By Yoana cristina pinzon

Etymology is the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time.

Etymologists collect knowledge about how words were used during earlier periods of their history and when they entered the languages.

Methodology:

• Comparative method

• Originally grew from the philological tradition

• Language families

Types of word origins

Etymological theory recognizes that words originate through a limited number of basic mechanisms, the most important of which are borrowing (i.e., the adoption of "loanwords" from other languages); word formation such as derivation and compounding; and onomatopoeia and sound symbolism, (i.e., the creation of imitative words such as "click").

While the origin of newly emerged words is often more or less transparent, it tends to become obscured through time due to sound change or semantic change. Due to sound change, it is not readily obvious that the English word set is related to the word sit (the former is originally a causative formation of the latter).

It is even less obvious that bless is related to blood (the former was originally a derivative with the meaning "to mark with blood"). Semantic change may also occur. For example, the English word bead originally meant "prayer". It acquired its modern meaning through the practice of counting the recitation of prayers by using beads.

When the Normans conquered England in 1066 (see Norman Conquest), they brought their Norman language with them.

For example, beef is related, through borrowing, to modern French bœuf, veal to veau, pork to porc, and poultry to poulet. All these words, French and English, refer to the meat rather than to the animal.

Words that refer to farm animals, on the other hand, tend to be cognates of words in other Germanic languages. For example swine/Schwein, cow/Kuh, calf/Kalb, and sheep/Schaf.

English has proven accommodating to words from many languages, as described in the following examples. Scientific terminology relies heavily on words of Latin and Greek origin. Spanish has contributed many words, particularly in the southwestern United States. Examples include buckaroo from vaquero or "cowboy"; alligator from el lagarto or "lizard";; states' names such as Colorado and Florida. Cuddle, eerie, and greed come from Scots; albino, palaver, lingo, verandah, and coconut from Portuguese; diva, prima donna, pasta, pizza, paparazzi, and umbrella from Italian; adobe, alcohol, algebra, algorithm, apricot, assassin, caliber, cotton, hazard, jacket, jar, julep, mosque, Muslim, orange, safari, sofa, and zero from Arabic; honcho.

sushi, and tsunami from Japanese; dim, gung ho, kowtow, kumquat (fruit), ketchup, and typhoon from Cantonese; behemoth (monster), hallelujah, Satan, jubilee, and rabbi from Hebrew; taiga, sable, and sputnik from Russian; galore, whiskey, phoney (fake), trousers, and Tory (conservative) from Irish; brahman, guru, karma, and pandit (critic) from Sanskrit.

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• What is it good for?

War of Thrones

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Etymology:

The longest word at 36 letters is: (Noun) Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia

Pronounced: hippo-poto-mon-stroses-quiped-alio-phobia

Word Roots: Hippopoto- (Greek) monstro- (latin) sesqui- (latin) pedalio- (latin) phobia (greek)

Meaning: Large-Monstrous-Foot and a half long-Fear ….. Of words (Logos – Greek).

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Monstrous-words-phobia, is a legitimate disorder.

Symptoms Causes Treatment

1. Anxiety2. Rapid Heart

Rate3. Loss of

Breath4. Nausea5. Dry Mouth6. Clammy

Hands7. Trembling

1. Past Trauma2. Environment3. Heredity

1. Therapy2. Medication3. Will power

Interesting words

• Anthropology

• Anthropologist

• Anthropoid

• Anthropomorphous

Interesting Words

• Androgynous

• Guacamole

• Alucinógeno - Hallucinogen (alucinari) Greek (vagar errante) + latin (lux)

Sciences

• Philosophy

• Biology

• Geography

• Semantics

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Etymology

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Word rootsRoot Meaning Example

a, an without, not asexual, amoral, anarchy, anhydrous, Anabaptist, anachronism

ab, abs, a apart, away from

abnormal, abduct, abductor (muscle), abscission

ad toward adhere, adductor (muscle) adumbrate

agere act agent, agency, agenda

amphi, ambi

round, both sides

amphitheater, amphibian, ambidextrous, ambivalent

ante before antedate, anteroom, antecedent, anterior

anthro man anthropology, anthropomorphic

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Word rootsanti against antipathy, antitank, anticlimax

