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“Torrential”: a cruelly ironic etymology
There’s only one way to describe the rain deluging Houston, Texas in the wake of Hurricane Harvey this week: torrential. Nearly thirty inches have already fallen over parts of the city as of Monday night, and 20 more inches are still expected. The frequent co-occurrence of these two words, torrential and rain, is called collocation… Read more.
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Safari: Etymology of the day
Safari was borrowed in the 1850s from the Swahili safari, meaning “journey” or “expedition,” in turn from the Arabic safar, “journey” or “tour.” m ∫ r ∫ Read more.
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The etymological elements of “arsenic”
Researchers concluded this week that nearly 60 million people in Pakistan are at risk of drinking water with “alarmingly high” levels of arsenic, the contamination leaching into groundwater from rock. The poisonous qualities of arsenic, a semi-metal, and its various compounds have long been known to (and sometimes disregarded by) humans—as has the word. As… Read more.
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Rucksack: Etymology of the day
First recorded in the 1850s, a rucksack is a “backpack”—literally. The word is borrowed from German, with the ruck from a regional word for back, Rücken, related to ridge. m ∫ r ∫ Read more.
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Hamper: Etymology of the day
A laundry hamper, first attested in 1392, is shortened from hanaper, a case for a hanap, an old term for a precious goblet or drinking vessel. Its deeper roots are French and Frankish. The verb hamper, “to impede,” is apparently unrelated. m ∫ r ∫ Read more.
Mashed Radish 