English: The Origin of Words and Names

English: The Origin of Words and Names

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EXTRACT:

Checkmate

This is a term in chess. It is from the Farsi language spoken in Iran and Afghanistan. The original phrase is SHAH-K-MATE (every syllable pronounced) which means "The King is Dead".

The word SHAH means a "king" as in the last monarch (or SHAH) of Iran. MATE has the same root as the English "murder" and the Spanish "matador" (killer).

The word came via French (where the SH became a CH) and into English where the MA-TE (two syllables) became MATE (one syllable) to give CHECKMATE.

CHANGING MEANINGS OVER TIME 
The word silly meant blessed or happy in the 11th century going through pious, innocent, harmless, pitiable, feeble, feeble minded before finally ending up as foolish or stupid.

Pretty began as crafty then changed via clever, skilfully made, fine to beautiful.

Buxom began with the meaning obedient and changed via compliant, lively, plump to large breasted.

The word nice meant stupid and foolish in the late 13th Century. It went through a number of changes including wanton, extravagant, elegant, strange, modest, thin, and shy. By the middle of the 18th Century it had gained its current meaning of pleasant and agreeable.

Words are changing meaning now: consider how the words bad and gay have changed in recent years.

Nicknames 

Armstrong                 -strong armed 
Campbell                   -crooked mouth 
Goldwater                  -urine (derogatory) 
Kennedy                    -Gaelic: ugly head 
Morgan                     -Welsh: white haired 
Russell                      -French: red haired
Whitehead                -white headed

Where Place Names Come From

The table below shows the historical influence of various languages in names of places and their derivations for the British Isles.

ac         Anglo-Saxon oak Ac-, Oak-, -ock
baile     Gaelic farm, village Bally-, Bal-
bearu    Anglo-Saxon grove, wood Barrow-, -ber
beorg    Anglo-Saxon burial mound Bar-, -borough
brycg    Anglo-Saxon bridge Brig-, -bridge
burh      Anglo-Saxon fortified place Bur-, -bury
burna    Anglo-Saxon stream, spring Bourn-, -burn(e)
by        Old Norse farm, village -by
caer     Welsh fortified place Car-
ceaster Latin fort, Roman town Chester-, -caster
cot      Anglo-Saxon shelter, cottage -cot(e)
cwm   Welsh deep valley -combe
daire   Gaelic oak wood -dare, -derry
dalr     Old Norse valley Dal-, -dale
denn    Anglo-Saxon swine pasture -dean, -den
dun      Anglo-Saxon hill, down Dun-, -down, -ton
ea        Anglo-Saxon water, river Ya-, Ea-, -ey
eg        Anglo-Saxon island Ey-
ey        Old Norse island -ey, -ay
gleann  Gaelic narrow valley Glen-
graf      Anglo-Saxon grove -grave, -grove
ham      Anglo-Saxon homestead, village Ham-, -ham
hyrst     Anglo-Saxon wooded hill Hurst-, -hirst
-ing      Anglo-Saxon place of ... -ing
leah      Anglo-Saxon glade, clearing Leigh-, Lee-, -ley
loch      Gaelic lake Loch-, -loch
mere    Anglo-Saxon lake, pool Mer-, Mar-, -mere, -more
nes       Old Norse cape -ness
pwll      Welsh anchorage, pool -pool
rhos     Welsh moorland Ros(s)-, -rose
stan     Anglo-Saxon stone Stan-, -stone
stede   Anglo-Saxon place, site -ste(a)d
stoc     Anglo-Saxon meeting place Stoke-, -stock
stow    Anglo-Saxon meeting place Stow-, -stow(e)
straet  Latin Roman road Strat-, Stret-, -street
tun      Anglo-Saxon enclosure, village Ton-, -town, -ton
thorp  Old Norse farm, village Thorp-, -thorp(e)
thveit Old Norse glade, clearing -thwaite
wic      Anglo-Saxon dwelling, farm -wick, -wich