Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-01-11
ODD NOTES ON WORDS.
A Rumble Trough the Dictionary-words
Which Lost Caste, and Words which
Won It-OriRins Of Proper Names.

Which Lost Caste and Words Which
Won It-Origins of Proper Names.
No one who has not tried it can appreciate
the fascination that attends ramble through
the dictionary in search OF the pedigree Of
words. Such pursuit is apt TO lead the per-
son engaged in it to jump in a seemingly desul-
tory way from A to lizard, and back again as
different words strike his fancy but it is an oc-
cupation that always arouses the liveliest
interest. 1t is an occupation. too, that is
always instructive; for any one must acknoWl-
edge that it is advantageous to know that two
such opposite words. as divine and devil come
from the same root; and that loyal and legal
dissimilar in meaning as they now are both
came from the same starting point, with this
difference in their journeyings, that one
hurried over to US directly from the Latin.
while the other tarried on the way. in France.
The word "quandary'' furnishes striking ex-
ample of verbal derivation. 1t is compounded
of the French phrase qu' en- dirai-je. and ex-
presses very aptly the thought of man in a di-
lemma. Other words that we have borrowed
from the French have equally entertaining his
tories. QuelqueschOse we have jumbled into
"kickshaws," and our "gewgaws" represent the
iouxjoux, or playthings of former French
children. "Rotten row." the famous fashion
able London drive recalls Ia route du roi (the
kings passageway). Our 'dandelion'' is dent
de leon Qion's tooth) and vinegar was once
vim aigre (sour wine). "Biscuit" keeps alive
the Latin bis coctus twice cooked) ana ::ver-
dict" is simply we're dictum ttrue saying).
Some of our words have had sad fall from
their original high place. "Huzzy" was once
respectable housewife; "knave" was simply
boy, the German Knabe of to-day, and
'caitlff' was in the first place merely captive.
A william, before the stigma of disgrace was
attached to him, was laborer attached to the
chateau of great feudal baron. Pagan comes
from paganus, country man; because the
Christian religion was slow in spreading into
the country, the word came TO mean an infidel.
'Varlet" is the same word as valet" and each
is an offshoot OF the feudal ''vassal." A like
fall from grace has been the lot of gossip"
once denoting good tldings." while orchard"
has risen little from its original designation
Of ''roof yard" Kings in the earliest days
were merely the fathers Of families" and the
word is derived from the same source as ''xin."
Queen at first meant "wife" or mother" and
a survival of its early Specification exists in \
"quean," used now only in a bad sense. An
earl was an "elder' in the primitive society,
kaiser are both "CRsars." Lord is the Anglo
Saxon hlaford Qoaf distributor), while lady is
from hlafdige Qoaf maker).
The Latin word dominus, meaning God, has
given us dominic" and "domineering," and
the same root is found in "dame" and ''tame."
Madam is from the French ma dame, and sir
from the French sieur-both titles of nobility
once, but now fallen from their high estate. ..
The word 'currants" comes from Corinth,
whence the fruit was shipped. Saunterer
comes from sainte terre. being first applied to
pilgrims to the Holy Land. A country dance"
was once contre-danse or opposite dance,
and gooseberry was formerly ''gOrseberry."
Some other novel curiosities of derivations
orr nd in "a rt ,yh oh
is merely twist" (Latin tortus), such as we
have ID dis-tort and "crullers' are really ''curl-
ers." ''Claret' and clear" clarity" and de-
'clare" have all the same root in them. "Ghost-
ly" is the same as ''ghastly" and vixen" is a
female fox.
Cob" slang word for month, comes from
the Gaelic Jobh. Firkin and farthing. both
mean fourth part. "Licorice," is the glycoris
or sweet root" of the Greeks; ''thimble" is the
old ''thumb-bell;" and paradise is from the
Greek paradisos which meant a park
One group of words of more than ordinary
interest embraces terms like "calyxn and
"chalice," which, though derived from the
same original sources, have been differentiated
in their meaning in modern English. Calyx
and ohalice both describe primarily a cup"
but one is the simple cup of the flower and the
other the more elaborate and ornate vessel of
the church. One we have taken directly from
France before it reached Us and bears the
stamp of the Norman mint. Other words that
have had a similar career are "benison" and
..%aiop snd .mavor aor,sonu and .orstion,,
loyal" and legal" royal" and regal"
''prlVy" and private" esteem" and 'esti-
mate.n
After the Norman conquest of England, it
became customary in drawing up wills and law
documents to use French and Saxon word to-
gether, in order that each race could under
stand the drift Of the manuscript. Hence we
Lave in wills, II do give and bequeath," and in
royal announcements, "our trusty and we'll
beloved" etc.
Not less attractive in their origin and history
are names of persons. Brewer and Brewster,
Weber and Webster, Baker and Baxter, Singer
and Sanger and Sangster furnish Us with
definite clew to the vocation of their primitive
bearers. Brown. White, Grey, Long, Short,
Gross and such names come from personal Pc
culiarities. Every nation has its peculiar
prefix by which descent is marked. Among
the Nornians it was "hls," from which came
Fitz-Gerald, Fitz-Maurice, Fitz-William.
Among the Gaelic races it was Mac or D, the
former meaning son." the later descend.
ant" The Welsh used ZAP" from which came
Ap-John, etc. Pugh, Price, Powell are the
same as Hughes, Price and HOwells, having
been corrupted by the English from Ap-John,
Ap-Rice and Ap-Howell. The Saxons used
"son," as johnson, Edmundson, Gibson, etc.
st. Denis became Sidney; st. Paul, Semple;
st. Clair, Sinclair; st. leger, Sellinger, The
picturesque names of German-Hebraic origin
have curious meanings: "Lilienthaln is valley
of roses;' Rosenbaum, rose tree;' Vogel,
"bird;' Kaufman, merchant" etc.
InterjectIons are most interesting words par
ticularly the oaths that have come down
to us from the time when men swore BY Christs
body and bones and blood. Such oaths are
POUNDS (Hs wounds), S'blood" (His
blood, "S'death." ''S'hfe," "Zooks" (His
spook or spirit), "Mackins." found in Eliza
bethan writings, means "by the maiden"
Mary. "Be jabersl' is the Irishman's oath by
"Oh, dearP' is equivalent to o dio mio, "Oh,
my Cod" "Jimminy" is reminlscence of the
classical adjuration, gemini, used by the
Romans when they called upon the twins Cas-
tor and Pollux to help them. Such are few
brief word histories taken at randOm-a few Of
the entertaining that may be found by turning
the pages of the dictionary.
Many Irish names have meanings "Brady'
and "Grady" both mean .loVemaker," Kin
sella means sore head" Dowling means
"black one," Gilpatrick (anglicised Fitz-
patrick) and Gilmurray mean respectively
Servant of Patrick" and servant of Mary
and all names beginning with "Bren" or
"Bran'' come from a Gaelic root meaning
skiing" or mighty chief" "Flaherty' means
'Tighearna." The names of French mobiles
are territorial, as "de Ia Rochejacquelin,H "Ge
Montmorency," etc. In this way they differ
from the names Of the old Celtic nobility.
Such are the results of q short ramhle through
the dictionary. The reader viii enjoy more
extended tour.