UNDER THE RADAR

9 Words That Are Way More Interesting Than They Seem

Credit: Mick Haupt

Most words we use in everyday life have interesting stories to tell. Behind the facade of triviality, the history of whole languages (and the people who spoke those languages) unfolds like a rich tapestry of meaning and social threads. English is a language with a long history, and over the years, some words have changed in unexpected ways, sometimes even completely reversing their original meaning!

Don’t let the ubiquity of these words deceive you. Here’s a list of our favorite origin stories!

Credit: Jeff Dunham

According to etymologists, nice wasn’t always a good thing to say. The word comes from the Latin nescius, meaning ignorant or foolish. When the word was eventually assimilated into English, it still carried its original meaning, but that didn’t last long. Around the 14th century, its common usage changed completely, as it started to signify something agreeable or pleasant. And by the 18th century, it already carried the more polite meaning we know today.

Credit: Mick Haupt

Ironically, the etymology of this word is in actual shambles. The leading theory is that the term derives from the Latin word scamillus, meaning a small stool. Then, it began to be used to mean a stool where something is sold. And since more often than not that something turned out to be meat, the word became associated with meat markets and, eventually, with slaughterhouses!

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This one makes a lot more sense than the previous two. Its modern use is tied to the Greek legend of the Minotaur, or more specifically, to the little trick Theseus used to escape the fabled labyrinth: a ball of yarn. Clew, a word of probable Germanic origin, was used to refer to the aforementioned element, but it ultimately lent its meaning to the broader sense of having something to guide your path, a hint, or a little help to avoid getting lost.

Credit: Ali Kazal

A very popular word today, awkward experienced an interesting shift in meaning, from spatial or physical unease to social discomfort. The term finds its origins in the Old Norse afugr, meaning "turned the wrong way" or "crooked," blending with the suffix -weard in the mid-14th century. Originally signaling an orientational blunder, the word later shifted to describe physical clumsiness and, by the 18th century, extended to convey social discomfort or embarrassment.

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The term checkmate has roots in the Persian phrase shāh māt, meaning "the king is helpless." As chess migrated to Europe through the Arabic world, an alternative interpretation emerged - "the king is dead." However, in the context of chess, the king is never actually killed but rather strategically cornered, defeated by being put into an inescapable position.

Credit: Nguyen Dang Hoang Nhu

Quiz is a quirky word that has confused etymologists for many years. Some maintain that it originates from the Irish cuisle, meaning "a pulse" or "vein," cleverly alluding to a quick test as if it were checking your pulse. Others think that it might have evolved from the Latin qui es ("who are you?"), the first question asked in oral exams in ancient grammar schools. In any case, by the late 18th century it acquired the meaning we are more familiar with: a form of light entertainment that involves impromptu questions to test general knowledge.

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The almost universal term for self-operating machines was originally coined by a Czech science fiction writer called Karel Čapek in the 1920s. Derived from the Czech word robota, meaning "forced labor" or "drudgery," the term originally described artificial beings tasked with performing menial duties for their human masters.

Credit: Bernard Hermant

Surprisingly, the word hazard is believed to originate from 13th-century Arabic, where al-zahr referred to dice used in gambling games. As with any gamble, these games always posed certain risks, and this connotation was brought back to Europe by the Crusaders who learned it during their military campaigns in the Middle East.

Credit: Lindsay Cash

This very mundane word finds its roots in the Hindi word champna, which, in turn, derives from the Sanskrit capayati. Translating to "pounds" or "kneads," the Sanskrit term suggests a massaging motion. Through the British colonies, the word eventually integrated into the English language, referring to the act of cleansing and massaging the scalp, and later acquiring its modern meaning as a liquid preparation used for washing hair.