Τρίτη 14 Απριλίου 2020

Etymology of coup

Origin of the word "coup"
The word coup comes from the French coup, from Medieval Latin colpus, from Vulgar Latin colapus, from Latin colaphus "a cuff, box on the ear," from the Greek colaphos (punch, slap; Gr: κόλαφος).

In modern Greek: 
a) colaphos: punch, slap [Gr: κόλαφος]

OED

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Κυριακή 11 Αυγούστου 2013

Etymology of video, vision, visit

The word video comes from the Latin video [videre] (I see), which is related to the Greek verb ideo [to see; Gr: ιδέω, είδον; ε-Fιδ-ον].

From the same root: vision, visible, visit, idea

In modern Greek:
a) ida: I saw [Gr: είδα]
a) idea: idea [Gr: ιδέα]
a) video: video (loanword) [Gr: βίντεο]

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Etymology of villa, village, vicinity

The word villa comes from the Italian villa (country house, villa), from the Latin villa (country house, farm), from vicus (house, village, group of houses) which is related to the Greek oecos [house; ie. eco-logy; Gr: οίκος].

From the same root: village, vicinity, villain, villainous, villainy, eco- (eco-logy, ecosystem, eco-nomy etc)

In modern Greek:
a) icos: house [Gr: οίκος]
b) icologia: ecology [Gr: οικολογία]
c) icosystima: ecosystem [Gr: οικοσύστημα]
d) iconomia: economy  [Gr: οικονομία]

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Etymology of similar

Similar comes from French similaire, from the Latin similis (like), from Old Latin semol (together), which is related to the Greek omalos (semalos*) [even, same; ομαλός]

From the same root: similarity, same

In modern Greek:
a) omalos: even, plain [Gr: ομαλός]
b) omios: same [Gr: όμοιος ]

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* Kouvelas : Etymological and explanatory dictionary of the Latin language.

Κυριακή 24 Φεβρουαρίου 2013

Etymology of gondola

The word gondola comes from the Old Italian gondula, from the late Latin condua (gondola) from the late Greek condura (small boat) from the Greek adjective conduros [condos + ura; with short tail].* Others etymologize gondola from the Greek condy [Gr: κονδύ], a kind of glass.*

In modern Greek:
a) gondola: [loanword] gondola [Gr: γόνδολα]


* Babiniotis Etymological Dictionary of Modern Greek

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Etymology of gamut


The word gamut originally "lowest note in the medieval musical scale," in the system of notation devised by Guido d'Arezzo, contraction of Medieval Latin gamma ut, from gamma, the Greek letter, indicating a note below A, + ut (later do), the low note on the six-note musical scale that took names from corresponding syllables in a Latin hymn for St. John the Baptist's Day:
Ut queant laxis resonare fibris
Mira gestorum famuli tuorum
Solve polluti labii reatum,
etc. Gamut came to be used for "the whole musical scale;" the figurative sense of "entire scale or range" of anything is first recorded 1620s.

In modern Greek:
a) gamma: the Greek letter gamma [Gr: γάμμα; γ ]
b) gamma: gamut, spectrum, range [Gr: γκάμμα]



 OED.
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Etymology of gum

The word gum (resin), comes from the Old French gome "(medicinal) gum, resin," from the Latin cummi, a transliteration of the Greek commi [gum; Gr: κόμμι]. As a shortened form of chewing gum, first attested 1842 in American English.

In modern Greek:
a) gomma: gum, ruber, eraser [Gr: γόμμα]


OED 
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Etymology of galley

The word galley comes from the Old French galie, from Medieval Latin galea, from the Late Greek galea, from galei (a kind of fish; Gr: γαλέη).

In modern Greek:
a) galera: galley [Gr: γαλέρα]
b) galeos: tope [a kind of fish; Gr: γαλέος]



OED
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Etymology of antelope

The word antelope comes from the Old French antelop, from Medieval Latin ant(h)alopus (11c.), from Greek antholops (attested in Eusebius of Antioch, c.336 C.E.), a fabulous animal haunting the banks of the Euphrates, very savage, hard to catch and having long saw-like horns capable of cutting down trees.

