Trivia about any language and word origins

[Chantilyvamp]

Just a bit of fun for all of us..and yes its ripped from elsewhere. Hopefully they are true but its been an interesting bit of a read.

I'll start with posting a few unusual, unique, and uncommon trivia about any language and word origins. Enjoy, amaze and entertain us with your facts!

• 
  A magic potion or charm thought to arouse sexual love, especially toward a specific person, is known as a "philter."

• 
  The word "set" has the highest number of separate definitions in the English Language (192 definitions according to the Oxford English Dictionary.)

• 
  The word "karate" means "empty hand."

• 
  "Ough" can be pronounced in eight different ways. The following sentence contains them all: "A rough-coated, dough-faced ploughman strode through the streets of Scarborough, coughing and hiccoughing thoughtfully.

 

[rgraham666]

The terms 'Left' and 'Right' in politics came from the necessity to board and exercise a large number of horses.

 

[trysail]

I was utterly stunned (and gleeful) to learn the etymology of juggernaut.

It's a word I've used my whole life and never had any idea of its derivation until I looked it up in the O.E.D. last week. Ya coulda bowled me over with a feather. Hell, one fellow I know used the word to name a damn horse; I know damn well he didn't have a clue about the word's origin.

 

[trysail]

juggernaut derives from Juggernaut, an anglicized form of Jagannath, an idol of Krishna at Puri in Orissa, India: Hindi Jagannath, Lord of the World: Sanskrit jagannatha. The English senses arise from the former, completely erroneous belief that devotees allowed themselves to be crushed beneath the wheels of the idol perambulating at an annual festival.

Source: Origins, A Short Etymological Dictionary of Modern English by Eric Partridge.

 

[SlickTony]

Taekwondo = the way of the hand and foot

Politikverdrossenheit = a nifty German word meaning contempt for the political process

 

[only_more_so]

Fiasco, comes from the Italian word for flask or bottle. Apparently when the glass-makers failed to make an exquisite work of art, instead of casting the result aside, they sold it as a fiasco.

 

[only_more_so]

Hari-Kari is a corruption of hara kiri, which means "cutting the belly." While this may literally be the action commited when a samurai killed himself, the actually act is formally called seppuku.

The samurai would cut their stomachs open because the Japanese believed that the spirit resided in the belly. They would cut open their belly to free their spirit.

 

[epiphany65]

polish is the only word in English that changes pronunciation when capitalized.

 

[R. Richard]

The word "karate" means "empty hand

The word karate is properly pronounced, 'kara tay.'

 

[snap1415]

There's a street in New York City that is named "Houston". The native pronounce it "HOW-stun".



How do you pronounce the name of the capital of Texas?




Wait for it...




"AW-stin".

 

[SlickTony]

HYOU-stun.

 

[TE999]

Folks in Georgia pronounce the city of Albany's name as 'awl-benny'.

(That's 'jawja' BTW. )

 

[SweetWitch]

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

The sound of it is something quite atrocious. If you say it loud enough
You'll always sound precocious.

Translated: "Atoning for educatability through delicate beauty." (credit wikipedia).

It's what you say when you don't know what to say.

 

[TE999]

Paddy Wagon

Definition: A police van

Origin: Dates from the days when persons of Irish decent were at the bottom of the social ladder and looked upon as common laborers and thieves. They were fair game for any police commissioner seeking reelection to round up as miscreants as an example of their law enforcement abilities. 'Paddy' was a common pejorative slang name for any Irishman.

 

[drksideofthemoon]

Feldmedelschnellenkoppler

A small, high speed relay with precious metal contacts. Used in the Siemens TWK-8 telex concentrator.

 

[Chantilyvamp]

chthonic~

Dwelling in or under the earth; also, pertaining to the underworld

Chthonic comes from khthón, the Greek word for earth.

 

[scheherazade_79]

Witches flying on broomsticks is a metaphor.

The "flying" sensation came from narcotic mixtures that were smeared over a broom. Rather than smoke it or lick it, it was decided that more fun could be had by "riding" the broom...

 

[SweetWitch]

Witches flying on broomsticks is a metaphor.

The "flying" sensation came from narcotic mixtures that were smeared over a broom. Rather than smoke it or lick it, it was decided that more fun could be had by "riding" the broom...

I'm not sure where you got that, but it certainly is... interesting.

 

[Xelebes]

What is the feminine form of fellows?

 

[jeanne_d_artois]

The City of London has no roads. The streets are never called "road".

City Road leads to the City of London but not into it.

They used to have a passageway called "Grope Cunt Alley" because that is what happened there. They changed its name when it lost the whores' custom.

Jeanne

 

[jeanne_d_artois]

Protestant Whore

Nell Gwyn described herself as the "Protestant whore" when her coach was attacked by a London mob thinking she was the King's Catholic mistress (and French spy) the Duchess of Portland.

Jeanne

 

[Shwenn]

There's a street in New York City that is named "Houston". The native pronounce it "HOW-stun".



How do you pronounce the name of the capital of Texas?




Wait for it...




"AW-stin".

Our capital is spelled "Austin". Houston, where I live, is a different city. And it is pronounced HYOU-stun.

It's one of those rare situations where the capital is one of the less famous cities. Same with my home city of New Orleans. A lot of people think that's the capital of Louisiana but Baton Rouge is.

In New Orleans, everybody pronounces this one street called "Caliope" as CAL' - EEE - OPE.

Now, that will drive you nuts.

 

[dr_mabeuse]

The word "checkmate" comes from the Persian "Shah maht": "The king is dead"

There's only two words in English (from the same root) that have three consecutive double letters.

Answer in a minute.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

SNAP1415

Close. The Savannah Houston's are on my family tree, the name is pronounced HOUSE TON.

Another odd name that fluxxoms my Italian friends is TALIAFERRO. It's Italian and means 'iron cutter.' But its pronounced TOLLIVER. My ancestor moved from Venice, Italy to London in the 1500s; his son moved to Virginia in the 1600s.

 

[R. Richard]

The word "checkmate" comes from the Persian "Shah maht": "The king is dead"

There's only two words in English (from the same root) that have three consecutive double letters.

Answer in a minute.

Bookkeeper