45
Discussing the origins of words and phrases, in English or any other language. Powered by @r_channels @reddit2telegram
Why the word 'percontation'?
A percontation point is a punctuation mark used to denote irony or sarcasm ( ⸮ ). But why the word percontation?
It comes from Latin percontatio, which simply means ("inquiry, interrogation, question"). This doesn't really imply irony or sarcasm.
According to Wiktionary, percontation can also mean
>(formal, rare or obsolete) A question which cannot properly be given a one-word answer like “yes” or “no”. [from early 17th c.\]
Its etymology doesn't imply that either.
So why percontation?
https://redd.it/r7obcx
@r_etymology
The origin of the names of several types of men's hats
https://redd.it/r7lh8x
@r_etymology
German "tschüss" (goodbye) is derived from French "adieu"
Originally spelled adjüs in Low German
Borrowed from Dutch, adjuus
Itself having derived from adieu in French
Which comes from the Latin Phrase ad Deum (to God)
https://redd.it/r7hjd2
@r_etymology
tu (French), tu (Hindi) and you (English); how close are they?
Like, I read somewhere that the 'Ye' in some old pubs was the way that they wrote 'The', is that somehow related to this?
https://redd.it/r7e8u9
@r_etymology
Where does the first 'a' in the name Adeodatus come from?
Adeodatus means ("given by god"), from deo ("by god") + datus ("given"). But where does the first a come from?
https://redd.it/r7bmh1
@r_etymology
Why "Latinx" and not "Latin"?
I sincerely apologise if this question is in any way offensive (or if it's really stupid), but I've tried googling and can't seem to work it out.
The title pretty much says it all. Why are people using the term neologism "latinx" or "latin-x" as a non-gendered term in place of "latino"/"latina" instead of just using the term "latin"?
Is there some etymological reason for this that I'm simply not understanding? Or is the use of "latin" in this context somehow offensive? (And if so, why?) I'm genuinely curious, and very sorry if there is some completely obvious (or completely offensive) reason I'm unaware of.
Thanks in advance to anyone that can help. Hope you're all having a great week. :)
https://redd.it/r74y1y
@r_etymology
Disingenuous vs Ingenuity
Very confused with the words
Disingenuous - Dishonest
Ingenuity - cleverness
https://redd.it/r6ycmc
@r_etymology
In the medieval music notation scheme called the "Guidonian Hand", the tip of the thumb indicated the lowest possible singing note, called "Gamma ut". It later became synonymous with the entire vocal range, and then contracted into "Gamut".
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guidonian_hand#/media/File%3AGuidonischehand-en.gif
https://redd.it/r6z55f
@r_etymology
Help with Yorkshire slang Etymology
Was chatting to a friend at the weekend and remembered two strange words we would use growing up in Yorkshire. I was wondering if anyone could help in terms of etymology.
I know that other slang we'd use growing up was often an old Norse word such as 'lecking' to play something.
Might be a long shot but would be interesting to know why these words are so distinct.
'Bafing' --> To cry - https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Bafing
Go leet --> To get very angry - https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=go%20leet
https://redd.it/r6shfs
@r_etymology
The origin of the common names of some large cats
https://redd.it/r6jnvi
@r_etymology
Latin "docere" (to show or teach) gives us docile, doctor, and document
"Docile" is from Latin docilis "easily taught", from docere.
"Doctor" came to mean a learned person (and subsequently especially someone knowledgable in medicine) from an ecclesiatical sense. It came to English through Old French from Latin doctor, a teacher, from docere.
"Document" came through Old French from Latin documentum, a proof, lesson or example, from docere.
https://redd.it/r6hvld
@r_etymology
Can I get help Breaking down Charles as far as possible?
The best I’ve found so far is the PIE roots *ǵerh₂-i-lo- for Karilaz. I’d even settle for just ǵerh₂.
So I also have no idea how to pronounce these roots, and honestly I’m not totally sure what pie roots are besides the name. And I don’t know if it breaks down even further into phonetic sounds or something.
I’m kind of hoping it breaks down further because the meaning of the root is something like grain or corn in most descended languages.
I’m wondering if there’s any connection to the Egyptian ‘ka’, but I haven’t seen anything. But I’m also not the best researcher in this field.
https://redd.it/r64dqn
@r_etymology
what is the history of the connection between the prefix "xeno-" and its meaning of "extraterrestrial"?
i can understand why the meaning of the prefix "xeno-" as "foreign" was connected with the meaning of the word "extraterrestrial" interpreted as "foreign to the earth", but i'm more interested in the specifics of the development of their connection with each other. the idea of "aliens" as we know today was really only created in the past century or so (at least i believe so), so i'm curious to know if/how the history of today's "aliens" is related to "xeno-", cuz i have an inkling that they're connected somehow.
https://redd.it/r61k8w
@r_etymology
The word "thug" originally came from 1350s India.
