Buzz
If we traced the history of most words long enough, we'd discover that their spelling and pronunciation might be vastly different. This shift often occurs when words are borrowed from other languages, but it can also happen when a word stays in use within the same language.
There are various factors behind these changes. However, most of the words on this list evolved due to mispronunciations and spelling mistakes. People would struggle to say a word correctly and began using a form they could pronounce, or simply altered it to something more familiar.
10. Ain’t Was Amn’t
Ain’t is a peculiar word. Teachers dislike it, and using it can make you seem outdated. It's not appropriate in formal writing (like other contractions), and it’s far less accepted compared to other contractions such as wasn’t, shouldn’t, and haven’t, despite all these forms having the same origins.
What exactly does ain’t mean? Unlike other contractions, this word doesn’t give us an obvious clue. Ain’t stands for “am not,” though it’s also used for “are not,” “have not,” “us not,” and “has not” these days. Interestingly, ain’t wasn’t always called that. It was originally known as amn’t, reflecting its origin.
The term amn’t didn’t last in the English language because it simply didn’t work. Words with the “mn” combination are rare and tough to pronounce. As a result, people dropped one of the letters, leaving “an’t.” The “n” remained because it indicated negation, making the statement negative.
An’t didn’t stick around for long either, as it was used for both “are not” and “is not.” For example, “I an’t coming” could mean I am not coming, I is not coming, or I are not coming. Eventually, an “i” was added to “am not’s” an’t to create the word “ain’t.” Interestingly, amn’t continued to be used in Scotland and Ireland for “am not.”
9. Nickname Was Ekename
The word 'nickname' first appeared in 1303 as 'eke name.' The term 'eke' had already been in use in English for at least two centuries before 'eke name' came into being. 'Eke' means 'in addition' or 'also,' so 'eke name' refers to an 'additional name.'
By the Middle Ages, the word 'eke' had fallen out of favor. It became so outdated that many English speakers no longer recognized it and found it odd. As a result, they swapped 'eke' with 'nick,' creating the word 'nickname.' Interestingly, 'Nick' has no connection to the original 'eke.' It simply sounded cooler, more similar, and less unusual.
8. Adder Was Nadder
The adder snake was once called 'nadder.' This term is derived from the Old English word 'naeddre,' which also meant viper. The word 'viper' made its way into Old English from Old French, which had borrowed it from the Latin 'vipera.' The Latin 'vipera' comes from 'vivus' (alive) and 'parere' (to give birth), referring to snakes that give birth to live young.
Going back to Old English 'naeddre,' the first 'e' was dropped, and the remaining letters were rearranged, switching places with 'r' to form 'nadder.' People initially referred to the snake as 'a nadder' in speech until the 'n' was changed to 'an,' forming the modern 'an adder.'
This process is known as rebracketing, false splitting, or juncture loss. It happens when people mistakenly divide words based on what they think they heard or understand from others. The word 'hamburger' also came about through rebracketing. Originally, it was 'Hamburg' and 'er,' referring to the German city of Hamburg where it was invented. However, English speakers mistakenly rebracketed it into 'ham' and 'burger.'
Helicopters met a similar fate. We tend to think of the word as 'heli' and 'copter,' even though it's actually 'helicon' and 'pter.' This misunderstanding also led to the creation of terms like 'helipad' (from heli) and 'police copter.' 'Helico' comes from 'helicon,' which means spiral or spinning, while 'pter' is derived from 'pteron' or 'ptero,' meaning wing. So, 'helicopter' literally means spinning or spiral wings.
The word 'bus' has an interesting origin too. It comes from the Latin 'omnis,' meaning 'for it all' or 'for all of them.' 'Omnis' referred to large containers capable of carrying a lot of things. The plural form was 'omnibus,' and the first buses were referred to as omnibuses, since they could carry many people at once.
English speakers rebracketed 'omnibus' into 'omni' and 'bus,' instead of 'omnis' and 'us.' This misunderstanding stuck when people started shortening 'omnibus' to 'bus.' The apostrophe originally indicated that there were letters omitted before 'bus,' but it was eventually dropped, leaving just 'bus.'
7. Orange Was Arangia
The word 'orange' is unique in English because it doesn't rhyme with any other word, and that’s no accident. 'Orange' wasn't originally meant to be a word. The name of the fruit 'orange' actually gave its color the same name. The fruit is believed to have originated around southern China and northeast India, where it was known as 'naranga' in the Indian Sanskrit language.
Arab traders later altered the word by replacing the 'ga' with 'nj,' creating 'naranj.' As the fruit made its way to Europe, 'naranj' eventually evolved into 'arangia.' However, the English and French in Britain had difficulty pronouncing it correctly, leading to variations like 'orange,' 'norange,' 'narangia,' and 'un arangia.' By the 14th century, the fruit was being called 'pomme d’orenge.'
The word 'pomme' is French for 'apple.' Back in those days, it was common for people to add 'apple' to the names of fruits they encountered. The orange was no exception, and soon it was referred to as 'pomme d’orenge.' The English finally settled on the name 'orange' in the 1500s, thus rescuing the fruit from its overly complicated names.
6. Aluminum Was Aluminium
Aluminum’s spelling differs depending on where you are. Americans use 'aluminum' without the 'i,' while Britons opt for 'aluminium' with the 'i.' Both versions of the word were coined by Sir Humphry Davy after the element’s discovery.
Sir Davy first named the element 'alumium' in 1807, later changing it to 'aluminum,' the version used in America today, before finally switching to 'aluminium.' He added the 'i' to make the name rhyme with other elements like sodium, potassium, and magnesium, which he had also named.
