Etymology

Who doesn’t love an etymology fact? Making links between seemingly unrelated words is a great source of surprise and intellectual pleasure. Explaining those links, however, is usually too much for tweetish limitations, so this page is for in-depth looks at etymology facts.

18/6/2020 – The Economic Sandwiches of York
What on earth could connect sandwiches, Vikings and ecology? As it happens, a very successful Proto-Indo-European word.

22/9/2020 – Wales, Walloons and Cornish Walnuts
***If you think that a single word couldn’t* *connect Wales to Romania, and Astérix*** to Italy, then welcome to the world of walhaz*.

20/1/2021 – From Greek to English in Two Rules
Discover two simple sound changes that can reveal great etymological links between English and Ancient Greek words.

19/12/2021 – Rockin’ Around Etymology
Just in time for Christmas 2021, here’s an etymological round route that begins and ends with… Well, Christmas.

27/4/2022 – A Dictionary of the Divine: The Gods and Goddesses Hiding in Our Words
What can connect volcanoes, Egypt, money, fedoras, Twitter avatars and Mardi gras? Etymology and the gods!

28/6/2022 – An A-Z of the Languages and Loanwords of the English Lexicon – from Arabic to Zulu!
26 languages, one for each letter of the English alphabet, that have contributed to the English words we use daily. I never refuse a challenge.

31/10/2022 – Talking etymology with the Lexis linguists!
Here’s a link to a podcast about etymology, featuring something new: me, in audio form!

11/3/2023 – Behind the Scenes of Etymology with YouTube’s Jackson Crawford
Last December I had the pleasure and privilege to make an interview with Old Norse expert and all-round cool guy Jackson Crawford, available here.

17/4/2024 – Humble Thimbles and Thor’s Thunder
Why does ‘humble’ have a B, but not ‘humility’? If ‘pulverise’ and ‘powder’ have the same source, why the D in the latter? In a word: epenthesis.

27/5/2024 – Spending Pounds and Pensively Pondering: pend- in English
Words in English for hanging, thinking, paying, weighing, and pretty flowers, all connected by one Latin root.

23/12/2024 – A CHRISTMAS Full of Etymology
For December, here are nine Christmassy words with interesting etymologies, one for each of the nine letters of the word Christmas.

4/5/2025 – The Most Serene Etymology: English’s Venetian Vocabulary
What has Venice given the world? For one thing, a lot of words! Here are twelve items of Venetian vocabulary to be found in English.

29/9/2025 – Reflections of Trieste
Some etymological thoughts from beside the Adriatic Sea, reflecting on whispers that still linger from languages of the past.

4/12/2025 – Cool Etymology: Chilled Jelly and Cold Gelato
A wintry walk through the connections of the everyday adjective cold, and a case of etymology tying itself up in knots.

18/6/2020 – The Economic Sandwiches of YorkWhat on earth could connect sandwiches, Vikings and ecology? As it happens, a very successful Proto-Indo-European word.

22/9/2020 – Wales, Walloons and Cornish WalnutsIf you think that a single word couldn’t connect Wales to Romania, and Astérix to Italy, then welcome to the world of *walhaz.

20/1/2021 – From Greek to English in Two RulesDiscover two simple sound changes that can reveal great etymological links between English and Ancient Greek words.

19/12/2021 – Rockin’ Around EtymologyJust in time for Christmas 2021, here’s an etymological round route that begins and ends with… Well, Christmas.

27/4/2022 – A Dictionary of the Divine: The Gods and Goddesses Hiding in Our WordsWhat can connect volcanoes, Egypt, money, fedoras, Twitter avatars and Mardi gras? Etymology and the gods!

28/6/2022 – An A-Z of the Languages and Loanwords of the English Lexicon – from Arabic to Zulu!26 languages, one for each letter of the English alphabet, that have contributed to the English words we use daily. I never refuse a challenge.

31/10/2022 – Talking etymology with the Lexis linguists!Here’s a link to a podcast about etymology, featuring something new: me, in audio form!

11/3/2023 – Behind the Scenes of Etymology with YouTube’s Jackson CrawfordLast December I had the pleasure and privilege to make an interview with Old Norse expert and all-round cool guy Jackson Crawford, available here.

17/4/2024 – Humble Thimbles and Thor’s ThunderWhy does ‘humble’ have a B, but not ‘humility’? If ‘pulverise’ and ‘powder’ have the same source, why the D in the latter? In a word: epenthesis.

27/5/2024 – Spending Pounds and Pensively Pondering: pend- in EnglishWords in English for hanging, thinking, paying, weighing, and pretty flowers, all connected by one Latin root.

23/12/2024 – A CHRISTMAS Full of EtymologyFor December, here are nine Christmassy words with interesting etymologies, one for each of the nine letters of the word Christmas.

4/5/2025 – The Most Serene Etymology: English’s Venetian VocabularyWhat has Venice given the world? For one thing, a lot of words! Here are twelve items of Venetian vocabulary to be found in English.

29/9/2025 – Reflections of TriesteSome etymological thoughts from beside the Adriatic Sea, reflecting on whispers that still linger from languages of the past.

4/12/2025 – Cool Etymology: Chilled Jelly and Cold GelatoA wintry walk through the connections of the everyday adjective cold, and a case of etymology tying itself up in knots.

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