Etymology, Part 9

Education, Entertainment, History, Scientific 5 Minutes

1. Avocado (Origin: Nahuatl)

The word avocado comes from Spanish aguacate, which in turn comes from the Nahuatl ahuacatl, meaning testicle. Surprised? Perhaps, but the more one thinks about it, the less surprising it gets — they do rather resemble a man’s soft spot, and this resemblance becomes even more pronounced when you see avocado duos dangling clumsily from trees.

Nahuatl is the language of the Aztecs and is still spoken by approximately 1.5 million people native to Mexico and other parts of Central America. Avocado isn’t the only Nahuatl word that has been borrowed by the English language; chili, chocolate, tomato and guacamole were also coined by speakers of Nahuatl. Indeed, the mole of guacamole is derived from the Nahuatl molli, which means sauce. It’s a good thing the origin of this word has been obfuscated on its way into the English language. Otherwise, guacamole (Nahuatl: ahuacamolli) probably wouldn’t be as popular as it is.

2. Cappuccino (Origin: Italian/German)

Next time you’re trying to flirt with someone at your local coffee shop, impress them with this whimsical anecdote about the origin of the word cappuccino:

it’s the diminutive form of the word cappuccio, which means “hood” in Italian. Wondering what the link is between a (little) hood and a cappuccino? One must look no further than the Capuchin Monks, whose hooded habits were a dark, oak brown similar to the color of a good cappuccino.

The first recorded use of the word was in 1790 in Vienna, Austria. Wilhelm Tissot jotted down a recipe for an exquisite Kapuzinerkaffee (lit. “Capuchin coffee”), which was rather different in constitution to its modern-day successor, containing sugar, cream and egg yolks. The current, somewhat simplified recipe now consists of espresso and foamed milk, but there are still parts of Austria where you can order a good ol’ Kapuziner.

3. Disaster (Origin: Italian/Greek)

The word disaster has been passed around Europe like a hot potato. The English version is most closely tied to the French désastre, which is derived from the Old Italian disastro, itself derived from Greek. The pejorative prefix dis- and aster- (star) can be interpreted as bad star, or an ill-starred event. The ancient Greeks were fascinated by astronomy and the cosmos, and believed wholly in the influence of celestial bodies on terrestrial life. For them, a disaster was a particular kind of calamity, the causes of which could be attributed to an unfavorable and uncontrollable alignment of planets. It’s therefore interesting to note that the strict, modern English definition of disaster explicitly stipulates that a disaster is human-made, or the consequence of human failure.

4. Handicap (Origin: English)

This word originates from the 17th-century English trading game “hand-in-cap.” The game involved two players and an arbitrator, or umpire. The players would present two possessions they would like to trade. The umpire would then decide whether the possessions were of equal value or not, and if they weren’t, would calculate the discrepancy. The owner of the lesser object would make up the difference with money, and then all three participants would place forfeit money into a hat. If the two players agreed with the umpire’s valuation, they would remove their hands from the hat with their palm open. If they disagreed, they would pull out their hands clenched in a fist. If both agreed or disagreed, the umpire would get the forfeit money, while if one agreed and the other didn’t, the player who approved the transaction would receive the forfeit money.

Over time, hand-in-cap came to be known as “handicap” and started to be used to refer to any kind of equalization or balancing of a contest or game. The word handicap is still used in many sports today, such as golf and horse racing. Indeed, horse racing was probably the first sport to introduce the term in order to define an umpire’s decision to add more weight to a horse so that it runs equally to its competitors. This notion of being burdened or put at a disadvantage was carried over to describe people with a disability in the early 20th century. By the mid-20th century, it was widely used, but it has since fallen out of the popular lexicon.

5. Jeans (Origin: Italian)

Although jeans are quintessentially American, and their invention is commonly attributed to Jacob W. Davis and Levi Strauss, the etymology of the popular garment is actually of European origin. The fabric Strauss used for his patented, mass-produced trousers was first produced in Genoa, Italy and Nimes, France. Why’s that significant?

