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the stand-up etymologist
Jerry Seinfeld: comedian, actor, writer, classic car collector and connoisseur, and…etymologist? Sure, he’s a master of language, as comedians are. From “This, that, and the other” and “Not that there’s anything wrong with that” to “mimbo” and “mulva,” his punchlines have proven their staying power. But word origins? Yep. And I encountered two from him.… Read more.
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young & old
Fast Mash Old, through Old English’s alda and the Proto-Germanic *althas, derives from the Proto-Indo-European *al-, “to nourish” or “grow” Some cognates include: alderman, alimentary, altitude, elder, haughty, oboe, proletarian, and prolific Young, through Old English’s geong, derives from the Proto-Indo-European *ieu-, which may mean “vital force” or “youthful vigor” Cognates span the Indo-European language family. from Sanskrit’s yava to… Read more.
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end
The New Year–so full of possibility, fresh starts, new…endings? End End may seem like such a simple word, but it turns out to be a bit more complex, etymologically speaking. The form of the word has changed little from the Old English ende, where it once also meant, according to Oxford, “termination,” “completion,” “death,” “event,” issue,” “intended… Read more.
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The origin of “Christmas”
Etymologically, “Christmas” is smeared with oil, then dismissed. Read more.
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the four seasons, part iv (winter)
Fast Mash Winter, attested in the same form in Old English around 888, comes through Proto-Germanic’s *wentruz, perhaps ultimately from Proto-Indo-European’s *wed-, *wod, or *ud-, meaning “wet,” or *wind-, meaning “white” The early sense of winter, as one of the two major divisions of the year alongside summer, may have been the “rainy or wet season” or “the white season,”… Read more.