WORD HISTORY

You Never Suspected The Origins Of These 10 Words

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Etymology is often overlooked, which is definitively a shame: After all, the history of the words we use every day is at least as old as humankind’s earliest interactions with language. As humans evolved and grew, so did our words, so you might not be surprised to learn that a big part of our vocabulary has roots in ancient and downright fascinating ancient cultures.

We have selected ten common words that have surprising, beautiful, or downright strange origins. We hope that, by the end of this article, you’ll think fondly about these interesting facts whenever you use these terms in everyday conversation. Enjoy!

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We’ll start with one of the most common childhood dream jobs, and while only a select few might travel to outer space, we still hold the uttermost respect and fascination for these daring men and women. In that sense, the word "astronaut" has a rather beautiful meaning hiding in its etymology.

Astronaut comes from the Ancient Greek words astron, which means "stars," and nautes, which means "sailor." So, in a sense, this dream profession beautifully represents one of mankind’s oldest dreams: the ability to sail freely and discover the skies above.

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Have you ever applauded after watching a particularly colorful and energetic fireworks display? You might be surprised to learn that both the sound of your applause and the colorful explosions above your head share the same etymological root.

The verb "explode" comes from the Latin word plaudere, which describes the noise produced by loud clapping. Ancient Romans would show their approval of something pretty much as we do: with a resounding round of applause, which was described by the term explaudere.

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You are probably familiar with the word "boycott," which describes the act of willingly denying support to a company or organization due to differing principles. However, were you aware that, before it became a commonly used word, boycott was first the last name of a British army officer?

What’s interesting is that Captain Charles Boycott, the man after whom this action was named, was not the one to first enact a boycott: he was actually the target of one. Captain Boycott managed a property in Northern Ireland during the 19th century and became involved in a dispute with local farmers that ended in the very first boycott in history. Enraged farmers decided to stop working the captain’s lands, forcing him to leave the town.

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Remember how we promised in the introduction of this article that we would delve into some weird etymology? Well, we’ll go a step beyond that and focus on the strange origins of the word "weird" itself. You might be surprised to learn that a term usually associated with informal or casual use is based on classical figures of mythology.

Weird comes from the Old English word wyrd, which was used as a synonym for "fate." In fact, the plural word wyrde was used to represent the Fates, the three Greek goddesses that spun the lives of mortals and gods alike. You might recall the three Weird Sisters, who told King Macbeth his fate in Shakespeare’s classic play. Surprisingly, the "weird" in their name didn’t describe their strangeness, but rather their ability to tell the future.

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You would think that such an iconic term as "astronaut" would be the only space-related term in this list, but the truth is that many words related to "the Final Frontier" have fascinating origins. For example, the word "planet" comes from an Ancient Greek word that means "wanderer," while "comet" can be roughly translated to "long-haired star." In that sense, the etymological origins of the word "galaxy" also tell a beautiful tale of human ingenuity.

Galaxy comes from the Late Latin word galaxias, which in turn comes from the Ancient Greek galaxías. This last word is derived from gála (Greek for "milk"), which was mostly used in conjunction with the Greek word for wheel, kýklos. So, the word devised by Ancient Greece to describe the Milky Way ended up describing every galaxy that inspires our sense of discovery.

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Nowadays, we use the word "juggernaut" to describe something massive in size, as well as powerful and almost unstoppable. While this term was made popular by a Marvel comics villain of the same name (who shares all of these qualities), its etymological origins are actually rooted in the story of an ancient Hindi god.

The word "juggernaut" is an English rendering of Jagannath, one of the central deities in Hinduism. The name of this god is in itself a Sanskrit word that roughly translates to "Lord of the Universe," which further illustrates the importance of this deity.

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Porpoises are sometimes regarded as less popular than dolphins, which is truly a disservice to this intelligent cetacean, which is actually a closer relative to belugas than to dolphins. So, let’s try our best, at least for this entry, to keep dolphins out of the picture, and let’s focus solely on the fascinating etymology of porpoises.

The word "porpoise" comes from the Anglo-French word porpeis, which in turn comes from two Latin roots: porcus, which means "pig," and piscis, which means "fish." While "pig fish" might not be the most glamorous etymology for our seafaring friends, we hope the world will now see this lovable animal in a more favorable light.

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Just like with "boycott," a real person holds the dubious honor of being the origin of the name behind one of the most addictive substances on Earth. Nicotine, a chemical compound commonly found in cigarettes, was named after Jean Nicot de Villemain, a 16th-century French diplomat credited with bringing the first tobacco plants to France.

To be fair, Jean Nicot believed that smoking tobacco had medicinal properties and that it would help his country deal with ravaging illnesses like the plague. Since the plant was known as Nicotiana in France, it stands to reason that Nicot’s last name inspired the etymology of this chemical compound.

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The term "Silhouette" describes an image that depicts a single element (such as a person, an animal, or an object) as a single, solid color that doesn’t show any internal features. While this is definitively a loan word from the French language, you might be surprised to learn that this word pays homage to yet another French statesman.

Étienne de Silhouette, an 18th-century finance minister, was the direct inspiration for this technique. According to historians, his harsh economic wartime measures forced many wealthy French people to turn to more austere artistic representations. As a result, these cheaper outline portraits became increasingly popular in this country’s artistic communities.

