Category: Uncategorized
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ocean
Fast Mash Ocean enters English via Anglo-Norman from Old French occean ca. late 12th-c. Old French occean comes from Latin, ōceanus, from Ancient Greek Ὠκεανὸς (Ōkeanὸs) Ōkeanὸs referred to a great river circling the earth which fed all other rivers; geographic discoveries later narrowed it to remote waters and far boundaries of the west (Atlantic) Ōkeanὸs was also a primeval, life-giving god, son of Uranus…
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wreak havoc
Fast Mash Havoc comes from Anglo-Norman crier havok (cry havoc) Havok is from Old French havot (pillaging, plunder) Was a military signal for soliders to start plundering; first attested in English in late 14th-c. Wreak has been around for nearly 1300 years; early on, meant drive out and later, avenge Came to mean inflict destruction around early 1800s Probably ultimately related to Proto-Indo-European root, *werg-…
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win
Fast Mash Win comes from Old English winnan (work at, strive for) and gewinnan (gain by working at, striving for) Ge- is a verbal prefix that English has since lost The verb has deep roots in Germanic languages By 12th-c., win meant “gain, be victorious” By 14th-c., win became a noun (winn, gewinn): “conflict, strife, victory, wealthy” Modern Winners Recently, a colleague sent me an email…
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the four seasons, part I (spring)
Fast Mash As the name for the season, spring replaces lent in the Middle Ages In 1500s, English has spring of the year and spring of the leaf Spring comes from Old English verb meaning to “leap, burst forth” Lent comes from Germanic roots meaning “long days” As the Anglo-Saxons would say, I am now one winter old. Technically, I have many more…
Mashed Radish 