Well, the French word for Genoa is Gênes, and the name “jeans” is likely an anglicization of the material’s city of origin. Similarly, the word “denim” most likely comes from de Nimes, meaning “from Nimes” in French. Although we often talk about denim jeans nowadays, the two materials actually differed. Denim was coarser, more durable and of higher quality than the toughened cotton corduroy manufactured in Genoa. Workers in Northern Italy were sporting jeans as early as the 17th century, long before post-war American subcultures picked up on them as a fashion accessory.

6. Salary (Origin: Latin)

The word “salary” comes from the Latin salarium, meaning “salt money.” In ancient times, salt was used for many important things and was often referred to as “white gold.” It could be used as an antiseptic to treat wounds — (in Romance languages one can recognize a connection between sal/sale, meaning “salt,” and salud/saude/salute, meaning “health”) — and to preserve food; also as a method of payment in Greece and Rome.

As far back as the Egyptian Empire, laborers were paid with salt that they could use to preserve their food. The Roman Empire continued using this form of payment and it took on the name “salary” for “that which was given to workers at the end of the working month,” which adds a new dimension to the notion of a company’s solvency.

7. Trivial (Origin: Latin)

“Trivial” originates from the Latin word trivium, which was used to mean “a place where three roads meet” (tri- meaning “three,” and -vium from via, meaning “road”). A trivium gained the connotation of being an open, public place — a mini agora— where people from across society’s technicolor spectrum could relax, chat and simply coexist. The adjective trivialis was a derivative of trivium and came to mean “vulgar, ordinary, of little importance, common and contemporary,” and the English adjective trivial carries much of this definition to this day: tired, ordinary, commonplace; of little use, import, consequence or significance.

8. Whiskey (Origin: Gaelic)

Medieval monks called it aqua vitae, meaning “life water.” The expression was transformed into uisce beatha when it was transferred to Gaelic. As time passed and the word was anglicized, uisce evolved into uige, usque, and then uisky, which bears an obvious and close resemblance to “whiskey.”

You may have noticed that you can spell the drink two different ways — “whiskey” and “whisky.” Some people believe the extra “e” was added by Irish and American distilleries to differentiate their higher quality whiskeys during a period when Scottish whisky had a bad reputation.

Scotch was also introduced to denominate a Scottish whisky, and the word “whiskey” has been adopted in other countries for quite different reasons. In some South American countries, it’s used as an alternative to “cheese” to encourage people to smile when being photographed. How and why we chose “cheese,” and why the South Americans chose “whiskey” is a story for another time.

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Published by NebraskaFilly

Army veteran (1976-1979), retired with entirely too much time on my hands

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135 thoughts on “Etymology, Part 9”

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        1. Yeah, that depends on your point of view, I guess. He was VERY open-minded about everything and he fathered some children for gay friends so I’m sure that’s what they’re talking about.

          Liked by 1 person

  15. “SCOOP: Missouri middle schools took students to drag show without parental consent”
    Libs of TikTok
    12 hr ago

    EXCERPT: “Every year since 2014, the City of Columbia, MO, hosts their Columbia Values Diversity Breakfast. At this year’s annual celebration, they topped off the celebration with a drag performance from Nclusion+, all with children in the audience. According to the city’s website, the event “typically features a breakfast, award presentation, artistic celebrations, and keynote addresses. The Celebration is coordinated by the City’s Office of Cultural Affairs and enjoys the support of many community volunteers and sponsors.”

    However, the City of Columbia had middle school students, from at least three schools, in attendance and allegedly never informed parents about the drag queen portion of the program.

    A permission slip sent to Smithton Middle School parents failed to make any mention a drag performance or Nclusion+.

    https://www.libsoftiktok.com/p/scoop-missouri-middle-schools-took

    Liked by 1 person

  17. De Santis cuts AP African American studies. he claims it had ambiguous gaps which might be filled in with indoctrination. dems are calling him a racist,
    FTA
    While Florida has prided itself on leading the culture war for conservatism, a new educational policy may rock the boat for Florida Democrats. Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) along with Florida Republicans have officially erased AP African American Studies from state curriculum, causing backlash from progressives.