It's based on the Hindi phrase thuggee or tuggee meaning a thief, swindler or deceiver. The word was only introduced to Britain through an 1839 novel called Confessions Of A Thug.
https://redd.it/r5za22
@r_etymology
Angelic name - breakdown of definition of syllables please
The Angelic Name Rachiel - spirit of venus
Hello, I have a book of angels and I know that Michael for instance, means "he who is like God". I was wondering what the etymology of Rachiel is? (No it is not Rachel, it's pronounced ra-ki-el) I know the name is also indicative of what function they serve in the angelic hierarchy, can anyone help? The only thing I could find was the syllable Ra in Hebrew meant "wicked" as in breaking something, which maybe they didn't like "Ra" the egyptian sun god (just a theory. I know "El" is God. What would chi (pronounced key or qi) mean? How does this modify the "El" syllable? Any assistance is greatly appreciated.
https://redd.it/r5ozy8
@r_etymology
What is “society” and where did this term originate?”
So I was having a discussion with my family via text and I noticed that I use the word “society” a lot, but what does it even mean? I’d it referring to our human nature and if so then what is human nature? I feel as if sometimes I dig myself a hole of thoughts
https://redd.it/r7ml5k
@r_etymology
Heir/Inherit
I had trouble spelling today because I wanted to spell inherit, inheirit. Why are they different when they're related?
https://redd.it/r7izuh
@r_etymology
Is the island of St Thomas of the US Virgin Islands named after Thomas the Apostle?
Source please. Thanks!
https://redd.it/r7bih9
@r_etymology
Why are criminals who haven’t been caught ‘at large’?
Does anyone know where ‘at large’ came from?
https://redd.it/r7cdup
@r_etymology
Do 'ally' and 'alloy' have any kind of shared history?
This may be a stupid question, but they're one letter off and kinda have similar concepts? Allies work together and an alloy is multiple elements working together to form a stronger metal.
Is there any kind of shared history?
https://redd.it/r78kxc
@r_etymology
Term Bug(Engineering)
Grace Hopper and her team created the term from a dead moth they found in Relay 70 of Harvard’s Mark II computer system.
Grace Hopper’s handwritten note after she found a real bug:
Source: https://thecompetenza.com/programming-facts/
https://preview.redd.it/8e4mp47vo3381.jpg?width=600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9dc7f8c639c96037acb7fa8fcc76a72857df0771
https://redd.it/r73wq1
@r_etymology
Impugn vs repugnant
Im in impugn ,is it intensifier?
What about re in repugnant ?
https://redd.it/r6yh8v
@r_etymology
“Soo” interesting!
Why is there no equivalent of “too” with the word “so”?
https://redd.it/r6y2pi
@r_etymology
Impertinent vs pertinent
Impertinent means disrespectful, irrelevant but I don’t see respect meaning for pertinent any reason
https://redd.it/r6rxqm
@r_etymology
Does anyone know the origins of “boning” as a euphemism for sex?
https://redd.it/r6j7z8
@r_etymology
According to wiktionary, the word "qurd" in Azerbaijani means both "worm" and "wolf", apparently from earlier Proto-Turkic *kūrt of the same meaning. Were they originally two words that became the same through sound change or is there an etymological reason?
The same word/derivation is also found in other languages of that family, some of which further include "bee" or "maggot" in the same term.
[Entry here](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/qurd#Azerbaijani)
https://redd.it/r6cdvn
@r_etymology
A Good Etymology Video For Beginners
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdmLfcrx-Y4
https://redd.it/r5zgxj
@r_etymology
Could anyone help me with some dating?
"Oligomict" coming from Greek "Oligos" + "Miktos", literally meaning a few mixed. Also, "Polymict" coming from Greek "Poly" + "Miktos", literally meaning many mixed. Can anyone tell me when these words were first used in English, I've looked up the dating of both but can't find anything. Thanks.
https://redd.it/r60dmn
@r_etymology
How/when did "off" begin to be used in the context of circuits, switches, etc (on/off)?
It's kind of a shower thought, so forgive me. Today the idea of an on/off switch is ubiquitous and I sound stupid for asking. But we didn't always have light switches, or electricity. Before that, did people refer to, say, a torch that was extinguished as "off"? It seems to me we always say a fire is "out," not "off." From the other senses of off, I wonder if the sense was originally of something like water or steam - sending the water back "off" into the river instead of turning a mill, for example. Circuits that generated power were originally circuits of water or steam... But that's just a guess and I'm curious if anyone has tracked it down. Anyone know?
https://redd.it/r5ruph
@r_etymology
What are some good resources?
I’m always weary of googling “etymology of _________” Bc it’s Google, so what are some good, easy access resources you all use? Especially in veterinary/medical fields. TIA!!
https://redd.it/r5mcsg
@r_etymology
