The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-08-14
WORD HISTORY
Compiled for the Globe-Democrat.)
Fairy was once a beautiful woman

Confer was originally simply to carry
with.
Concur formerly meant to run with or
by the side of.
Duke once meant any leader. The word
is from the Latin.
Hag once meant any old person. wheth-
er male or female.
Drachm once meant neither more nor
less than a handful.
Gallon was originally pitcher or jar,
no matter of what size.
To loiter originally meant nothing more
than to walk slowly.
Carbuncle at first meant nothing more
than little glowing coal.
The word worship originally meant
nothing more than to honor
Neighbor was originally nigh boor, or
the nearest residing farmer.
Craven was at first man who had
craved or begged his life Of an enemy.
Voyage was formerly any journey,
whether by sea or land it did not matter
Farewell originally signified may you
fare or travel well or in safety.
Polite at first meant polished, and was
applied to any smooth, shining surface.
A boor was at first only a farmer, and
the present acceptation Of the expression
is an indication Of the contempt formerly
felt by city people for those residing in
the country.
Pragmatical originally meant nothing
worse than complete absorption in bust
ness affairs.
Good-by is an abbreviation Of an old
English form of parting, God be with
you until we meet"
Villain once meant the serf who be-
longed to the farm and was bought, sold
or exchanged with it.
The word tomboy, now applied to a
rude young woman, formerly meant a
rude young man or boy.
Adieu formerly signiied to God. 1t
was an abbreviation of a benediction
used by friends when parting.
Furlong was at first furrow long, or
the distance that a pair of oxen would
plOW in half an hour.
A vagabond was originally only a trav-
eler or person who went from place to
place with or without definite object.
Stigmatize originally meant simply to
brand, and in the days of Shakespeare
the farmer was said to stigmatize his
sheep.
Shrewd once signified evil or wicked
Thomas Fuller uses the expression "a
shrewd fellow meaning a wicked man.
The word prevent originally meant
nothing more than to go before. It is
used in this sense in several places in the
Scriptures.
Moonstruck is borrowed from astrol-
ogy. 1t formerly described one who was
driven mad by sleeping in the rays of the
moon.
The word hoyden, now applied exclu-
sively to noisy young woman, formerly
denoted person of like character, but of
either sex.
Equivocation, a word now applied to
Peck at first meant a basket or recep-
tacle for grain or other substances. The
expression at first had no reference to
size.
Starve was once to die any manner of
death Wycliffes sermons tell how
Christ starved on the cross for the re-
demption of men,"
The word tinsel once meant brilliant,
shining Milton uses it in this sense
when he speaks of "the tinsel-slippered
feet of Thetis.'
only an unbeliever, an infidel Joan of
Arc, in the literature Of her time, was
called :niScreant.
NEEDLE once signified "to concern ones
self with 1t is so used in the Scrip
lures, where the expression occurs
"meddle with your own business
Acre once meant any field. 1t is still
used with this significance by the Ger
mans, who speak of Gods acre, abiding
to the cemetery.
Bombast once signified the cotton that
vas employed to stuff garments, partic-
ularly the enormous trunk hose worn in
the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries
Meat once meant any kind of food. In
one old English edition Of the Lord s
prayer the well-knOwn petition is rem
dercd, "Give us this day our daily meat "
Termagant was formerly quarrelsome
person of either sex, and only the lack of
gallantry Of the men has limited the word
to it's present significance.
Town originally signified a farm or
farm house. 1t is used in Wycliffe in
This sense, land they went their ways,
one to his town, another to his merchaun-
disc
The word supercilious comes from the
Latin word signifying the eyebrow The
habit of lifting the eyebrows in scorn
suggested the present Specification.
To prose once signifed to write in prose
rather than in verse, and a prosy man
was one who preferred to clothe his ideas
in prosaic rather than in metrical form.
A sycophant was once a person who
watched the frontiers Of Attica to see
that no figs were brought in or carried
out without the payment of the proper
duty.
Prejudice was originally nothing more
than judgment formed beforehand the
character Of such judgments being best
indicated by the present meaning of the
word.
Garble was originally to Gull over, as
beans or peas would be examined to free
them from pebbles. Wycliffe's transla-
ton of the Bible says that Gideon
garbled his host"
Tariff was the name Of the Moorish
fortress near the Straits Of Gibraltar, and
levied toll on ships and merchandise
passing through
Corpse once meant a body whether liv-
ing or dead. Many old writs are extant
in which the sheriff or his deputy is COM
manded to bring the corpse Of such man
into court
The adjective mercurial, like many
others, came into ordinary speech from
the realm of astrology. In astrological
language a mercurial man was one born
under the influence of Mercury, when
Mercury was in the ascendant, and there
fore possessed of the mental qualities
supposed to distinguish the heather
deity Of that name.
Libel once meant any little book, but as
many small tracts in the early days of
printing were personal and offensive in
character, the word acquired it's present
significance.
Yard was once any stick. rod or pole.
The expression is still used with this
meaning when applied to various parts of
ships equipment, as yard-arm, sail-yard,
and the like -
To criticise was originally to pass an
opinion upon, whether favorable or other
wise, and the fact that most opinions are
unfavorable is indicated in the present
Specification of the word.
Knave originally signified only a boy,
then as most walters and pages were
boys it was applied to male servants,
and as not a few of them were of roguish
habits, it finally came to mean a rascal.
Clown was at first tattooed person.
In Britain and France the country people
retained the habit of tattooing or Of
painting the faces in imitation of tattoo
ing long after it had been abandoned in
the cities.
The word influence at first had an as
trological meaning. 1t referred to the
subtle energy supposed to emanate from
the sun moon and stars and to exercise