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Mastering the English language is no easy feat. It’s packed with quirky idioms, such as the classic phrases about not shedding tears over spilled milk, questioning the value of a gift, or getting egg on your face. To add to the confusion, it’s mind-boggling how English is filled with a bewildering array of synonyms.
A lot of these challenges stem from the fact that English is a blend of several languages. In some cases, the similarities between English words and their linguistic origins are easy to spot. In other instances, recognizing these connections can be more difficult.
Here are 10 English words with origins that are more peculiar than you might expect.
10. Lesbian
The term 'lesbian,' which refers to women attracted to other women, originates from the Greek island of Lesbos. Around 600 BC, a poet named Sappho called this island her home. Although much of her poetry has been lost over time, surviving fragments of her work have been preserved through citations by other writers.
A significant portion of Sappho's poetry focused on women, with many of her verses expressing intense feelings of love. This has led some to believe that she may have been homosexual. It’s also said that she was possibly married and had a daughter, though piecing together the details of her life remains challenging due to the limited records we have.
Her daughter's name was Cleis, although some scholars suggest that this could have actually been the name of Sappho’s lover. It’s also believed that Sappho’s husband was Kerkylas from the island of Andros.
Interestingly, the name 'Kerkylas' is close to the word for 'penis,' and 'Andros' is reminiscent of the word for 'man.' Therefore, the name 'Penis from the Island of Man' likely points to the possibility that this was meant as a humorous or ironic reference.
9. Assassin
An 'assassin' is someone who kills for monetary gain or due to strong ideological beliefs, such as political motives. The word’s history dates back to the Crusades. During this time, a group called the Nizari Ismaili operated out of Lebanon. They were zealot Muslims who followed a leader known as the 'Old Man of the Mountains.'
This group was notorious for assassinating political leaders from opposing factions. Western Europeans believed that the Nizari Ismaili would carry out these murders after consuming large amounts of hashish, which supposedly induced a high. While this claim is debated, it led to them being labeled as hashishin, meaning 'hashish users.'
By the time the word entered the English language, it had already passed through Italian and French, evolving into the word 'assassin.'
8. Walrus
Before writing The Lord of the Rings, author J.R.R. Tolkien worked for the Oxford English Dictionary. Part of his job involved researching the origins of words starting with the letter W, including 'walrus.' Tolkien discovered various fascinating histories behind this seemingly straightforward term.
Tolkien speculated that 'walrus' most likely came from the Old Norse word hrossvalir, which translates to 'horse-whale.' The 'whale' part makes sense, given that walruses are large and have flippers, but the 'horse' part is puzzling. All we can infer is that someone, a long time ago, might have compared the enormous, tusked creature with a thick mustache to a horse, as no other land animal seemed a better fit.
Although Tolkien eventually chose the 'horse-whale' theory for 'walrus,' he wrestled with the decision for a long time. In fact, it’s said that he came up with more than six different versions of the word’s etymology, some of which are still preserved in the Oxford English Dictionary archives.
7. Quarantine
The word 'quarantine' is likely familiar to us all, having been frequently encountered in the media—on TV or in the news. Many have even faced it personally, especially since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, as this term has long been tied to the management of disease outbreaks.
'Quarantine' comes from the Italian word quarantino, meaning '40-day period.' During the plague’s spread across Europe, Venetian rules stipulated that ships arriving from infected areas had to wait for 40 days before docking. This was intended to prevent the spread of plague into the country.
Similarly, during the coronavirus pandemic, travelers were required to isolate for two weeks to help stop the virus from spreading. We should feel fortunate that we no longer follow the 40-day isolation period from the days of the plague.
You might wonder why 40 days was chosen as the ideal isolation period. It likely stems from its significance in Christianity. Medieval Christians believed that Jesus fasted for 40 days in the desert, and that it rained for 40 days and 40 nights during the story of Noah’s Ark.
