Seething in Etymological Vacuity (The Story of Theodolite)
Anatoly looks at the word “theodolite”.
Wednesday’s Father
Anatoly looks at the origin of the word “Wednesday”.
I Say Draft, You Say Draught, Or, The Oddest English Spellings (Part 13)
Anatoly analyzes some interesting differences in spelling and pronunciation between American and British English.
Monthly Gleanings: April 2009
Anatoly answers questions.
The Oxford Etymologist Looks at Race, Class and Sex (but not Gender), or, Beating a Willing Horse
Anatoly investigates the origin of the word ‘race.’
Peace and War (Two Gifts from France)
Anatoly muses on the origins of the words ‘peace’ and ‘war.’
On Spoons, Forks, and Knives
Anatoly deliberates the origins of the words ‘spoon,’ ‘fork,’ and ‘knife.’
No Subject is Too Petty for an Etymologist, Or, Pets from North to South
Anatoly explores the origins of the word ‘pet.’
Monthly Gleanings: March 2009
Anatoly answers questions about word origins.
Beating About the Gooseberry Bush
Anatoly explores the origins of the word ‘gooseberry,’ and its related phrases.
Everything is Tiptop
Long ago I wrote a column with the title “Tit for Tat.” Engl. tip for tap also existed at one time. Words like tip, tap, top, tick, tack, tock, tit, tat, tot, as well as those with voiced endings like tid– (compare tidbit), tad, and tod (“bush; fox”), are ideal candidates for sound imitative coinages.
Why Don’t We Know the Origin of the Word Ghetto?
Anatoly reviews possible origins of the word ‘ghetto.’
Monthly Gleanings: February 2009
Anatoly answers questions.
Grass Widows and Straw Men
Anatoly considers the origins of the phrases ‘grass widow’ and ‘straw man.’
Akimbo: An Embarrassment of Riches
A word, some scholars say, can have several etymologies. This is a misleading formulation. Various factors contribute to a word’s meaning and form. All of them should be taken into account and become part of the piece of information we call etymology, because words are like human beings.
Monthly Gleanings: January 2009: Part 2
Anatoly’s second installment of January gleanings.