Word of the Week
Word history and etymology
Have you ever wondered when certain words started to be used in certain ways? Or how they even came about? If they’re related to other, similar-sounding words?
I wonder these things all the time. And so, for years I’ve been gathering interesting words together, looking at the etymology, and posting them in fun, bite-sized posts called Word of the Week. Here you’ll find everything from which definition of a word pre-dates another, to how certain holiday words came about, to what the original meaning was of something we use a lot today but in a very different way. And of course, the surprising words that we think are new but in fact are pretty ancient, like “wow”!
Word of the Week – Alcohol
Did you know that “alcohol” has its roots in…cosmetics?
Word of the Week – Phony
Let’s explore the history of the word “phony”!
Word of the Week – Interest
The history of the word “interest” is, well, rather interesting…
Word of the Week – Wicked
Do you know the history of the word “wicked”?
Word of the Week – Catalog
This word has ancient Greek roots!
Word of the Week – Muffle
Another cold-weather word!
Word of the Week – Winter
“Winter” is a pretty ancient word, but it’s linked to both “wet” and “white.”
Holiday History – Spruce
Do you know the history of one of our favorite kinds of Christmas trees?
Holiday History – Gingerbread
Do you know the history of gingerbread?
Holiday History – Sugar-Plums
Do you know the history of sugar-plums?
Holiday History – Jingle Bells
Do you know the history of the song “Jingle Bells”?
Word of the Week – Thank
Did you know that “thank” and “think” are related?
Word of the Week – Susurrous
Need a word to describe the rustling of leaves in the wind? Gotcha covered!
Word of the Week – Sweater
Sweaters may seem like a basic to us today, but they’re shockingly new!
Word of the Week – Tea Bag
Ever wonder when tea bags were invented?
Word of the Week – Elegant
Let’s take a peek at the history of the word “elegant.”
Word of the Week – Pumpkin
Ever wonder what “rude” and “rudimentary” have in common? Answer: a lot!
Word of the Week – Cozy
Ever wonder what “rude” and “rudimentary” have in common? Answer: a lot!
Word of the Week – Coin
Ever wonder what “rude” and “rudimentary” have in common? Answer: a lot!
Word of the Week – Robot
Ever wonder what “rude” and “rudimentary” have in common? Answer: a lot!
Word of the Week – Swoop
Ever wonder what “rude” and “rudimentary” have in common? Answer: a lot!
Word of the Week – Swagger
Ever wonder what “rude” and “rudimentary” have in common? Answer: a lot!
Word of the Week – Seconds
Ever wonder what “rude” and “rudimentary” have in common? Answer: a lot!
Word of the Week – Hint
Ever wonder what “rude” and “rudimentary” have in common? Answer: a lot!
Word of the Week – Unfriend
Ever wonder what “rude” and “rudimentary” have in common? Answer: a lot!
Word of the Week – Rude and Rudimentary
Ever wonder what “rude” and “rudimentary” have in common? Answer: a lot!
Word of the Week – Hurry
Did you know that Shakespeare was the first to use the word “hurry”?
Word of the Week – August, Take 2
It’s August! But what was the month once called?
Word of the Week – Goggles
“Goggles” is a funny word, isn’t it? And it has an equally funny history.
Word of the Week – Air-Conditioning
For many people, life without an AC is unthinkable…but do you know the origins of these cooling machines?
Word of the Week – Cooler
You may think you know what a “cooler” is, but…
Word of the Week – Lawn
Mowing your “lawn” once would have seemed strange!
Word of the Week – Beach
Do you enjoy a nice beach vacation?
Word of the Week – Picnic
Where did “picnic” come from? It’s a bit of a mystery!
Word of the Week – Anniversary
Happy annual returns!
Word of the Week – Camp
Camping wasn’t always for recreation!
Word of the Week – Like
“Like” has undergone quite a change of meaning over time!
Word of the Week – Audition
“Audition” has its roots in “hearing,” which makes sense when you note the “audi-” root.
Word of the Week – Meme
Did you know that “meme” was coined as a scientific word?
Word of the Week – Prestigious
Did you know that “prestigious” started its life with a very different meaning?
Word of the Week – Fathom
Let’s explore the history of the word “fathom”!
Word of the Week – Cheat
The original meaning of the word “cheat” is NOT what I would have thought! But it does make sense…
Word of the Week – Fizzle
I bet you have no idea where the word “fizzle” comes from. I sure didn’t!
Word of the Week – Artificial
When we think of “artificial,” we rarely actually look at the root of the word, do we? “Art” is in there!
Word of the Week – Bully
You may know what “bully” means now, but do you know where the word began?
Word of the Week – Easter
Do you know why we call this holiday “Easter”?
Word of the Week – Ruminate
“Ruminate” may mean “to turn over in your mind”…but it has much more, er, earthly roots.
Word of the Week – Spring
You can probably reason your way to why we call this upcoming season “Spring”…but there’s a lot more to the word!
Word of the Week – Leprechaun
As we prepare for St. Patrick’s Day, let’s take a minute to look at the meaning of the little fae dressed in green that we sometimes associate with the day: leprechauns!
Word of the Week – Guy
“Guy” didn’t use to be a word for any male…in fact, it began life in English very differently, and we owe a French terrorist for its change.