aqua water aquarium, aqueous, aqueduct

archaios ancient archeology, archetype, archaic, archeozoic

archos leader, first, chief

monarchy, oligarchy, anarchy, archetype, architect

audio hear audiophile, audiometer, auditory

auto self automatic, automaton, auto-immune

bi two bi-partisan, bisexual, biennial, binary, bicuspid, bivalve

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Word Rootsbene well, favorable

benefit, benevolent, benefactor, beneficent

bible book bibliography, Bible, bibliophile

bio life biology, biography, bio-active

caco Bad cacophony

cide kill homicide, parricide, germicidal, ecocide

circum around circumference, circumlocution, circumnavigate

constitutus stand constitution, statute

corpus body corpse, corporal punishment, corporeal, corpus callosum

cracy rule democracy, theocrat, technocracy

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Word Rootscredo belief credit, creed, credo, incredulous

demos people democracy, demographic

di two, double

dimorphism, -, diatomic

dia across, through

diagonal, dialectic, dialogue, diagnosis

dis not, apart disperse, disinherit, disenfranchise, distend

dominus lord dominant, dominion

dynasthai

be able dynamic, dynamo, dynasty, dynamite

ego I, self ego, egomaniac, egocentric,

epi upon, over epidermis, epidemic, epigram, epitaph, epithet, epiphyte, epistasis, epinephrine, epiphysis

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Word Rootsex out exotic, exterior, extraneous,

extemporaneous, exophalmic, exogenous, exothermic, exoskeleton

federis league, pact federation, confederate

frater brother fraternize, fraternity, fraternal, fratricide

geo earth geology, geography, geocentric, geomancy

graph write, record graphic, graphite, graphology,

hetero mixed, unlike

heterogeneous, heterosexual, heterodox, heterodont, hetero atom, heterocyclic, heterozygous,

homo same, alike homogeneous, homogenized, homozygous, homolytic fission, Homo sapiens, homonid, homeostasis

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Word Rootsidem the same identity, idiopathic, I, individual

ideo idea ideology, ideation, ideal

idios one's own

idiom, idiosyncrasy, idiopathic

in in incarcerate, incorporate, inculcate, induction, inductance, indigenous, indicator, inspiration

in, im not incredible, ignoble, inglorious, inhospitable, infinite, infinitesimal, immoral

inter between interact, interstellar, interpret, interstitial

legis (lex)

law legal, legislature

lexis word lexicon, lexicography

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Word Rootsliber free, book liberty, library, liberal

Loco/locu Place locality, local, circumlocution

Loqu/loqui & loc Speak Loquaciousness, interlocutor, circumlocution

macro large macroeconomics, macroscopic, macrophage

mania obsession maniac, Beatlemania

meter measure metronome, speedometer, odometer

micro small microscope, micron, micrometer, microorganism

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Word Rootsmittere, mitto send mission, transmit, remit

mono one, single monocle, monopoly, monogamy, monovalent, monomania, monarchy

mortis death mortician, mortuary, moribund, morbid

Nomen/nym name noble, ignominy, synonym, nomenclature, nominal.

olig few oligarchy, oligopoly

pater father paternal, paternity, patricide

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Word Roots

Ped/pedo foot pedestrian, pedal, pedicure, podiatrist

peri around peripatetic, periscope, perineum, peritoneum

phage eat phagocyte, phagocytosis, aerophagia, alliaphage

philo love philosophy, philanthropy

phobos phobia Agoraphobia

phon sound Phonetics, phonics, sym-phon-y

polein sell monopoly

polis City political, metropolitan

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Word Rootspoly many polygamy, polyphonic, hoi polloi, polyglot, polygon, polyandry

porto carry porter, export, import, apportion, davenport, deported, proportion

post after post script (p.s.), ex post facto, post hoc, post-mortem

pre before premier, preview, premium, prescient

pro before, in favor of

project, projectile, prototype

psyche mind, soul Psychology, psychiatry, psychadelic

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Word Roots

publicus people public, republic, pub, publican

Riparia/riviera river Riparian, arrive, rivak

scope examine microscope, oscilloscope

scribo write transcribe, scribe, script

solus alone solo, solitary

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Word Rootssubter under,

secretsubterfuge, subtle, subaltern, subterranean

sin (sys before b, p, or m)

together, with

synchronize, symbiotic, symphony, sympathy, syncretic, syncope

tele distance telegraph, telephone, teleology

trans across transport, transcend, transmogrify

utilis useful utility, utilitarian

vide, visibil, vis see video, vision, visible