audio word-a-day

A discussion of word histories and origins.
podictionary
Junior Lexiterian
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Oct 14, 2005 11:30 am
Location: Ottawa Canada
Contact:

audio word-a-day

Postby podictionary » Thu Feb 23, 2006 9:56 am

For some months now I have been producing an audio word a day. While it's popularity is growing, I find that many people aren't equipped to get each episode by podcast or RSS.

That's why I have begun an email notification list.

People who don't know or care what podcasting or RSS are, can download and listen to each 2 or 3 minute episode.
Charles Hodgson

anders
Lexiterian
Posts: 405
Joined: Wed Feb 16, 2005 7:46 am
Location: Sweden

Re: audio word-a-day

Postby anders » Thu Feb 23, 2006 2:42 pm

Today's word is "ciao", brought to English by Ernest Hemmingway from Italian where it originally meant "slave."
I never thought of it, but it's no surprise if it's true. A very common greeting in Germany-Austria-Hungary is Servus/Szervusz, and it's of course 'slave' (or maybe 'servant'). A Swedish corresponding salutation is Tjänare, 'servant', nowadays abbreviated into incomprehensibility: Tja.
Irren ist männlich

Huia Iesou
Junior Lexiterian
Posts: 35
Joined: Fri Mar 10, 2006 6:21 pm

Postby Huia Iesou » Sun Mar 12, 2006 2:25 pm

I know that servus is the Latin word for servant, but could it be a bastardized form of the verb servare, to save or guard? Perhaps in that instance it once meant something like 'May God keep you'.

anders
Lexiterian
Posts: 405
Joined: Wed Feb 16, 2005 7:46 am
Location: Sweden

Postby anders » Mon Mar 13, 2006 8:34 am

I don't believe in the guard theory. In Latin as well as in Swedish, there are more complete phrases, like (in old Swedish) "(I am) your most humble servant".
Irren ist männlich

Huia Iesou
Junior Lexiterian
Posts: 35
Joined: Fri Mar 10, 2006 6:21 pm

Postby Huia Iesou » Mon Mar 13, 2006 4:40 pm

That works better. Sorry- it was a crackpot spur-of-the-moment theory here.

tcward
Wordmaster
Posts: 789
Joined: Thu Feb 10, 2005 5:18 pm
Location: The Old North State

Re: audio word-a-day

Postby tcward » Mon Mar 13, 2006 4:45 pm

A Swedish corresponding salutation is Tjänare, 'servant', nowadays abbreviated into incomprehensibility: Tja.
...and, unfortunately, not related to English "ta ta". It would have made a great story, but apparently English has been using "ta" for quite some time!
ta
1772, "natural infantile sound of gratitude" [Weekley].
-Tim

Stargzer
Great Grand Panjandrum
Posts: 2578
Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2005 3:56 pm
Location: Crownsville, MD

Re: audio word-a-day

Postby Stargzer » Mon Mar 13, 2006 5:39 pm

. . .
Today's word is "ciao", brought to English by Ernest Hemmingway from Italian where it originally meant "slave." For more information please visit www.podictionary.com
The modern word for "slave" in Italian is schiavo, pronounced skee-ah-voh as near as I can make out.

Where are the native Italian speakers when you need them? :)
Regards//Larry

"To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them."
-- Attributed to Richard Henry Lee

Brazilian dude
Grand Panjandrum
Posts: 1464
Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2005 3:31 pm
Location: Botucatu - SP Brazil

Postby Brazilian dude » Mon Mar 13, 2006 9:20 pm

If I'm not mistaken, ciao is Venetian.

Brazilian dude
Languages rule!


Return to “Etymology”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 10 guests