0
Etymologists are people who study history of words, including language, derivation, form, and changes.
Not to be confused with Entomologists who are scientists that study insects.
Etymologists specialize in tracing the origin and development of a linguistic form. By comparing basic words such as "hand" and not abstract ideas such as "dignity," etymologists are able to discern to what extent two or more languages are related. The more similar two words are, the more recently they have separated. For example, etymologists can ascertain that German and English are extremely similar when comparing the English word "house" to the German equivalent of "haus."
An etymologist is a person who studies word origins; they gain new knowledge about different languages by researching only one word. Etymology is the study of the history of words and how their form and meaning have changed over time, so an etymologist studies the evolution of words.
Etymology is the study or word origins. An Etymologist studies the origins of words or the history of words.
Wiki User
∙ 11y ago
Wiki User
∙ 10y agoa dude who checks out the origin of words.
Add your answer:
Earn +20 pts
What is the connotative meaning of the word beach?
According to the Word Detective, the word "beach" would possibly come from the Old English "baece", meaning "stream", or from the Old Nurse "bakki", meaning "bank" (as of a stream), or from a mutation of the English word "bleach". I think that the hypothesis on the Old English word "baece" would make sense. However, this work is still a puzzle for the etymologists.
Origin of expression In like flint?
From the 1967 film of the same name. The eponymous hero, played by James Coburn, is a fearless government agent, a super-spy, an American James Bond. This phrase is commonly said to be a reference to Errol Flynn, the Australian film actor. Flynn was famous for his romantic swashbuckler roles in Hollywood films and for his flamboyant private life. His reputation as a hard-drinking, hell-raising ladies' man was apparently well justified, although it has doubtless been enhanced by his delight in playing up to his image. For instance, he entitled his autobiography - My Wicked, Wicked Ways and also did nothing to dispel the incredible but nonetheless widespread rumours as to the the size of his penis and the number of women who had shared his bed. Flynn was acquitted in February 1943 for the statutory rape of a teenage girl. The word in had been used with regard to success, good fortune or sexual conquest for some years prior to the 1940s. For example: John Mills' Life Race-Horse, 1854: "The handicapper ... considerately classed me among the middle ones, and awarded 6 st. 12 lb. as my burthen. 'He's vell in,' said my owner, 'very vell in.'" Alfred Mason's Clementina, 1901: "His luck for the moment was altogether in." E. Wilson's Twenties, 1923: "Well, did Mr. Wilson get it in tonight?" All of the above might lead us to believe that origin of the phrase 'in like Flynn' is clear. As so often though, things aren't quite as tidy as they might first seem. The earliest recorded use of the phrase is in a December 1946 edition of American Speech: "In like Flynn, everything is O.K. In other words, the pilot is having no more trouble than Errol Flynn has in his cinematic feats." That doesn't have the sexual connotations that the phrase acquired later. There's also an earlier, albeit oblique, reference from 1942 - in The San Francisco Examiner (Sports section): "Answer these questions correctly and your name is Flynn, meaning you're in, provided you have two left feet and the written consent of your parents." Errol Flynn's particular notoriety as someone especially likely to be 'in' in a sexual sense came about after his trial in 1943, although he was already known as a screen romantic lead. If the phrase does derive from his name then it appears to have been coined in regard to his all-round flamboyance and fame - which were both considerable by 1942 - rather than specifically his sexual success. Another possible figure who could plausibly have been the source of the phrase is the political organizer Edward J. Flynn. He was a campaign manager for the Democratic party during the 1930s and 40s and was well-known to be highly effective at arranging political successes. Such machiavellian organizers were known as bosses. Flynn, with some irony, called his autobiography 'You're the Boss', in a reference to the American voting public. Edward J. Flynn had not been associated with the phrase 'in like Flynn' prior to the efforts by etymologists to explain it though and no records from the 1940s make any such link. It seems very much more likely that Errol Flynn is the Flynn in question and, although the phrase may have been used before he was at the peak of his celebrity, it became well-known by association with him. The 1967 James Coburn starred in the film, In Like Flint. This was a sequel to the 1966 Our Man Flint and presumably the screenwriters, on the lookout for another 'Flint' phrase, opted for a play on 'In like Flynn'. There's now some confusion between the two phrases and some use 'In like Flint' as if it were synonymous with 'In like Flynn'. Source: Phrases.org.uk
Where does the word okay come from?