    Governor DeSantis has made educational reforms a defining role in his first term as governor, and he does not seem to be holding back on this any time soon.

    The governor’s Spokesman Bryan Griffin issued a statement concerning why they have taken this action, “The Florida Department of Education has rejected the College Board’s AP African American Studies course because it lacks educational value and historical accuracy. As submitted, the course is a vehicle for a political agenda and leaves large, ambiguous gaps that can be filled with additional ideological material, which we will not allow. As Governor DeSantis has stated, our classrooms will be a place for education, not indoctrination.”

    https://floridianpress.com/2023/01/florida-kills-african-american-studies-democrats-react/

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I think it was Depat’s open this morning said something about coffee…found it…
      Researchers Claim Coffee Is Contributing To Climate Change https://t.co/H8O7wf7BzF
      — The Gateway Pundit (@gatewaypundit) January 19, 2023

      good luck with getting people to give up their coffee

      Liked by 1 person

  19. from wolfs

    holly08
    holly08(@holly08)Offline
    Wolverine
    January 20, 2023 07:05

    Damar Hamlin update.

    In a statement, Hamlin’s longtime friend and business partner, Jordon Rooney, said: “Despite being out of the hospital, Damar still has a lengthy recovery. Damar still requires oxygen and is having his heart monitored regularly. He has visited with the team a few times but he still gets winded very easily.”

    https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/35485380/bills-damar-hamlin-faces-lengthy-recovery-spokesman-says

    Liked by 1 person

  23. Friday Funnies: Oink, Oink.
    Fatback synonym – University of Pennsylvania

    Robert W Malone MD, MS
    27 min ago

    Chinese donors funneled millions into university running Penn Biden Center during Biden presidency: The university took $14 million from unnamed contributors in China and Hong since 2021…. The University also receives royalty payments for sale of all mRNA-based medicines and vaccines that incorporate pseudouridine.



    Liked by 1 person

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  26. FFS!!!!!!
    if i had known coke was making this orange juice i never would have tasted it at all!!!!
    FTA
    ‘All-natural’ Simply Orange Juice has high toxic PFAS levels, lawsuit alleges

    A new class-action lawsuit in the US alleges Coca-Cola and Simply Orange Juice deceived customers with claims of an all-natural, healthy product when the juice has been found to be contaminated with toxic PFAS at levels “hundreds of times” above federal advisory limits for drinking water.

    PFAS are a class of about 12,000 chemicals typically used to make thousands of consumer products resist water, stains and heat. They are called “forever chemicals” because they do not naturally break down, and they are linked to cancer, fetal complications, liver disease, kidney disease, autoimmune disorders and other serious health issues.

    Water is considered to be a main exposure route, but researchers have recently found contaminated food to be more of a risk than previously thought. Still, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has taken little action to address food contamination. It annually tests some food products for the chemicals, but developed a methodology that ignores what public health advocates say are dangerous levels.

    “As we get better and better able to measure PFAS at lower levels and the FDA falls further behind on what it is testing … then you’re going to keep seeing these lawsuits pop up,” said Tom Neltner, chemicals policy director with the Environmental Defense Fund, a non-profit that pressures the FDA to take stronger action on PFAS.

    https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/19/simply-orange-juice-coca-cola-pfas-class-action-lawsuit

    Liked by 1 person

  27. “The Best of Substack, this week — CDC malfeasance, DNA evidence, ESG hacking, Globalist failure, etc.”
    Jordan Schachtel
    33 min ago

    “Hey everyone,

    Every Friday morning, I send out a curated list of 10 of some of the most thoughtful and noteworthy Substack articles of the week. I hope that in doing so, we can help to elevate some of the brilliant independent writers on this platform.”

    https://dossier.substack.com/p/the-best-of-substack-this-week-da0

    Liked by 1 person

  30. H/T M – transcript from Tucker’s show last night – I am watching that show right now….now I’m watching Brandon Straka about this registry he, and all others charged for J6, are now on – he said when you do a search, that is the first item that comes up for those on that registry. And it is, indeed, the first item that comes up – I just did a search on Brave – a DOJ notice is the top item!
    https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/defendants/straka-brandon

    He pled to a misdemeanor, yet now he cannot get a bank to give him an account. Anyone on that registry is screwed!!!!

