The Etymology of Words and Their Histories

The Etymology of Words and Their Histories The derivation of a word alludes to its starting point and authentic turn of events: 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 likewise the term for the part of phonetics that reviews word narratives. Whats the Difference Between a Definition and an Etymology? A definition mentions to us what a word means and how its utilized voluntarily. A historical underpinnings reveals to us where a word originated from (regularly, yet 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 boundless decimation and pain; a disaster or a grave incident. Be that as it may, the derivation of the word calamity returns us to when individuals generally accused extraordinary disasters for the impact of the stars. Catastrophe initially showed up in English in the late sixteenth century, in the nick of time for Shakespeare to utilize the word in the play King Lear. It showed up by method of the Old Italian word disastro, which implied negative to ones stars. This more established, mysterious feeling of catastrophe gets more obvious when we study its Latin root word, astrum, which likewise shows up in our cutting edge star word stargazing. 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 calamity could be followed to the detestable impact of a star or planet (a definition that the word reference lets us know is currently outdated). Is the Etymology of a Word Its True Definition? Not in any way, however individuals some of the time 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 not quite the same as its contemporary definition. The implications of numerous words have changed after some time, and more established faculties of a word may become phenomenal or vanish altogether from ordinary use. Catastrophe, for example, no longer methods the malicious 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 background can be followed back 2,000 years to sal, the Latin word for salt. So whats the association among salt and compensation? The Roman history specialist Pliny the Elder discloses to us that in Rome, an officer was paid in salt, which in those days was generally utilized as a food additive. In the long run, this salarium came to imply a payment paid in any structure, typically cash. Indeed, even today the articulation deserving at least moderate respect shows that youre trying sincerely and procuring 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 multiple points of view. Here are the absolute most basic strategies. BorrowingThe dominant part of the words utilized in present day 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 distinct dialects around the globe. Here are only a couple examples:futon (from the Japanese word for bedclothes, bedding)gorilla (Greek Gorillai, a clan of bushy 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, bend in a rope)moccasin (Native American Indian, Virginia Algonquian, similar to Powhatan mksn and Ojibwa makisin)molasses (Portuguese melaã §os, from Late Latin mellceum, from Latin mel, honey)muscle (Latin musculus, mouse)slogan (adjustment of Scots slogorne, fight cry)smorgasbord (Swedish, actually bread and butter table)whiskey (Old Irish uisce, water, and bethad, of life)Clipping or ShorteningSome new words are basically abbreviated types of existing words, for example outside the box 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 frequently framed by changing a current word starting with one grammatical form then onto the next. For instance, developments in innovation have empowered the change of the things organize, 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 dissident 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 Creative CoinagesNow and afterward, new items or procedures move the production of altogether new words. Such neologisms are normally fleeting, never at any point making it into a word reference. By and by, some have suffered, for instance quark (authored by writer James Joyce), galumph (Lewis Carroll), anti-inflamatory medicine (initially a trademark), grok (Robert A. Heinlein). Impersonation of SoundsWords are likewise made by likeness in sound, naming things by copying the sounds that are related with them: boo, bow-stunning, tinkle, click. For what reason Should We Care About Word Histories? In the event that a words derivation isn't equivalent to its definition, for what reason would it be a good idea for us to think at all about word chronicles? All things considered, for a certain something, seeing how words have created can show us a lot about our social history. What's more, contemplating the chronicles of recognizable words can assist us with reasoning the implications of new words, accordingly improving our vocabularies. At long last, word stories are frequently both engaging and intriguing. To put it plainly, as any adolescent can let you know, words are enjoyable.