Month: March 2016
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Pulling “rabbit” out of the etymological hat
Christianity, in many ways, originates with Easter: Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead is a cornerstone of the faith. The Easter Bunny, most maintain, originates in German folklore involving a rabbit that delivered colored eggs to good little girls and boys. And the holiday’s bunnies, chicks, and eggs, of course, have longed served as symbols…
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Whales, antelopes, monsters, & pigs: a deep dive into the many names for the orca
This week, Sea World announced that it’s ending its controversial captive orca breeding program. Orca, killer whale, blackfish: this inspiring cetacean has known many names in English. Let’s take a deep dive into their origins. Orca Popularly, the orca goes by the “killer whale,” which has been in use, often just as “killer” early on, since the 1720s. In…
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Four-leaf etymologies: slew
A good etymology is like finding a four-leaf clover. So often, we stroll through words as if through a field of common trefoil. But sometimes, for reasons I don’t think any of us wholly understand, we chance upon something special hidden in the otherwise ordinary green. This happened to me for the word slew. I think…
Mashed Radish 