Origin of Words

Are you fascinated by words? I am, always have been.
I was watching a commercial where they used the word
'whopping'. I've heard the word all my life so I looked it
up. My gosh, it goes back to 13th century England and
started out meaning a thumping, to strike forcibly. It
later came to mean larger than normal, 'we caught four
whopping fish'. A whopping lie. A whopper of a lie. Burger
King makes The Whopper.

I love words..

How about "to let" as to allow. It originally meant to prevent. And to this day... it is still used as to prevent in every mortgage.

Quote: FleaStiff

How about "to let" as to allow. It originally meant to prevent. .

How about a 'Room to Let' sign on a house. Let has many
uses. Let down, let in, let off, let on, let out. Archaic version
means to hinder, prevent, or obstruct. It dates to before 900 AD
in England. It also has different meanings when used in the law.

I like how "inflammable" used to mean "unflammable" and has come to mean "flammable".

Quote: Mosca

I like how "inflammable" used to mean "unflammable" and has come to mean "flammable".

You're right, I never thought about that. Inflammable and flammable
mean the same thing now. You have words like:

likely - unlikely

understood - misunderstood

complete - incomplete

modest - immodest

reversible - irreversible

logical - illogical

They all mean the opposite. But not flammable and
inflammable. When you add a prefix, its supposed
to change the word. Otherwise, whats the point.

Sandbagging is an interesting word. It means to
hold back to gain an advantage. Its a 19th century
poker term for somebody who doesn't raise when
he has a good hand, but 'sandbags' everybody and
clobbers them at the right time. We call it check
raising now. Sandbagging comes from the docks
in England where a robber would fill a sock with
sand and use it to knock victims unconscious.

And why do people park in driveways, but drive on parkways?

Quote: Mosca

I like how "inflammable" used to mean "unflammable" and has come to mean "flammable".

I'm very sure that's not the case. The dictionary doesn't help much, but inflammable comes from a latin word meaning "to inflame." And "inflame" emans "to kindle" and also "to arouse passions." In any case, there are other related words, all with meanings related to light a fire or to swell, or to arouse passions, such as "inflamatory" and "inflamation."

But let's see what Paco has to say.

Look at the term 'four flusher'. It means a phony,
a scammer. Its a 19th century poker term. If you
had 4 cards of one suit, and tried to pretend you had
a 5 card flush to scare off the other players, you
were a scoundrel, a four flusher.

Quote: Nareed

I'm very sure that's not the case. The dictionary doesn't help much, but inflammable comes from a latin word meaning "to inflame." And "inflame" emans "to kindle" and also "to arouse passions." In any case, there are other related words, all with meanings related to light a fire or to swell, or to arouse passions, such as "inflamatory" and "inflamation."

But let's see what Paco has to say.

http://www.etymonline.com is your friend for all these fun inquiries. It's from Lation: inflammare, which means "to set on fire, kindle," figuratively "to rouse, excite,"

INANELY INANEST INANITY INAPTLY INARMED INBEING INBOARD INBOUND INBREDS INBREED INBUILT INBURST INCAGED INCAGES INCANTS INCASED INCASES INCENSE INCEPTS INCESTS INCHING INCIPIT INCISAL INCISED INCISES INCISOR INCITED INCITER INCITES INCIVIL INCLASP INCLINE INCLIPS INCLOSE INCLUDE INCOMER INCOMES INCONNU INCROSS INCRUST INCUBUS INCUDAL INCUDES INCURVE INCUSED INCUSES INDABAS INDAMIN INDENES INDENTS INDEXED INDEXER INDEXES INDICAN INDICES INDICIA INDICTS INDIGEN INDIGOS INDITED INDITER INDITES INDIUMS INDOLES INDOORS INDORSE INDOWED INDOXYL INDRAFT INDRAWN INDUCED INDUCER INDUCES INDUCTS INDUING INDULGE INDULIN INDULTS INDUSIA INDWELL INDWELT INEARTH INEDITA INEPTLY INERTIA INERTLY INEXACT INFALLS INFANCY INFANTA INFANTE INFANTS INFARCT INFARES INFAUNA INFECTS INFEOFF INFERNO INFESTS INFIDEL INFIELD INFIGHT INFIRMS INFIXED INFIXES INFLAME INFLATE INFLECT INFLICT INFLOWS INFOLDS INFORMS INFRACT INFUSED INFUSER INFUSES INGATES INGENUE INGESTA INGESTS INGOING INGOTED INGRAFT INGRAIN INGRATE INGRESS INGROUP INGROWN INGULFS INHABIT INHALED INHALER INHALES INHAULS INHERED INHERES INHERIT INHIBIN INHIBIT INHUMAN INHUMED INHUMER INHUMES INITIAL INJECTS INJURED INJURER INJURES INKBLOT INKHORN INKIEST INKLESS INKLIKE INKLING INKPOTS INKWELL INKWOOD INLACED INLACES INLANDS INLAYER INLIERS INMATES INNARDS INNERLY INNERVE INNINGS INNLESS INOCULA INOSITE INPHASE INPOURS INQUEST INQUIET INQUIRE INQUIRY INROADS INSANER INSCAPE INSCULP INSEAMS INSECTS INSERTS INSHORE INSIDER INSIDES INSIGHT INSIGNE INSIPID INSISTS INSNARE INSOFAR INSOLES INSOULS INSPANS INSPECT INSPIRE INSTALL INSTALS INSTANT INSTARS INSTATE INSTEAD INSTEPS INSTILL INSTILS INSULAR INSULIN INSULTS INSURED INSURER INSURES INSWEPT INTAGLI INTAKES INTEGER INTENDS INTENSE INTENTS INTERIM INTERNE INTERNS INTHRAL INTIMAE INTIMAL INTIMAS INTINES INTITLE INTOMBS INTONED INTONER INTONES INTORTS INTRANT INTREAT INTROFY INTROIT INTRONS INTRUDE INTRUST INTUITS INTURNS INTWINE INTWIST INULASE INULINS INURING INURNED INUTILE INVADED INVADER INVADES INVALID INVEIGH INVENTS INVERSE INVERTS INVESTS INVITAL INVITED INVITEE INVITER INVITES INVOICE INVOKED INVOKER INVOKES INVOLVE INWALLS INWARDS INWEAVE INWINDS INWOUND INWOVEN INWRAPS