While many scientists, including those in America, initially favored the –ium ending, the i was eventually dropped when American dictionaries, such as Noah Webster's, chose to spell it without the i. By 1895, Americans began to adopt the –um ending, which became more prevalent over time.
Aluminum became the dominant term in the United States as the metal gained popularity. In 1925, the American Chemical Society (ACS) formally endorsed it, solidifying its position as the standard spelling. This decision reflected the widespread usage of the term among Americans, effectively ending any debate over the proper spelling.
5. The White Rhinoceros Was Once Known as the Wide Rhinoceros
There is some uncertainty surrounding the origins of the white rhinoceros's name. Contrary to its name, the white rhino is not white but rather gray, just like the black rhino, which also has a gray appearance. The color difference alone is not enough to distinguish the two species.
The earliest mention of the term 'white rhino' dates back to 1801, when John Barrow wrote about it. Barrow described an encounter with the animal in Northern Cape, South Africa, in 1798, where a local chief referred to it as the 'white rhino' due to its perceived white color.
Barrow also wrote about a second rhino that was shot in the Northern Cape but did not indicate if it was a white rhino or was white in color. Nevertheless, sketches show that both rhinos described by Barrow are what we consider black rhinos today.
Most historians agree that the “white” is actually a mishearing of the Dutch “widje.” The Dutch called the animal the “widje rhino” because of its wide lips. This is plausible considering the lip is the most distinguishable difference between the white and black rhinos. White rhinos have wide lips while black rhinos have pointed lips.
Some historians dispute this theory even though they have not provided a convincing answer in return. They say the name “widje rhino” theory kicked off when one C.R.S. Pitman initially claimed the white rhino was named after a mistranslation of the Dutch word for bright or shining. However, the Dutch words for bright and shining did not rhyme like white.
These historians say Pitman later claimed that the word was a mistranslation of the Dutch “widg,” which means great. However, that too was not a word. They say the wide theory originated in the 1950s when someone suggested it was a mistranslation of the Dutch wijde for wide. Others think the white could have been from an African language.
4. Welsh Rarebit Was Welsh Rabbit
Welsh rabbit is a traditional English dish made of toasted bread topped with a rich cheese sauce. Despite its name, there's no rabbit involved—rarebit, as part of the name, holds no meaning outside of this dish.
The term Welsh rarebit first appeared in the 1500s as caws pobi, the Welsh phrase for toasted cheese. The dish was particularly popular among the Welsh, and there's even a joke suggesting that God used it to trick the Welsh out of heaven.
According to the tale, God instructed Saint Peter to rid heaven of the Welsh, who had been causing trouble. Saint Peter then called out, 'Caws pobi!' expecting the Welsh to rush outside for a meal. Instead, they were locked out as the gates of heaven slammed shut.
Historians suggest the name caws pobi was eventually changed to Welsh rabbit as a joke. Other theories propose that the name was modified by Welsh peasants in the early 1700s to distinguish their simpler dish from the meatier version enjoyed by the wealthier Welsh.
Around 1785, the name was further altered to Welsh rarebit. This change is believed to have been an attempt to make the dish sound more like a legitimate meal rather than a reference to an animal.
3. Omelet (or L'omelette in French) was originally La Lemelle.
Americans refer to it as an omelet, while the English use omelette. Both terms come from the French 'l'omelette,' which made its way into the English language in the 1600s.
Most of the name changes happened in the French language, where it was first spelled as 'la lemelle,' with some variations like 'l'alemelle.' Over time, 'l'alemelle' evolved into 'alemet' before the l and m swapped positions to form 'amelette.' This change in the word order is known as metathesis.
The word 'la lemelle' and its variant 'l'alemelle' are derived from 'lemelle,' which means a small blade. The French used 'lemelle' to describe flat objects such as plates, coins, and blades, and extended the term to the egg dish because it was thought to resemble a tiny knife or sword. Hence, 'la Lemelle' (the little blade).
Some French speakers began to slur 'la lemelle' into 'l'alemelle,' which is pronounced with a vocal 'a' and a silent 'l.' Today, the French call it 'l'omelette,' which translates to 'the little blade.' Interestingly, the word 'lemelle' eventually gave rise to the English word 'laminate,' meaning 'to beat into thin layers.'
2. Apron was originally Napron.
Apron is another word that underwent rebracketing. It was once called 'napron' in English. The term 'napron' comes from the Latin 'mappa' (napkin), which the French adapted into 'nappe.' Nappe originally meant a tablecloth.
The French then created 'napperon' from 'nappe.' It was 'napperon' that became 'napron' when borrowed into Old English. English speakers referred to it as 'a napron' in casual conversation. Over time, the phrase 'a napron' was misheard as 'an apron,' which led to the word we use today.
1. Spitting Image was once Spit and Image or Spitten Image.
This is another word with a debated origin. The most likely roots of 'spitting image' lie in 'spit and image' or 'spitten image.'
The word 'spit' here refers to the act of expelling something, like when we spit saliva from our mouths. The phrase 'spitting image' originally referred to a son who resembled his father. In this context, 'spit' means his father 'spit semen' to create a son that looks like him.
Regarding 'spitten image,' 'spitten' is the past participle form of 'spit.' Over time, 'spitten' evolved into 'spittin,' and eventually into 'spitting.' Some historians suggest that the term 'spitting image' formed when people slurred the words 'spit and image' into 'spitting.'
Other theories about the origin of 'spitting image' include 'spirit and image,' 'splitting image' (with an 'l'), and 'spit image.' 'Spirit and image' points to the likeness between two people in both spirit and appearance. 'Splitting image' suggests the idea of dividing a person into two identical parts. 'Spit image' evolved into 'spit and image,' as discussed previously.
