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 – 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.
Word of the Week – Backlog
The word “backlog” started with a very literal meaning…but boy, has it changed!
Word of the Week – Silly
Did you know that “silly” used to mean “happy, blessed, blissful”? It’s evolution is fascinating!
Word of the Week – Flirt
The history of the word “flirt” is absolutely fascinating! Let’s see how it’s evolved over time.
Word of the Week – Nervous
The history of the word “spinster” is absolutely fascinating! Let’s see how it’s evolved over time.
Word of the Week – Meat
The history of the word “spinster” is absolutely fascinating! Let’s see how it’s evolved over time.
Word of the Week – Spinster
The history of the word “spinster” is absolutely fascinating! Let’s see how it’s evolved over time.
Word of the Week – Awful and Awesome
Talk about words that have changed in meaning! “Awful” and “awesome” have both drifted from their origins.
Word of the Week – Cloud
You think you know what “cloud” means…but you might be surprised by its origins!
Word of the Week – Love
“Love” is a word so common we probably never to stop to wonder about it…but as we’re approaching the Sunday of Love during Advent, let’s look deeper!
Word of the Week – Joy
“Joy” is a word so common we probably never to stop to wonder about it…but as we’re in the week of Joy during Advent, let’s look deeper!
Word of the Week – Peace
“Peace” is a word so common we probably never to stop to wonder about it…but as we’re in the week of Peace during Advent, let’s look deeper!
Word of the Week – Hope
“Hope” is a word so common we probably never to stop to wonder about it…but as we’re in the week of Hope during Advent, let’s look deeper!
Word of the Week – Meteor
The word “meteor” used to describe a whole lot more than it does now!
Word of the Week – Vaccine
Did you know that “vaccine” is directly related to cows?
Word of the Week – Groggy
We may all claim to be “groggy” when we’re overtired or have a mental fog…but do we really know what we’re claiming?
Word of the Week – Halloween
Here we are again, back in the last days of October...which of course means HALLOWEEN (imagine me saying it in that exaggerated spooky voice, will you? LOL). So of course, I looked up what I've posted about it before. And yes, this is just last year's post, recycled....
Word of the Week – Sophomore
We know “sophomore” as the second–second year of school, or even one’s second book and so on. But you’ll get a laugh out of where it comes from!
Word of the Week – Cyber
“Cyber” sounds to our ears like anything high-tech and internet-based…but its roots are far, far different.
Word of the Week – Autumn (Revisit)
Curious about where this seasonal word comes from?
Word of the Week – Barbarian
As it turns out, things we can’t (literally) understand have always been suspicious….
Word of the Week – Banana
“Banana” is a fun word to say, am I right? Let’s take a minute to explore where it came from.
Word of the Week – Ambivalence
Did you know that “ambivalence” was coined as a psychology term?
Word of the Week – Sloth
Ever wonder which came first, “sloth” the deadly sin or “sloth” the animal?
Word of the Week – Clone
The word “clone” may be well known today, but the very first use was from 1903…and it was strictly a botany term.