| Words
of Ambiguous or Unknown Origin |
balderdash:
The
Online Etymology Dictionary, the Collins English Dictionary, and the
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary all claim that the word is of unknown
origin. However, the origin is quite clear:
Balder was the Norse/Viking god of the SUN! {He
was the son of Wodin (Light) and Frigga (Love)}
Dash means to throw/hit/strike (with the purpose to break up into
pieces)
The first known WRITTEN usage of the word "balderdash" (1590's)
was a concoction of mixed liquors/drinks.
Now, you have to understand that Balder (the Sun god) was responsible
for the production of grapes and grain. And when people DASHED the
grapes they got grape juice, which when fermented became wine.
(However, wine is NOT originally an English word. The word
"wine" comes from the Latin word "vino".
So, if you go back to Viking times, balderdash probably meant
"wine" (and probably "beer" as well).
NOWADAYS, it means: non-sense.
(I know! How did that happen? No one quite knows.) |
| clock:
original meaning: to "clock" the bells
possible cognates: clang, clog
possible origins: > Middle Dutch clocke
> Old Irish clocc
> Welsh cloch
Source: Online Etymology Dictionary |
|
The old clocks
(before electrical clocks) were bell towers that someone would ring
every hour on the hour.
Someone literally had to clock the bell(s). This is probably
how the word clock as a noun came to be.
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They used a sun dial to actually tell the
time. |
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| American Aboriginal Words |
| Canoe [from Arawakan (Haiti)]
a dug-out log used for transportation on water |
| Dakota [from Sioux] originally
meant "allies"; now is a State's Name |
| igloo [from Eskimo] ice house |
| moccasins [from Algonquian Aborigines] soft leather shoes |
| Mohawk [from Algonquian Aborigines] a hair style where
the sides of the head are shaved |
| powwow [from Algonquian
Aborigines "priest" or "sorcerer"] in English it
came to mean a "council" |
| squaw [from Algonquian Aborigines] a woman; generally an
aboriginal woman |
| tepee [from the Dakota Aborigines] a tent |
| squash [from Algonquian Aborigines] an edible gourd (not
sweet) |
| tobacco [probably from the Tain Aborigines, during
Columbus's day] |
| tomahawk [from Algonquian Aborigines] an ax |
| totem [from Northwestern Aborigines]
"clan" |
| totem pole: a pole depicting one's clan's ancestors |
| totemism: the making of statues of one's ancestors,
and paying respects to one's ancestors |
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| Arabic Words |
| adobe: brick made from clay or mud |
| alchemy [> Arabic
"al-kimiya" meaning "the chemistry"] a
special, hidden, secret knowledge of chemistry handed down from ancient
times. |
| al qaeda (al qaida): "the captain" |
| alcohol: fermented fruits |
| algebra [> Arabic
"al jebr" literally "the reunion"] a
branch of mathematics |
| algorithm [>
Arabic "al-Khwarizmi" meaning "the man from
Khwarazm"] a method for calculation |
| Allah: God |
| arsena |
| average: traced to
Arabic 'arwariya "damaged
merchandise." Meaning shifted to "equal sharing of such loss
by the interested parties." (source) |
| caliber |
| check: "Check!" [in the game of
chess] |
| ghoul: evil spirit |
| jihad: holy war |
| Koran: holy book containing words of the prophet |
| mascara |
| massage: rub, stroke |
mogul [>
Arabic > originally from Mongolian Language:
"Mongol"] a great, powerful person
[> comes from the days
when the Mongols were great conquerors].
