Month: August 2017
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Some etymological—and political—lessons of “condemn”
The word condemn is surprisingly related to the Irish word for “poem.” White supremacists rallied in Charlottesville, Virginia on Saturday, leading to the death of three people, including Heather Heyer, a counter-protester driven down by an Ohio terrorist with neo-Nazi sympathies. It took President Trump a woeful two days to directly condemn this violence and…
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Nuance: Etymology of the day
The word nuance, first attested in the 1780s, comes from the French for “shade of color,” which in turn goes back to the Latin nubes, “cloud, mist, vapor.” m ∫ r ∫
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“Armageddon,” “catastrophe,” and other “apocalyptic” word origins
The end of the world loves ancient Greek and the Bible. Threats between North Korea and President Trump this week made many of us fear were approaching the brink of a nuclear catastrophe—among other, stronger and more colorful terms like armageddon. Well, not even the prospect of the end of the world can shake the…
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Lions, chameleons, and shih-tzus, oh my!: 12 “lion” etymologies
“Liger” is much older than you think. “Tigon” is even older.
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Launch: Etymology of the Day
Via French lancher/lancier, launch ultimately comes from the Latin lancea, a “light spear,” which is also the source of lance (except we’re not using spears anymore…). The verb, first attested in the early 1400s, shifted from “hurl” to “send off,” hence boats and, much more scarily, missiles. m ∫ r ∫
Mashed Radish 