    “Tucker: CIA Took Down Nixon Because He Wanted to Know Who Killed Kennedy, Woodward was Intel Plant”
    By Richard Abelson

    “If you really want to understand how the American government actually works at the highest levels, and if you want to know why they don’t teach history anymore, one thing you should know is that the most popular president in American history was Richard Nixon. Richard Nixon. Yet somehow, without a single vote being cast by a single American voter, Richard Nixon was kicked out of office and replaced by the only unelected president in American history. So, we went for the most popular president to a president nobody voted for. Wait a minute, you may ask, why didn’t I know that? Wasn’t Richard Nixon a criminal?

    Wasn’t he despised by all decent people? No, he wasn’t. In fact, if any president could claim to be the people’s choice, it was Richard Nixon. Richard Nixon was re-elected in 1972 by the largest margin of the popular vote ever recorded before or since. Nixon got 17 million more votes than his opponent. Less than two years later, he was gone. He was forced to resign and in his place, an obedient servant of the federal agencies called Gerald Ford took over the White House.

    How did that happen? Well, it’s a long story, but here are the highlights and they tell you a lot. Richard Nixon believes that elements in the federal bureaucracy were working to undermine the American system of government and had been doing that for a long time. He often said that. He was absolutely right. On June 23, 1972, Nixon met with the then–CIA director, Richard Helms, at the White House. During the conversation, which thankfully was tape-recorded, Nixon suggested he knew “who shot John,” meaning President John F. Kennedy. Nixon further implied that the CIA was directly involved in Kennedy’s assassination, which we now know it was. Helms’s telling response? Total silence, but for Nixon, it didn’t matter because it was already over. Four days before, on June 19, The Washington Post had published the first of many stories about a break-in at the Watergate office building.

    Unbeknownst to Nixon and unreported by The Washington Post, four of the five burglars worked for the CIA. The first of many dishonest Watergate stories was written by a 29-year-old metro reporter called Bob Woodward. Who exactly was Bob Woodward? Well, he wasn’t a journalist. Bob Woodward had no background whatsoever in the news business. Instead, Bob Woodward came directly from the classified areas of the federal government. Shortly before Watergate, Woodward was a naval officer at the Pentagon.

    He had a top-secret clearance. He worked regularly with the intel agencies. At times, Woodward was even detailed to the Nixon White House, where he interacted with Richard Nixon’s top aides. Soon after leaving the Navy, for reasons that have never been clear, Woodward was hired by the most powerful news outlet in Washington and assigned the biggest story in the country. Just to make it crystal clear what was actually happening, Woodward’s main source for his Watergate series was the deputy director of the FBI, Mark Felt, and Mark Felt ran — and we’re not making this up — the FBI’s COINTELPRO program, which was designed to secretly discredit political actors, the federal agencies wanted to destroy — people like Richard Nixon. And at the same time, those same agencies were also working to take down Nixon’s elected vice president, Spiro Agnew. In the fall of 1973, Agnew was indicted for tax evasion and forced to resign. His replacement was a colorless congressman from Grand Rapids called Gerald Ford.

    What was Ford’s qualification for the job? Well, he had served on the Warren Commission, which absolved the CIA of responsibility for President Kennedy’s murder. Nixon was strong-armed into accepting Gerald Ford by Democrats in Congress. “We gave Nixon no choice but Ford,” Speaker of the House Carl Albert later boasted. Eight months later, Gerald Ford of the Warren Commission was the president of the United States. See how that works? So those are the facts, not speculation. All of that actually happened. None of it’s secret. Most of it actually is on Wikipedia, but no mainstream news organization has ever told that story. It’s so obvious, yet it’s intentionally ignored and as a result, permanent Washington remains in charge of our political system.

