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Jun 6, 2023 · 7. Pandemonium. John Milton constructed the word pandemonium out of the Greek root Pan-, or “all,” and daemonium, from the Latin for “evil spirit.”. The pandemonium in Paradise Lost was a ...
The online etymology dictionary (etymonline) is the internet's go-to source for quick and reliable accounts of the origin and history of English words, phrases, and idioms. It is professional enough to satisfy academic standards, but accessible enough to be used by anyone.
5 days ago · The words and phrases are selected because their origins are inherently interesting or because some bit of folklore, sometimes true and sometimes false, is associated with the origin. The etymologies of common words with straightforward explanations can be found in any good dictionary and, for the most part, I do not attempt to reproduce them here.
Mar 24, 2020 · A nudge is also a noun, meaning “a slight or gentle push or jog, especially with the elbow.”. Now, the origin of the word nudge could certainly stand to budge, as its origin is generally considered obscure. We trace nudge, found by 1665–75, back to a dialectical variant of knidge or nidge, related to the Old English cnucian or cnocian ...
- Sandwich. Sandwiches get their (strange) name from the 4th Earl of Sandwich, an 18th century English politician and nobleman. The circumstances of Lord Sandwich’s supposed invention of the sandwich is a subject of hot debate among linguists.
- Clue. Technically, English speakers stole this from the Greek Gods. It is taken from the word ‘clew’ In Greek mythology. When Mintatour – a monster with the body of a man and a head of a bull – trapped the mythical king, Theseus, in a labyrinth, Theseus is said to have escaped using a ball of yarn or a ‘clew’.
- Hooligan. We have many words for troublemakers in English: ruffian, thug, hoodlum, yob, chav, lout… The list is endless. Each word not only has its own nuanced meaning, but also often suggests something about which region of the UK the speaker comes from.
- Nice. Teachers in English-speaking countries often despair at the overuse of the adjective “nice” in their students’ writing. And it turns out they now have even more reason to ban the word from the classroom – the term was originally a negative one, meaning “ignorant” or “foolish”.
Aug 11, 2024 · Pages in category "English terms with unknown etymologies" The following 200 pages are in this category, out of 1,980 total. (previous page) ()
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Mar 26, 2013 · Some words have obvious origins. The name for the letter W in English (and several other languages) is named simply and descriptively for its shape. Some words, on the other hand, have unknown origins (where did the word picnic come from) for example. Here are ten words with unusual stories behind their coining.
