The word “Bonfire” is derived from the middle english “Banefire”, bane meaning bone. This was the name of the practice of burning the bones of those convicted of heresy in a large fire.
The word “Cocktail” originally refers to the mixed pedigree of horses and finds it similarity in the modern interpretation of mixed alcoholic spirits.
The origin of the word “Dandelion” is derived from a contraction of old French “Dent- de-lioun” literally meaning lions tooth. An illusion to the flowers toothed leaves
The words “Yawn” and chaos share the same proto-indo-european root of “Gheih” a reference to the vast emptiness and gaping maw of the void
“Mortgage” from the old French “morgage”, literally meaning death pledge. This was because the deal either dies when the debt is paid, when payment fails, or when the payee dies.
“Sabotage” is defined as “the deliberate and malicious destruction of property” the origins of the word come from a folk etymology referring to labour disputes in which it was said that strikers threw shoes into machinery in a bid to disable them.
The word “Sanguine” meaning “ cheerful, hopeful, and vivacious” refers to an old medicinal theory known as the four humours in which certain conditions were thought to be caused by an excess of one of four fluids. Sanguine was thought to be a condition caused by an excess of blood.
The word “hearse” shares a root with the Oscan word for wolf “hirpus” this was a reference to a flat framework of candles that hung from the coffin during a funeral procession which was an allusion to a wolfs teeth
The word “Groggy” refers back to an old ship captain nicknamed “old Grog” who favoured wearing a rain coat made of the material grogam. Old Grog was well known for cutting soldiers rations of rum with water. This mixture often left them feeling dazed and unsteady and the feeling was named groggy.
“Lingual Lore”
Lingual Lore explores the etymology of language and visually translates it through the lens of poster advertisement to provide an interesting and digestible way to learn about the evolution of language.
