Being a careful reader
When we are moving briskly though a supermarket, skimming ads, or focusing on a big purchase, it’s easy to be a less-than-careful reader.
Noises off? A guarded tribute to onomatopoeia and sea-sickness
While trying to solve etymological riddles, we often encounter references to sound-imitation where we do not expect them, but the core examples hold no surprise. It seems that nouns and verbs describing all kinds of noises should illustrate the role of onomatopoeia, and indeed, hum, ending in m, makes one think of quiet singing (crooning) and perhaps invites peace, while drum, with its dr-, probably evokes the idea of the noise associated with this instrument.
Three unwilling partners: “heath,” “heathen,” and “heather”
Did heathens live in a heath, surrounded by heather? You will find thoughts on this burning question of our time at the end of today’s blog post.
The language of labor
September means back to school for students, but for those of us in unions, it is also the celebration the American Labor Movement and a good opportunity for us to take a look at some of the language of the labor movement.
The word “condom”
For a long time, the word “condom” was unprintable. Neither the original OED nor The Century Dictionary featured the word. Several venues for discovering the origin of “condom” have been tried. It surfaced in texts at the beginning of the eighteenth century, but we cannot be sure that the word was coined in England.
On mattocks and maggots, their behavior and origin
The mattock, a simple tool, has a name troublesome to etymologists even though it has been known since the Old English period. In this blog post, the Oxford Etymologist explores a new hypothesis for the origins of “mattock”.
Etymology gleanings for August 2022
The history of “cheek by jowl” and especially the pronunciation of “jowl” could serve as the foundation of a dramatic plot, says the Oxford Etymologist in this week’s blog post.
Cheek by jowl
The history of “cheek by jowl” and especially the pronunciation of “jowl” could serve as the foundation of a dramatic plot, says the Oxford Etymologist in this week’s blog post.
The not-so-great caramel debate
I’m intrigued by the not-so-great debate over the pronunciation of caramel, which is instructive both socially and linguistically. Is the word pronounced with that second a, as caramel or without it, as carmel?
The human aspect of etymology
Why do so many words beginning with sn- evoke unpleasant associations? The Oxford Etymologist answers a reader’s question.
The loudest short word in English: hurrah
The Oxford Etymologist discusses the origin of English’s loudest short word: hurrah!
Returning to some of the shortest words in English
The Oxford Etymologist discusses the origin of English’s shortest words, including pronouns, prepositions, and conjunctions.
Pulling the whole length of one’s leg
Today, most English speakers will recognize the idiom: to pull one’s leg means “to deceive playfully, to tease.” Its origin has not been discovered. I usually stay away from guesswork, but in a blog, vague conjectures may not do anyone any harm.
Spelling Reform and after
In this blog post, the Oxford Etymologist discussed the English Spelling Reform movement.
Pronouns and joint possession
I’ve been noticing compound possessives like Kace and I’s texts or at Paul and my home. Both examples struck me as a little odd.
Are all our fingers toes?
The etymology of finger is debatable, and toe fares only a bit better.