As our recent infographic and this article illustrate, the English language has been shaped by a large number of factors in its 1,500+ years. As a result, we thought we’d highlight five more much-used English words, as well as explanations of how they originated…
1. Queue
From the Latin coda (variant of cauda – tail), the word evolved into the French queue – referring to a medieval design for the tail of a beast. The Middle English used it as a metaphor for a line of dancers, leading to its use to describe a line of people.
2. Hazard
In the Holy Land, during the Crusades in Western Europe, the Arabic word al zahr (meaning dice) was associated with gambling games using dice. The word became synonymous with danger as the risky nature of this gambling offered con artists the opportunity to use corrupted dice to win.
3. Abnormal
The opposite of normal, which is fitting, as it’s one of the few English words to use the Latin prefix ab (meaning ‘away from’) instead of un for the reverse of a word. From the French anormal – taken from Medieval Latin anormalos (an – ‘not’ and homalos, from homos, meaning ‘same’). The Latin abnormis also means ‘deviating from rule’.
4. Salmon
Borrowed into English via the Anglo-Normans, from the Latin words salmõn-em and salmo. These words are a likely derivative of the Latin word salīre, meaning ‘leap’ or ‘jump’ – as salmon do…
5. Reveal
This late Middle English word is derived from Old French révéler and the Latin revelare, meaning to uncover or unveil (re – again, velare – to cover). The word today has two meanings, to make secret information known to others (verb), or the side of a door or window, between the frame and wall surface (noun).
Which English word, and the story behind it, interests you? Tell us via Facebook and Twitter.