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We’ll end this article with the beautifully tragic story behind the word "echo." This word describes a reflection of sound, which the listener usually experiences after a slight delay. Echo is present in nature in many forms, from the way natural accidents like canyons return sound to a process that animals like bats or dolphins use to navigate their environments.

Like many entries on this list, this word comes to us from Ancient Greece: in Greek mythology, the mountain nymph Echo was cursed by the goddess Hera to only be able to repeat the last words spoken to her. While this nymph’s fate was definitively calamitous, we can at least take solace in the fact that her namesake inspired radar technology, one of the most useful human inventions in history.

HAIL TO THE CHIEF

10 Facts About The Lives Of American Presidents

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The president of the United States is, to this date, one of the most powerful and influential political figures in the entire world. Since George Washington took the oath of office in 1789 on the balcony of the Federal Hall in New York City, each president has left a mark on the American and international political landscape. Stay tuned to discover 10 interesting stories about the people behind the mantle of the president and their lives in and out of the White House!

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On April 30, 1789, George Washington became the very first president of the United States of America. On top of that, he was the only president in the history of the United States to be unanimously elected—not only once, but twice.

A surveyor by trade, Washington was appointed as Commander in Chief of the Continental Army by the Second Continental Congress in 1775. He successfully led the American forces to victory during the Revolutionary War.

As the first President of the United States, George Washington established many traditions that continue to this day, chief among them the practice of serving for no longer than two consecutive terms. He is also an outlier—although he oversaw its construction, he is the only president who never got to live in the White House.

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Surveyor, storekeeper, postmaster, and wrestler—Abraham Lincoln was a man of many talents****and interests. At 6'4'', he is the tallest president to date. He also wore size 14 shoes, holding the record as the president with the largest shoe size.

On top of that, Abraham Lincoln was also the first US president to wear a full beard while in office. According to the story, an 11-year-old girl from New York urged him to grow it claiming that it would help Lincoln win the election.

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Thomas Jefferson has often been described as a Renaissance man. Besides his interest in politics, he was an avid reader, a polyglot who could speak, read, and write in at least four languages, and an accomplished architect.

Among his many accomplishments, Thomas Jefferson is best remembered as the principal author of the Declaration of Independence, for his service as the first Secretary of State under Washington, and as the third president of the United States.

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The only president to have served more than two terms—he was elected a total of four times—Franklin Delano Roosevelt is, to this date, the longest-serving U.S. president. His time in office was marked by the Great Depression and the outbreak of the Second World War. He has his fair share of critics, but FDR is still well-regarded as the president who saw the United States through some of the darkest times in history.

To keep his mind sharp, Franklin D. Roosevelt entertained himself with a myriad of hobbies. He was an avid stamp collector, and he also enjoyed bird-watching and sailing in his free time.

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Franklin D. Roosevelt's fifth cousin, Theodore Roosevelt, was an avid outdoor enthusiast. During his presidency, he established numerous National Parks, laying the groundwork for what would later become the National Park Service in 1916.

Theodore Roosevelt had a self-proclaimed photographic memory, which he put to good use: He was a prolific author, penning over 35 books covering a wide range of topics, from history and politics to nature and adventure.

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Woodrow Wilson had just a little over two years of experience in politics when he was elected to be the 28th president of the United States in 1912. Before that, he was a professional historian, teacher, and academic. He was, also, a regular golfer.

Wilson's presidency saw the United States enter the First World War and the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. He also signed the act that formally established the National Park Service as a federal bureau of the Department of Interior.

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Harry S. Truman was Franklin D. Roosevelt's vice president. He assumed the presidency of the United States in a time of turmoil, near the end of the Second World War in 1945. After the war, he implemented the Marshall Plan to aid in the reconstruction of Europe, and his tenure saw the beginning of the Cold War era.

Interestingly, his middle name is just the initial S. There is some controversy over whether it should be written with or without a period after the S. However, according to the Truman Library & Museum, he regularly used a period when writing his own name in correspondence.

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Before he became the 34th president of the United States, Dwight D. Eisenhower had a decades-spanning military career. He was the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Forces in Europe during World War II. As president, he promoted peace and stability during the early years of the Cold War.

"Ike" enjoyed painting and golfing, and he often retreated to these hobbies to relax in times of turmoil.

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Born into the prominent and wealthy Kennedy family, John F. Kennedy was elected president of the United States at the age of 43. He is the second youngest president in U.S. history after Theodore Roosevelt, who became president at 42 when he succeeded William McKinley.

Kennedy was a member of the U.S. Navy and he was awarded the Purple Heart for his service in the Pacific during World War II. He enjoyed practicing sports, reading, and sailing, as he was known to doodle sailboats in his notes during stressful meetings.

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Ronald Reagan worked as a lifeguard, as a sports commentator, and pursued a successful acting career—he served as the president of the Screen Actors Guild twice—before turning to politics.

As the 40th president of the United States, his ability to effectively communicate with the public earned him a favorable reputation and the nickname "the Great Communicator."

Ronald Reagan enjoyed sports and horseback riding, and he often retreated to his ranch in California. Also, quite famously, he had a weakness for jelly beans. According to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, his favorite flavor was licorice.