The enchanting story of words
WORDS
form the soul of the language and the basic unit of communication. English is one of the most dynamic languages that enriches its vocabulary through generous borrowing and novel adaptations.
Etymology, the study of the origin of words, is a fascinating area that enhances vocabulary acquisition and long term retention. Let me give you a few illustrations.
What is common to all these ‘common’ English words? Alcohol, admiral, albatross, chemistry, algebra, camphor, decipher and magazine? Believe it or not, all these have come into English from Arabic. Let’s take a closer look at a couple of these.
Admiral is derived from the naval title Amir al-Bahr meaning 'commander of the sea'. Mediaeval Europeans picked it up and condensed it to Amiral (Old French) which turned into Admiralis (Mediaeval Latin). The‘d’ was probably added from the unrelated word ‘admirable’.
Now for ‘magazine’. Today, it is a periodic publication that carries articles, advertisements, stories and photographs. It also means a room in a fort or on a warship to store gunpowder and other explosives. The part of a ri e which holds the bullets is also called a magazine. How come? ‘Magazine’ comes from the Arabic makhzan meaning ‘storehouse’. Originally, magazine was where grain and other goods were stored. Incidentally, before the 19th century ordinary books were called ‘magazines’? After all, a book is a storehouse of knowledge! Well, what an Arabic connection!
It may not be a very edifying to know that vermicelli (a very ne kind of spaghetti) is from Italian with the literal meaning 'little worms', from the obvious resemblance. The corresponding Latin word vermiculae too means 'little worms'.
Another popular word with an Italian association is paparazzi, the pesky and assiduous swarm of reporters or photographers, usually freelance, who stalk celebrities hunting for sensational stories and pictures. The word derives from a ctional street photographer named Signor Paparazzo, appearing in the 1960s movie La Dolce Vita by Federico Fellini. The name itself was probably inspired by paparazzo, a kind of buzzing insect. Paparazzi became a household word after the tragic death of Princess Diana while being pursued by them in Paris.
We can trace the origin of money to Old French monee which means, ' coined'. It is derived from Latin moneta, the honori c name of Juno Moneta, a Roman goddess and her temple, where coins were made. The words like mint, and monetary are similarly linked.
The word echo owes its origin to a Greek myth. Zeus, king of the Greek gods, liked the company of nymphs, but his wife Hera was not so broad-minded. He assigned Echo, a talkative nymph to keep Hera preoccupied while Zeus had a good time with other nymphs. But soon Hera discovered the clever ploy and infuriated, cursed Echo. In effect Echo could not speak unless rst spoken to, could not keep silent when spoken to and could only repeat what was said.
Still with myths, tantalise is an evocative word derived from Tantalus, a Greek king who angered the gods, and was punished in an unusual manner. He was forced to stand in a pool of water that dried up whenever he tried to drink. Overhead were branches of a tree that bore attractive fruit that rose higher if he tried to pluck them. This is the state of being so near and yet so far — truly tantalising!
Words and their enchanting origin will never cease to surprise or delight those who embark on an exploration of this exquisite treasure house of the language.
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