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Etymology Lessons - April 27th, 2001 - 4.1 - Interesting Word Etymologies - 2 |
CellOriginally meant a monk's living space. (Note the secularization of the term.)
[bef. 1150; 1665–75 for def. 4; ME celle < OF celle < ML cella monastic cell, L: room (see CELLA); OE cell < ML, as above; see CELLA
]
Chaos and Charm
From the Greek "chainein," meaning, "to yawn"; chaos was thus the "original yawning abyss" outside of the ordered universe we know.
[1400–50; late ME < L < Gk; akin to CHASM, YAWN, GAPE]
CHASM[1590–1600; apocopated var. of chasma < L < Gk, equiv. to cha- (root of cha#nein to gape; see YAWN) + -(a)sma resultative suffix]
Chocolate
Comes from the Spanish word of the same name, which itself came from the Nahuatl (the language of the Aztecs) word "tchocoatl." The first Spaniard to encounter substance was Hernan Cortes, shortly after his initial reception (and the only friendly one, I might add) at the Court of Montezuma in the island-city of Tenochtitlan (present-day Mexico City) in 1519. After highly praising the chocolate-based drink and inquiring how it was made, he was told that one started with "cacahuaquchtl" powder (the origin of the word "cocoa"), which was then boiled in water and combined with chilli, musk and honey (and ground maize if you were going off to war and needed additional calories).
[1595–1605; < Sp < Nahuatl chocol!tl]Claim
From the Latin "clamor", which was the judicial or community outcry that resulted from the discovery of a wrongdoing.
[1250–1300; (v.) ME claimen < AF, OF claimer < L cl!m!re to cry out; (n.) ME < AF, OF cla(i)me, n. deriv. of the v.]
Coward
From the Old French "coe" meaning "tail." The OED adds, "The precise reference to tail is uncertain: it may be to an animal `turning tail' in flight, or to the habit in frightened animals of drawing the tail between the hinder legs: cf. the Heraldic use in sense B 2. It is notable that in the Old French version of Reynard the Fox, Coart is the name of the hare: this may be a descriptive appellation in reference to its timidity; but it is also `bunt', so conspicuous as the animal makes off, and that the name was thence transferred to `hearts of hare'." A coward is thus, literally, someone who "turns his tail and runs."
[1175–1225; ME < OF couard-, couart cowardly, equiv. to coue tail (< L cauda) + -art -ARD
]Companion
From the Latin "Companionem," which was, "one with whom you would eat bread" -- "Con" (with) and "Pan" (bread) -- presumably, your "companion" was someone with whom you would "break bread." See also Lord and host.
[1250–1300; ME compainoun < AF; OF compaignon < LL comp!ni$n- (s. of comp!ni$) messmate, equiv. to com- COM- + p!n(is) bread + -i$n- -ION; presumably as trans. of a Gmc word; cf. Goth gahlaiba, OHG galeipo
]Curfew
From the French "couvrir feu," literally, "Cover Fire."
[1250–1300; ME < AF coverfeu, OF covrefeu lit., (it) covers (the) fire. See COVER, FOCUS]
Daisy
From "Day's Eye." George Eddington writes, "Not special in itself, but Mata Hari also means "Eye of the day," and the lady took the name because she had lived in the Dutch East Indies and heard the natives so refer to the sun. What would it be like to refer to 'That famous spy of World War I, Daisy?'"
[bef. 1000; ME dayesye, OE dćges"ge the day's eye]
Demon
From the Greek "Daimon" for "angel," without any negative connotations.
[1350–1400; ME < L daemonium < Gk daimónion, thing of divine nature (in Jewish and Christian writers, evil spirit), neut. of daimónios, deriv. of da#m$n; (def. 6) < L; see DAEMON]DAEMON[< L daem$n a spirit, an evil spirit < Gk da#m$n a deity, fate, fortune; cf. da#esthai to distribute]
Derive
From the Latin "De Rivus," "From a stream."
Notes
This section, Interesting Word Etymologies, has been a great matter of business ever since I started. Nothing ever nears the magic of words.
Bibliography
Gathered and Partly Re-Edited by Çetin SertUsed Here With Permisson