According to wikipedia:The historical record shows in a letter dated July 7, 1820 from Thomas Jefferson to Peter S. DuPonceau, Esq, Jefferson shared vocabulary he obtained of the Nottoway (Cheroenhaka) Indian tribe native to (now) Southampton County Virginia (originally Nottoway and Sussex Counties). The word for "yes" is "Ho-Keh". Because the origin of this phonetic "okay" is primarily American, it can be concluded that early Virginia settlers used this simple response in common communication of the 1600's with their Nottoway (Cheroenhaka) Indian neighbors in the 17th and 18th centuries leading to its common use in Colonial Virginia and expanding from there to the world. These vocabulary words sent by Jefferson were analyzed by Esquire DuPonceau in his reply letter to Jefferson of July 12, 1820, as a branch of the general language of the Powhatan's similar to the Iroquoian dialect language. A Petersburg Virginia newspaper article (The Nottoway Indians) of March 17, 1820 mentions Queen Edie Turner as the keeper of this early American language, saved by Jefferson for posterity.The historical record shows that O.K. appeared as an abbreviation for "oll korrect" (a conscious misspelling of "all correct") in Boston newspapers in 1839, and was reinterpreted as "Old Kinderhook" in the 1840 United States presidential election. Because it is a recent word born of word play, and because it is so widely used, O.K. has also invited many folk etymologies. These competing theories are not supported by the historical written record, except in that folk and joke etymologies influenced the true history of the word. Since the 19th century, the word has spread around the world, the okay spelling of it first appearing in British writing in the 1860s. Spelled out in full in the 20th century, 'okay' has come to be in everyday use among English speakers, and borrowed by non-English speakers.
What is the difference between an Entomologist and an Etymologist?
Entomologists study insects. Etymologists study words (linguistics).
How did an animal get the name of dog?
The word has been traced back to the Old English word docga, but professional etymologists have been unable to trace the word any farther than that.
Where did the last name yanez come from?
It is claimed that the meaning of the name Yanez means gift of Jehovah. Etymologists believe it was originally a Christian name, but there is no evidence to back up their beliefs.
Is etymology a part of biology?
No. Etymology deals with the study of words and Biology deals with the study of Life. Both do deal with the origin of something. Etymologists break down words to study their origins and Biologists study the origins of life.
What is a person called who researches word definitions?
Usually such experts are termed lexicographers, who typically contribute definitions to dictionaries; etymologists and some linguists also research word origins and how words change in meaning over time.
How did eggnog get its name?
Eggnog, a sweetened drink made of milk, cream and eggs, is a popular drink around the holidays. Etymologists believe the word eggnog stems from the word "noggin," which meant small wooden cup in medieval times.
From which part of Ireland does the name Quinlan originate?
While there is no way to find the specific part of a nation from which any name is derived, the link, below, from the "Behind the Name" website, gives a sentence about the name which may prove useful to historians and etymologists (people who study the derivation of words and names).
Is Snickerdoodle an Italian cookie?
No, Snickerdoodle is not an Italian cookie. It may be a sugar cookie of German origin since some etymologists link the name with the German Schneckennudel ("little noodle"). Insular and peninsular cuisines throughout Italy nevertheless offer their own local and regional variants of sugar cookies.
What is 'Jeffrey' when translated from English to Italian?
Giuffrido is an Italian equivalent of the English name "Jeffrey." Etymologists may disagree on some parts of the original Germanic name even though they tend to agree that ultimately "peace" is part of the originally intended meaning. The pronunciation will be "djoof-FREE-do" in Italian.
What state got its name from the Indian name wauregan meaning beautiful water?
No state got its name from the Algonquin word "wauregan", but it IS the name of a city in Connecticut. Despite the fact that "wauregan" sounds very much like "Oregon", nearly all historians and etymologists believe that the state's name comes from a different source.
What is 'Ferrata' when translated from Italian to English?
"Railroad" is an English equivalent of the Italian name Ferrata. But as a surname resistant to clear origins, the last name also may be translated into English as "of or relating to iron," "of or relating to wheat," "shod," or "skilled" depending upon the variable results of different etymologists. The pronunciation will be "fer-RA-ta" in Italian.
What is 'Viva Espa' when translated from Italian to English?
"Long live Espa!" is an English equivalent of the Italian phrase Viva Espa! The exclamation and the proper name reference verbally enthusiastic support for an individual whose surname is thought by etymologists and genealogists to represent an ancient Sardinian variant on Vespa ("wasp"). The pronunciation will be "VEE-va EH-spa" in Italian.