Sample sentence: Bill Gates
is a software mogul. |
| monsoon: season (season of wind) |
| sofa [> Turkish
"sofa" > Arabic "suffa"] couch |
| tariff |
| zero: 0 |
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Australian Aboriginal Words
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boomerang: originally woo-mur-rang
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kangaroo: originally gaNurru
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koala: marsupial bear
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wallaby: a small kangaroo
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wallaroo: a mountain kangaroo
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wombat: a burrowing animal
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| Chinese Words |
| chi: body energy |
| Fu Man Chu: A style of beard similar to a goatee. |
| ginseng [>
Japanese "jin seng" > Chinese "ren shen"
meaning "person" + "looks like"] an herbal
root that looks like the shape of a human being. |
| kung fu: a martial art |
| kowtow [ >
Chinese "ko tou" (strike one's head)] to kneel
& bow AND act in an obsequious manner |
| qi: same as chi [this is new pinyin, pronunciation
is same as "chi"] |
| tai chi: a Chinese art of channeling one's body
energy |
| Tao: "Way" |
| Taoism: a religion, based upon a mixture of the
teachings of Lao Tsu and ancient arts/sciences of China |
| Taoist: a person who follows
Taoism |
| wonton: a meatball
wrapped in a noodle |
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| Dutch Words |
| brick: something made into a hexahedron, usually
clay or mud |
| monsoon [from Arabic, then Dutch, then English]:
season (season to sail) |
| pinky: one's little finger |
| yacht: a kind of boat (used for pleasure) |
| for a more complete list, click
here. |
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| Finnish
Words |
| sauna: a very, very
hot room for sweating. (for health benefits; but should only be
done by healthy people; LOL) |
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| French Words |
| a la carte: "to the card": using
card-paper plates, bowls, etc. AND, self-service |
| a la mode: "to the fashion": ((pie))
topped with ice cream |
| adieu: "to God": goodbye |
| amateur:
"lover": one who loves to do something, but does not get paid
to go it |
| antique: very old thing |
| ballet: a French style of dancing |
| boutique: a shop |
| briquette: a small brick |
| buffet: a counter/table where lots of food is laid
out, and people pay one set
fee to eat as much as they want |
| bureau: "drawer"; a chest of drawers; a
government department/office |
| canteen: a bottle, used for hiking/camping |
| carte blanche: "white paper", i.e., "blank
cheque" |
| c'est la vie: such's the life:
That's life! |
| champagne: white, sparkling grape wine |
| chateau: small house |
| chauffeur: driver (paid driver) |
| cheque (check): [from Persian: king] |
| cigarette: little cigar |
| cognizance: knowledge [from Latin: cognition] |
| comrade: close friend [originally: one who shares a
room] |
| crap: unwanted stuff; excrement |
| crème de la crème:
"cream of the crop" |
| crepe: a thin pancake |
| croquette: a French game |
| faux pas: "false step": a social mistake |
| fiancé: a man who is engaged to be married |
| fiancée: a woman who is engaged to be married |
| hors d'oeuvres: appetizers |
| ma'am: shortened form of madam; Mistress |
| madam: old: mistress; new: head woman manager/owner
of a whore house |
| massage: [from Arabic to French to English] to rub
and stroke, for medical purposes |
| masseur: a man who massages |
| masseuse: a woman who massages |
| mayhem: [> French
"maihem" meaning "injury" or
"damage"] in English it means mass disorder, war, destruction |
| mess: meal |
| mess hall: dining hall |
| mess kit: a kit of dishes and pots for camping |
| mister [dictionary says it is an alteration of Master,
but I wonder if it is not an alteration of Misseur]. |
| mode: fashion |
| model: a woman who displays new fashions |
| piss: urine |
| rapport: harmonious relationship |
| rendezvous: meeting place |
| respondez si'l vous plait: "RSVP":
Respond, If
You Please. |
| toupe: man's wig |
| touque: a kind of hat (for winter) |
| vis a vis: face to face |
| Voila!: See! |
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| Gaelic
Words |
| (see "Irish-Gaelic
Words") |
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| German Words |
| doppelganger:
"double goer"; a person who looks exactly like another person
(but not twins) |
| Kaiser: king or emperor |
| kindergarten: "child
garden": a
school for children aged five |
| poltergeist:
"knocking ghost": a very angry ghost that can make
knocking sounds and sometimes move/throw things |
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Greek Words
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There are too many Greek words in the English language; so many in fact
that I put those on another page. Click
here.
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| Hebrew Words |
| behemoth: a huge beast (originally
a metaphorical beast representing the sun) |
| el(ohim): god(s) |
| kaballa(h): a collection of esoteric doctrines |
| leviathan: a huge sea serpent (originally
a metaphorical beast representing water) |
| messiah: savior / saviour |
| qaballa(h): same as: kaballah
(sacred esoteric texts of the Hebrews) |
| rabbi: religious teacher |
| sabbath: the seventh day of the week; day of
rest |
| sabbatical: a seventh year; year of rest,
usually after six years of hard work. |
| Satan: king of the devils |
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| Hindi
Words |
| (see "Indian-Hindi
Words") |
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| Irish-Gaelic
Words |
banshee: [> Gaelic
"bean sidhe" literally "female sprite"] a female
spirit,
which if heard and/or seen portents death of someone that ye know.