    Unelected lifers in federal agencies make the biggest decisions in American government and crush anyone who tries to rein them in and in the process, our democracy becomes a joke. Now, you may have noticed that the very first person in the Trump administration the agencies went after was Gen. Michael Flynn. Why Flynn? Because Mike Flynn was a career Army intel officer who ran the Defense Intelligence Agency. In other words, Mike Flynn knew exactly how the system worked, and as a result, he was capable of fighting back. Four days after Donald Trump’s inauguration, the FBI lured Mike Flynn into a meeting without his lawyer, concocted a series of fake crimes and forced him to resign.

    So, that’s how things actually work in Washington. Let’s stop lying about it. Joe Biden, meanwhile, whooped like a hyena when the Justice Department destroyed Mike Flynn. So, there is, we have to say, a certain perverse justice in watching something very similar happen to Joe Biden himself six years later. Joe Biden does not deserve our sympathy. He’s being shafted, but don’t weep for him, and yet, the rest of us do deserve a better system, an actual democracy. When people nobody voted for run everything, you are not living in a free country.”

    Liked by 2 people

    2. Good morning y’all!
      Can someone please explain to me how Gen. Flynn (as incoming director of national intelligence) was lured into that compromising legal trap?! Secondarily, why is this question not being asked of Flynn with him owning his stupidity on this issue?!

      Like

      2. Hi, Bill! TBH, he was far more trusting than one would expect, considering what he dealt with under Obama. At the same time, I think ALL of them were shocked at the depth and breadth of the corruption. I mean, yes, they “knew….” but they didn’t “KNOW” how bad it was. Trump said that himself.

        Liked by 1 person

        1. Agreed. Worse than anyone expected…but Flynn was going to be the top spook!
          Could we at least get a mea culpa…an admission from Flynn of his momentary stupidity?

          Liked by 1 person

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  40. BWAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA

    The Gipper Lives
    The Gipper Lives
    January 20, 2023 12:15 pm

    NZ Prime Minister Ardern steps down to pursue her dream of racing in the Kentucky Derby
    • Genesius Times
    Last edited 21 minutes ago by The Gipper Lives

    Liked by 1 person

  41. an understanding to keep the matter quiet—you don’t say. how odd? sarc
    FTA
    Early on, Biden’s attorneys and Justice Department investigators both thought they had a shared understanding about keeping the matter quiet. But they had very different reasons.

    The White House was hoping for a speedy inquiry that would find no intentional mishandling of the documents, planning to disclose the matter only after Justice issued its all-clear. Federal investigators, for their part, typically try to avoid complicating any probe with a media feeding frenzy.

    Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco declined at a news conference on Wednesday to say whether law enforcement officials suggested Biden representatives should keep quiet about the case. But the approach would end up prompting accusations that Biden’s team had purposely kept the public in the dark.

    https://redstate.com/nick-arama/2023/01/19/report-doj-and-biden-wh-had-understanding-to-keep-classified-document-finds-quiet-n690910

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    1. given all the weapons we’ve been sending to ukraine, the mic must be having wet dreams trying to replenish our stockpile so we can send more…what a freaking joke we’ve become

      Liked by 1 person

    1. couple of things I notice…first the shoot is to draw attention from her aging/ make up caked face. and second–why do they NEVER mock izlam? always Christianity. because Christians love everyone. mooslimes would deal with her

      Liked by 1 person

  50. WeThePeople2016
    WeThePeople2016
    January 20, 2023 2:31 pm

    Maggie Abboud
    @AbboudMf
    🚨🚨🚨

    @FoxBusiness
    reports
    @JoeManchinWV
    has helped steer millions in federal funds to groups linked to his wife.

    Published January 20, 2023 12:00pm EST
    Joe Manchin has helped steer millions in federal funds to groups linked to his wife

    The 2021 federal infrastructure bill Manchin helped push through Congress gave a staggering $1 billion to a commission headed by his wife.

    🚨🚨🚨@FoxBusiness reports @JoeManchinWV has helped steer millions in federal funds to groups linked to his wife. https://t.co/4zulzLKvtM

    — Maggie Abboud (@AbboudMf) January 20, 2023

    Liked by 1 person

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