INANER INANES INARCH INARMS INBORN INBRED INCAGE INCANT INCASE INCEPT INCEST INCHED INCHES INCISE INCITE INCLIP INCOGS INCOME INCONY INCUBI INCULT INCURS INCUSE INDABA INDEED INDENE INDENT INDICT INDIES INDIGN INDIGO INDITE INDIUM INDOLE INDOLS INDOOR INDOWS INDRIS INDUCE INDUCT INDUED INDUES INDULT INERTS INFALL INFAMY INFANT INFARE INFECT INFERS INFEST INFIRM INFLOW INFLUX INFOLD INFORM INFUSE INGATE INGEST INGLES INGOTS INGULF INHALE INHAUL INHERE INHUME INJECT INJURE INJURY INKERS INKIER INKING INKJET INKLES INKPOT INLACE INLAID INLAND INLAYS INLETS INLIER INMATE INMESH INMOST INNATE INNERS INNING INPOUR INPUTS INROAD INRUSH INSANE INSEAM INSECT INSERT INSETS INSIDE INSIST INSOLE INSOUL INSPAN INSTAL INSTAR INSTEP INSTIL INSULT INSURE INTACT INTAKE INTEND INTENT INTERN INTERS INTIMA INTIME INTINE INTOMB INTONE INTORT INTOWN INTRON INTROS INTUIT INTURN INULIN INURED INURES INURNS INVADE INVARS INVENT INVERT INVEST INVITE INVOKE INWALL INWARD INWIND INWOVE INWRAP

INANE INAPT INARM INBYE INCOG INCUR INCUS INDEX INDIE INDOL INDOW INDRI INDUE INEPT INERT INFER INFIX INFOS INFRA INGLE INGOT INION INKED INKER INKLE INLAY INLET INNED INNER INPUT INSET INTER INTIS INTRO INURE INURN INVAR

INBY INCH INFO INIA INKS INKY INLY INNS INRO INTI INTO

INK INN INS
----------------------------------------------------

Obviously Influx, Inflow, Inflame, inbred, the prefix means "in".
ON other cases like Invalid, Inadequate, Incapable, Indecent, Inoffensive the prefix means "not"

Unlike the prefix "un-" in English which always means negation: unlovable, unkind, unknown, .. the prefix "in-" sometimes is negation and sometimes is intensification or inward. Also "in-" could be "il-", or "im-" depending on the consonant that follows. In the case of Latin words passed through French, the are sometimes "en-". The ambiguity in meaning seems to be very old, because Latin impressus could mean "pressed" or "unpressed."

Sometimes the root word was changed. The opposite of inept is apt.

Just remeber almost half of our words are derived from the Greek origins! :)

Sigh. Leave it to facts to ruin a good story!

Quote: pacomartin

the prefix "in-" sometimes is negation and sometimes is intensification or inward.

You can tend the garden, but not intend. A stressful
situation can be tense or intense. But you can't be
sane and insane at the same time.

Quote: EvenBob

Are you fascinated by words? I am, always have been.
I was watching a commercial where they used the word
'whopping'. I've heard the word all my life so I looked it
up. My gosh, it goes back to 13th century England and
started out meaning a thumping, to strike forcibly. It
later came to mean larger than normal, 'we caught four
whopping fish'. A whopping lie. A whopper of a lie. Burger
King makes The Whopper.

I love words..

A whopper is also a big lie, in English slang at least. From the obvious root of 'telling a whopping lie'.

Yeah, I love etymology, but even more so, etymology of place names.

One of my favorite quips about word origins, which I hope I have not previously posted....

There is a lovely shade of yellow that we call "canary". We get that name, of course, from the small bird that has a similar color.
Why are the birds called a canaries? Because they were originally found and are prevalent on the Canary Islands.
Why do those islands have that name? Because "canis" is the Latin for "dog", and the islands had large numbers of wild dogs.
To summarize, that lovely color is really named for a dog, perhaps Old Yeller.