The concept that a 40-day period was necessary for purification aligned well with the religious beliefs of the time.
6. Nimrod
'Nimrod' is commonly used today as an insult to describe someone who is clumsy or foolish, but its original meaning was quite different. In the Bible, Nimrod is the great-grandson of Noah and is depicted as a powerful hunter. The association of the term with incompetence and silliness didn’t occur until the 1980s, and the reasons for this shift are still debated.
One theory suggests that the change in meaning stems from its use in Bugs Bunny cartoons, where Bugs would mock the hapless hunter Elmer Fudd. Bugs, who was often the target of Fudd’s hunting attempts, would sarcastically call him 'Nimrod,' comparing his lack of skill to the biblical Nimrod’s legendary hunting prowess.
However, the younger viewers who watched the cartoons misunderstood the sarcasm, leading to 'nimrod' becoming a commonly used term for someone who was awkward or foolish.
5. Muscle
When you think of someone with impressive muscles, a tiny mouse is probably not the first image that comes to mind. However, the word 'muscle' actually comes from the Latin word musculus, meaning 'little mouse.'
The curious connection between muscles and mice lies in the way our ancient ancestors interpreted them. They believed that when someone flexed their bicep, it resembled a small mouse moving beneath the skin.
In Middle English, there was another term for someone with a muscular build: lacertous. Thankfully, this term has no relation to mice. Instead, it referred to someone 'lizard-like.' Perhaps lizards were seen as rather muscular back then.
4. Cancer
The link between the zodiac sign Cancer and the disease of the same name is based on crabs. The word 'cancer' originates from the Latin term for 'crab.' The Cancer constellation is said to resemble a crab, though it actually looks more like an upside-down Y when viewed in the sky.
In Greek mythology, the hero Heracles squashed a giant crab during his fight with the Hydra. As a reward for the crab's loyalty, Hera immortalized it by placing its remains among the stars, forming the Cancer constellation.
In real life, cancerous growths, often surrounded by swollen veins and connections, were named after their resemblance to a crab's rounded body with legs extending outward. This similarity between crabs and tumors was first noted by several ancient Greek physicians, including Hippocrates.
3. Candidate
Political candidates today often find themselves surrounded by scandal, but in ancient Rome, they were surrounded by white togas instead. These garments were specifically made to be brilliantly white, which is why the men wearing them were called candidati (‘whitened men’).
This term comes from the Latin word candidus, which means ‘pure white.’ Interestingly, this word is also the root of the name Candida, a type of fungus that can be notoriously hard to get rid of.
The connection here lies in the fungus’s white color and its tendency to overgrow on the tongue, forming white patches known as thrush. Though the link between a persistent fungus and politicians is certainly odd, it’s certainly worth noting.
2. Tragedy
When you hear about a tragic event, goats probably aren’t the first thing that comes to mind. Yet, the ancient Greeks thought otherwise, which is why the word 'tragedy' comes from the Greek terms tragos (goat) and oidos (song), meaning 'goat song.'
There is some mystery surrounding the exact origins of this term. However, it’s believed that the link to goats comes from plays featuring satyrs, mythological creatures that were part man and part goat or horse. These satyrs were often part of satyr plays, which were comedic but dramatic performances held alongside tragic plays.
1. Malaria
Malaria, a disease transmitted by mosquitoes, is known for symptoms like recurring fevers, anemia, and jaundice. However, its name actually comes from an incorrect assumption about its cause.
Before the discovery that mosquitoes were the culprits behind the spread of malaria, people believed in the miasma theory. This theory suggested that diseases like malaria and cholera were caused by toxic vapors emitted from decaying organic matter.
The term 'malaria' comes from the Italian phrase mala aria, meaning 'bad air.' The miasma theory often associated these harmful vapors with marshy areas, where decay was common. People living near these regions frequently suffered from illnesses.
The true cause of malaria, however, is mosquitoes, which lay their eggs in the stagnant water commonly found in marshes.
