Month: June 2017
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Your Friday etymological news roundup
Today, rather than zoom in on the origin of any one noteworthy word, let’s round up the etymologies of some of the top words buzzing in this week’s news:
John Kelly -
The origin of “meddle”: It’s all in the “mix”
Recent reports are revealing that Russian meddling in the 2016 US election was more extensive than initially understood. As investigators continue probing the interference, let’s meddle with the etymology of meddle.
John Kelly -
How a “bubble” becomes a “bill”
A legislative bill ultimately comes from the Latin bulla, “bubble,” later likened to round “seals” authenticating important documents. After drafting it in secrecy, Republican senators released their healthcare bill to repeal Obamacare on Thursday, already being criticized for its steep cuts to Medicaid—and tax cuts for the wealthy. As we debate the bill, let’s take…
John Kelly -
What’s at “stake” in “attack”
A doublet of the word attach, attack ultimately comes from a Germanic root meaning “stake.” London has again faced another terrorist attack, this time from a Welsh man who plowed his van into a group of Muslim people near a mosque in Finsbury Park. As the word attack has become, alas, an all-too familiar one—excepting…
John Kelly -
Review: Words at the Threshold by Lisa Smartt
When her father was dying, Lisa Smartt noticed he was using poetic and at times nonsensical language, speaking of green dimensions, an upcoming art show, and angels who told him he only had three days left. Stirred by his speech and drawing on her linguistics background, Smartt dedicated four years to analyzing over 1,500 utterances…
John Kelly
Mashed Radish 