Search found 38 matches
- Wed Mar 02, 2022 10:14 am
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: Blackguard
- Replies: 5
- Views: 3253
Re: Blackguard
Derivations of black and guard are great, but do we know why a black guard came to mean a blackguard?
- Mon Feb 21, 2022 10:28 am
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: President
- Replies: 17
- Views: 8384
Re: President
What’s the rule on apostrophes with things like Presidents’ Day, Mother’s Day, etc.?
(Auto correct added these apostrophes above, but I suspect they don’t have them.)
(Auto correct added these apostrophes above, but I suspect they don’t have them.)
- Tue Apr 06, 2021 11:32 pm
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: Easter
- Replies: 2
- Views: 2780
Re: Easter
I would like to point out a couple errors in your discussion of the word "Easter". First, Santa Claus has a very legitimate Christian origin (Saint Nicholas, in fact), although his more modern manifestation has been altered considerably over the years by Thomas Nast, Coca Cola, and other r...
- Tue Mar 30, 2021 3:17 am
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: Humoral
- Replies: 1
- Views: 2250
Re: Humoral
Distinct from the homophone humeral, still an active word in Catholic liturgy and in medicine.
- Tue Mar 09, 2021 1:02 pm
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: Egress
- Replies: 1
- Views: 2318
Re: Egress
Suspect is also one of those English words which changes from a verb to a noun by the shift in accent. We can see this shift taking place in old movies. In the movie The Thin Man , Nick and Nora discuss whether someone is a sus pect . In the 1930's, the word was only just becoming a noun, and so the...
- Wed Feb 10, 2021 11:53 am
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: Grody
- Replies: 3
- Views: 3832
Re: Grody
I can't help feeling that "grody" was influenced by "gross" which has the same meaning in slang, disgusting or revolting.
- Wed Dec 23, 2020 3:59 pm
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: Doniferous
- Replies: 2
- Views: 3196
Re: Doniferous
Is the PIE bher-/bhor- (to carry) related to the PIE per-/por- (to lead)?
On several other words at this site (see periphery), I've asked about any connection between ferre "to bear, carry" and ferrum, meaning iron.
No one seems to know enough to answer, but I remain curious.
On several other words at this site (see periphery), I've asked about any connection between ferre "to bear, carry" and ferrum, meaning iron.
No one seems to know enough to answer, but I remain curious.
- Wed Dec 23, 2020 3:51 pm
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: Succuss
- Replies: 3
- Views: 3582
Re: Succuss
Related to concuss and concussion no doubt?
- Mon Dec 21, 2020 11:57 pm
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: Cachet
- Replies: 3
- Views: 3917
Re: Cachet
Cache is older than a computer term. It's a hiding place. Colorado has a river and various streets, etc., named Cache de Poudre, which is hard for visitors to pronounce. It comes from "stow or hide your (gun) powder", based on some particular episode in the early 1800s involving French tra...
- Mon Dec 21, 2020 11:44 pm
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: Hallelujah!
- Replies: 3
- Views: 4245
Re: Hallelujah!
I presume Alleluia is simply an alternate of Hallelujah. Any idea of who uses which form more often and why?
- Fri Sep 04, 2020 11:19 am
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: Limbic
- Replies: 8
- Views: 22414
Re: Limbic
I use liminal to refer to things on the border, or in transition. Liminal must be related to the same root word as limbic's. Maybe I'll try using limbic, but that might sound a bit more pretentious than even liminal, which I only use in rather "elevated" conversations.
- Thu Sep 03, 2020 11:13 am
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: Furtive
- Replies: 7
- Views: 6775
Re: Furtive
Thanks for your kind reply. Fare and ferry— that’s a very interesting and I must say surprising jump, one that had not occurred to me at all. The name of Ferris I had heard. That story is interesting to me as well. I had previously presumed that Ferris wheels started as small diversions for children...
- Sun Aug 23, 2020 7:26 pm
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: Furtive
- Replies: 7
- Views: 6775
Re: Furtive
This word is related to Latin ferre "to carry", much like periphery (see that discussion, including an unanswered question about the PIE root behind ferry). As with my question on periphery, I still remain curious about ferre's relationship with Latin ferrum "iron". I wish I had ...
- Tue Aug 11, 2020 10:59 am
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: Periphery
- Replies: 14
- Views: 13980
Re: Periphery
Glad to see that the discussion continues on this thread, following the idea of smith and iron and related names in multiple languages. I learned quite a bit.
But I wonder if anyone knows yet of a connection between “periphery" (<Lat. ferre, carry) and “ferrous" (<Lat ferrum, iron)?
But I wonder if anyone knows yet of a connection between “periphery" (<Lat. ferre, carry) and “ferrous" (<Lat ferrum, iron)?
- Sun Jul 26, 2020 1:31 am
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: Pediment
- Replies: 6
- Views: 6913
Re: Pediment
How is this related to impediment?