Wordorigins.org

Wordorigins.org is devoted to the origins of words and phrases, or as a linguist would put it, to etymology. Etymology is the study of word origins. (It is not the study of insects; that is entomology.) Where words come from is a fascinating subject, full of folklore and historical lessons. Often, popular tales of a word’s origin arise. Sometimes these are true; more often they are not. While it can be disappointing when a neat little tale turns out to be untrue, almost invariably the true origin is just as interesting.

The Oxford English Dictionary has 487 words with first citations from 1906. In that year, barflies could drink calvados, and teetotalers could make do with Ovaltine and Dr. Pepper; women went to salons to be coiffured with permanent waves; psychologists discussed pedophilia and zoophilia; and stenos with their Parker pens were being replaced by Dictaphones.

The Oxford English Dictionary has 522 words with first citations from 1905. In that year, Victrolas were the iPods of their day; one could be as happy as Larry by getting one’s jollies; straphangers were riding the el; doodads and humdingers could be had; and cerealists advocated eating kibble as a better way to health.

The Oxford English Dictionary has 561 words with first citations from 1904. In that year, wisenheimer George Ade brought us vamping and zippy; Heinies started carrying Parabellums, also known as Lugers; internists might recommend you get a sun-tan and had new names for Bell’s palsy and progeria; plays that might not do well in the heartland of Peoria could be seen off-Broadway; and you could wash down that slice of tangelo with a swig of Perrier.

I’ve done another podcast for 365 Days of Astronomy. This one is on the definition of “planet” and how the scientists at the IAU erred back in 2006 when they tried to come up with one. They should have consulted some lexicographers first.

The podcast is available for download and the transcript can be read at the 365 Days website.

[As I push the “publish” button, the podcast is not yet available for download, but it should be shortly. The transcript is available.]

The Oxford English Dictionary has 578 words with first citations from 1903. In that year, chow mein and wasabi made their way from the Orient to the West; folks down at the bar and grill could chug-a-lug margaritas or, if they were teetotalers, Pepsi-Cola; and no sooner did radios appear than they started going on the fritz. 

This Washington Post piece is a succinct illustration of how editors often do violence to quotations, and it shows that even something literally etched in stone can be changed.

The Oxford English Dictionary has 637 words with first citations from 1902. In that year, the growing number of automobiles brought us garages, windshields, Michelins, and limousines; new words like auto-correct, biometrics, and electronics appear, but not in the senses we use them today; Marmite and moo-goo-gai-pan appear on menus; and -drome had a good year, with the appearances of aerodromes and velodromes, although the seeds of the destruction of the former were also sown with the introduction of airport.

The Oxford English Dictionary has 548 words with first citations from 1901. In that year, English-speaking scientists imported the words antibody, mitochondrion, mutant, and neoteny from German; the Gibson Girl became an icon and the form of address Ms began to be used; radio began to take off, and airgrams were cutting edge communications technology; and New York state responded to the growing motorism by requiring vehicle license plates.

This year it’s occupy, a worthy, but unsurprising choice. You can read the press release here.

This year, instead of just regurgitating the press release, I’ll give my comments on the various nominees and winners. These are my idiosyncratic opinions.