Connecticut western news., 1873-01-10
The Origin of Words

Most men, and women, too, desire fame, or notoriety. Yet a great name may come to base uses. St. Etheldre- da's name became shortened to St. Audrey, from whence came the word tawdry," signifying cheap and gaudy. It is said that the images of the saint were so much over-dressed by her vota- ries, that they unconsciouslY furnished the English language with this very ex- pensive term! And further endorse ment was given to the word by the fairs held on St. Etheldreda's day, at which articles of female inery were sold. Another sainted lady, who lived in the same centsAy, the seventh, gives n n household name to the cat "Tabby" !" is said to come from St. Abbe. Two towns in England are named in her hon. or, Tabley, but come from the corrupted name "Tab." "Boston," as some few people know, is St. Butolph's town, shortened; and there is in the American as well as the English Boston, street named Butolph," after the saint.
 Among the most curious deviations is the Turkish name of Constantinople, Stamboul. The colloquial phrase among the Greeks to designate the place was " eis ten polin, " to the city" Of this the Turks make Istampoul," and, finally, Stamboul. In an effort to pro- duce English words in Turkish form, & Turkish scholor could get no nearer to scoundrel" than "Asconderel. y Nle transformation in this case is as curi- ous as Stamboul, from "eis ten polin. " York, from the Latin Eboracum, would seem to present at the first glance little resemblance to the original.
 The process of change in common usage was something as follows Ebc- racllm, Etracu, Eorforwic, Eorics York. This is almost equal to the derivation of the name of pickle from Jeremiah King; Jerry King, Jer King, girkin!. But colloquial changes are not always to be despised. They mean history. The common expression, a game leg, for a lame leg, would at first seem to be mak- ing game of misfortune. The true word is "gam," old English meaning, defective. We have Cambridges in great numbers in the United States, in places where there is neither a river, cam, nor a bridge. Every machinist knows that |" cam is the name given to a piece of machinery which causes an eccentric motion. The river Cam Is @ crooked river.
 Names of places in this country are meaningless in their application, except as in the case of old towns, showing where the first settlers came from, like Chester and others. There are many Nottinghams, but those who date their letters in those towns do it without con- sciousness that they are noting the fact that the respected ancestors of some o1 us were troglodytes and lived in caves. Snotincgaham, the original name oi Nottingham in England, signitied " the home of the dwellers in caves;" and an tiquarian examinations have founC traces of the residences of theses cave dwellers.
 Such are few of the curious trans formations to which words and names are subject, while as yet people wer, unable to Read. The sound changed the orthography, and thus nearly ever. trace of the original disappeared in thu course of time. If the world were il like condition now, with no printed books and newspapers to preserve tn correct spelling, wild work might b. made even with prominent names. Eel del-fy would hardly be recognized b. the founder, could he return.' Bawlt mer would be puzzle. to Lord Balti more. Two other leading cities, whel
 mentioned together, seem to have sil the sound of their names a distinction
 as to age, namely, New York and Newe
 Leans, though the latter loses syllabl in the second word to the enrichment 0 the fHst.