In modern Greek:
a) antilopi: antelope [Gr: αντιλόπη]


OED    
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Σάββατο 5 Ιανουαρίου 2013

Etymology of cook, cuisine, kitchen

The word cook (n) comes from the Latin cocus (cook) from the verb coquo [to cook, to think, to be unquiet, to worry (about), to mix], which possibly is related to the Greek verb cycao/cucao [stir up, mix together; Gr: κυκάω].

Others etymologize coquo from the IE root *pekw, which is related to the Greek verb pesso [to cook, to boil, to make something soft (Gr.: πέσσω); Att.: petto (πέττω); later pepto (πέπτω), peptic].

Finally, a few etymologize coquo from the Greek verb ceo (to burn; Gr: καίω - κηίω, κηFίο).


From the same root: 
En: cooker, cookery, cuisine, biscuit, kitchen
Ger: kochen, kuche
It: cuocere, cucina, biscotto
Fr: cuire, cuisine, biscuit

In modern Greek:
a) cyceon: mix of dissimilar things, confusion, disorder [κυκεών]
b) cusina: cuisine, kitchen [κουζίνα; reborrowing]
c) biscoto: biscuit [μπισκότο; reborrowing]


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Σάββατο 29 Δεκεμβρίου 2012

Etymology of plus, plural

The word plus comes from the Latin plus (more) is related to the Greek pleos [more, in greater number, more than; Gr.: πλέος].

From the same root: 
plural, pluri- pluralism, plurarity, pluralize, pluralist, pleo- (pleomorphic etc), poly-, plethora


In modern Greek

a) pleon: more [Gr: πλέον]

b) pleonasma: surplus, excess [Gr: πλεόνασμα]

c) pleonasmos: pleonasm [Gr: πλεονασμός ]

d) pleonektima: advantage [Gr: πλεονέκτημα]

e) plethos: a lot of, a large number of [Gr: πλήθος]

f) plethintikos: plural [Gr: πληθυντικός]

g) plethismos: population [Gr: πληθυσμός]

h) plethora: plethora, plenty [Gr: πληθώρα]


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Σάββατο 22 Δεκεμβρίου 2012

Etymology of tardy, retardation

The adj. tardy comes from the Latin tardus (slow, dull, stupid), which some relate it to the Greek vradys/vradus (slow; Gr: βραδύς; vradus/vardus/tardus].

Others relate it to the Latin taru-dos from the r. teru-, related to the Greek terys/terus [thin, weak, wιthout power; Gr: τέρυ]

From the same root: tardiness, tardily, retard, retardation, brady- (bradycardia, bradypnea, bradykinesia etc).

In modern Greek:
a) vradys (bradys): slow [Gr: βραδύς]

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Etymology of tarragon, estragon (Fr)

Tarragon (estragon) is a plant whose aromatic leaves are used for flavoring. The word comes from the Byzantine* Greek tarchon. from the Arabic tarhun, from the Greek drakontion (dragonwort), from the Greek drakon (dragon, snake).



French: estragon
Spanish: taragona
Italian: targone
Greek: estragon [Gr: εστραγκόν; loanword, reborrowing]


* The term Byzantine Empire is falsely used by some to describe the Roman Empire from the 4th to 15th century.

OED
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Σάββατο 1 Σεπτεμβρίου 2012

Etymology of cabaret

The word cabaret (lit. tavern) comes from the old French camberete, from cambre, from the Latin camera, transliteration of the Greek camara.
See also:
"Etymology of camera" here, and
"Etymology of chamber" here.

In modern Greek:
cabare: cabaret [Gr: καμπαρέ; loanword]

OED
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Etymology of chamber

The word chamber comes from the old French chambre (room, chamber), from the Latin camera (vaulted room), which is merely a transliteration of the Greek camara [Gr: καμάρα].

See also the post entitled "Etymology of camera", here.


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