(eakfast) (l)unch.Conversion or Functional ShiftNew words are regularly framed by changing a current word starting with one grammatical feature then onto the next. For instance, advancements in innovation have supported the change of the things arrange, Google, andâ microwaveâ into verbs.Transfer of Proper NounsSometimes the names of individuals, spots, and things become summed up jargon words. For example, the thing free thinker was gotten from the name of an American cattleman, Samuel Augustus Maverick. The saxophone was named after Sax, the last name of a nineteenth century Belgian family that made melodic instruments.Neologisms or Creat ive CoinagesNow and afterward, new items or procedures motivate the production of completely new words. Such neologisms are typically brief, never at any point making it into a word reference. By and by, some have suffered, for instance quark (instituted by author James Joyce), galumph (Lewis Carroll), ibuprofen (initially a trademark), grok (Robert A. Heinlein). Impersonation of SoundsWords are likewise made by likeness in sound, naming things by mimicking the sounds that are related with them: boo, bow-goodness, tinkle, click. For what reason Should We Care About Word Histories? On the off chance that a words historical background isn't equivalent to its definition, for what reason would it be a good idea for us to think at all about word accounts? Indeed, for a certain something, seeing how words have created can show us a lot about our social history. Moreover, examining the accounts of natural words can assist us with concluding the implications of new words, along these lines enhancing our vocabularies. At long last, word stories are frequently both engaging and provocative. To put it plainly, as any youth can let you know, words are entertaining.