A “Promise” Sends Your Word Into the Future When you make a promise, you linguistically send something ahead of you. The word entered English through Old French promesse, from Latin…
English
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The Latin word māter means “mother.” Its genitive form is mātris, which is why many English descendants use mater-, matr-, or matri-. Here are some of the most interesting ones:…
The Latin pater means “father.” It produced the stems pater-, patr-, and indirectly patron- in English. Here are some important descendants: Word Origin / Literal idea Modern meaning Paternal paternus…
A “Restaurant” Was Originally Something You Ate Today, a restaurant is a place where food is served. Originally, however, it referred to the food itself—especially a broth believed to restore…
Your “Budget” Was Once a Little Leather Bag Before a budget could be balanced, it could be carried. The word entered English in the early fifteenth century from Old French…
“Alcohol” Was Originally Eye Makeup Today, alcohol usually means the intoxicating ingredient in beer, wine, and spirits. But the word began with something completely dry: a finely powdered cosmetic. It…
“Hazard” Began With a Roll of the Dice Today, a hazard is something dangerous: a slippery floor, a chemical spill, or a reckless driver. But the word originally belonged at…
The names of our 12 months are essentially a miniature history of ancient Rome. Some are named after gods, some after rulers, and—most interestingly—September through December are simply numbers that…
“Trivial” Began at a Three-Way Crossroads Today, trivial describes something unimportant—a minor detail, an easy question, or a problem barely worth discussing. But the word originally described a physical location:…
“Sinister” Originally Meant “Left” Today, sinister describes something threatening, evil, or disturbingly suspicious. But in ancient Rome, it could simply tell you which direction to look: left. The English word…