(more about spirits) |
| Erin go Bragh: [>
Gaelic "Eirinn go Brach"] Ireland Forever! |
| hooligan: [> Irish
surname Houlihan > Irish cartoon character named Hooligan] a rough,
lawless young person |
| leprechaun:
[> Gaelic "leipreachān"] a little elf; brownie; one
of the little people |
| shamrock: clover |
| whiskey: [>
Gaelic "whisky" literally "water of life"] a
kind of alcoholic beverage made from corn |
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| Indian-Hindi
Words |
| buddha: enlightened one |
| Buddha: The Enlightened One |
| Buddhism: the teachings of Buddha (made into a
religion) |
| Buddhist: one who follows the teachings of Buddha |
| bungalow: [> Hindi
"Bangla" literally "Bengalese" referring to the
Bengalese style house] a low thatched house |
| caste: class of society |
| chakra: one of 7 centers of energy in the human
body |
| guru: a religious teacher; ALSO:
a super smart person |
| Hindu: a disciple of Hinduism |
| Hinduism: the oldest religion on the planet (from
India) |
| karma: the bad effects of one's bad actions (law of
cause and effect) |
| nirvana: escape from karma; bliss |
| pariah: [from Tamil to Indian] person of the lowest
caste; [...but in English:] an outcast |
| prana: body energy waves |
| Sanskrit: the written language of India |
shampoo: [> Hindi "champo"
to knead or massage]
meaning:
(1) n. a kind of liquid soap for washing hair
(2) v. to massage the liquid soap into the hair and scalp |
| sutras: holy manuals on various aspects of life |
| swami: a title for a religious leader |
| Veda: holy books, first known scripture on the
planet |
| yoga: like Zen, the way of getting in touch with
the "true self" |
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| Japanese Words |
| ginkgo: a kind of gymnosperm
(naked seed) tree; also the seed |
| ginseng: [Japanese
pronunciation of the Chinese word "ren shen" (see
Chinese Words)] a kind of
herbal root |
| karaoke: a singing room |
| ramen: a kind of noodle soup |
| sake: rice wine |
| sayonara: "goodbye" |
| sashimi: raw fish |
| sushi: raw fish in rice and wrapped with seaweed |
| Zen: the way of getting in touch with the
"true self" (Buddhist word) similar to "yoga"
[Hindi Word] |
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| Korean Words |
| bulgogi: marinated, barbequed beef |
| chaebol: a family-owned conglomerate |
| kimchi: spicy, fermented vegetables |
| soju: a whisky made from sweet potatoes |
| tae kwon do: a martial art,
which focuses mostly on kicks |
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| Mongolian Words |
| Altai:
"golden" (as in the Altaic Mountains) |
| Altaic: of or relating to
the people that live around the Altai Mountains |
| Genghis [ > Chingis] The great leader of the 13th
century, who conquered more of the Earth than any other man in history. |
| ger: yurt (See
"Turkish Words" for origin of "yurt") |
| Gobi: dessert |
| khan: king |
mogul: [ > Mongol] OBSOLETE MEANING: a
person from one of the great conquering tribes, e.g., Mongolians, Turks
NEW MEANING: any great and powerful person |
Mongoloid: one of the 3 main races on planet earth
(according to the out-dated 3-race theory)
The 3 races are: Caucasoid, Mongoloid, Negroid.
(A
new theory has 9 major races and 113 minor races.) |
| Mongolism: (contrary to Mongolian belief, this term
does NOT come from Mongolians, but rather from the term Mongoloids); It
is the old (out-dated) term for Down's Syndrome. [It is no longer
in use]. |
| Taiga: The
coniferous forests of Siberia |
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| Norse
(Old Viking) Words |
| balderdash: [> Norse
mythology "Balder" sun deity + "dash" to smash to
bits] originally meaning alcoholic beverage; now means
non-sense (see Ambiguous Words for more explanation) |
| berserk:
[> Old Norse "ber" (bear) + "serkr"
(shirt) meaning "warrior wearing a bear-skin shirt"] now
it is an adjective to describe one who has lost control of one's temper |
| cake:
[> Old Norse "kaka" meaning "flat, round loaf
of bread"] now it means a leavened, round loaf of bread,
usually but not always decorated. |
| die: [> Norse "deyja"
meaning "to die"] to pass away |
| hit:
[> Old Norse "hitta" meaning "to strike"]
to strike |
| rotten:
[> Old Norse "rottin" meaning "decayed"]
decayed, but usually applied toward decayed food |
| scare: [> Old Norse
"skirra" meaning "to frighten"] to frighten |
| ***and probably thousands of
other words, as Norse may have been the proto-English. |
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| Russian Words |
| czar: king [from Caesar and
related to Kaiser] |
| shaman: [>
Russian "shaman" > Tungustic languages "saman"] a
priest, channeler, spiritual guide |
| vodka: a whisky made from potatoes or grain
(usually wheat) |
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| Spanish Words |
| adios: "To God": Goodbye |
| adobe [from Arabic, then Spanish, then English] brick
made from clay or mud |
| amigo: friend |
| cigar: rolled tobacco |
| hasta la vista, baby!: "Until the view",
baby!; i.e., "Until I see you again" |
| hola: Hello |
| no problemo!: [ > "no problema"] = no problem |
| tequila: a kind of brandy made from the wine of a
fruit of a cactus that grows in Mexico |
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| Swedish Words |
| smorgasbord: same as buffet (see French words) |
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| Turkish
Words |
| horde: camp; army |
| hummus: mashed
chick-peas |
| raki: Turkish alcoholic
beverage made from anis |
| sofa: couch |
| yurt: a circular tent |
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| Welsh
Words |
| penguin [> Welsh
"pen" (head) + "gwyn" (white)] a bird that lives in
Antarctica |
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| Yiddish Words |
| bagel: a doughnut shaped roll/bread |
| kosher: [originally meaning "of proper
law"] In English it means "acceptable" |
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