Where does the word “extravagant” come from and What does extravagant mean?

where does the word extravagant come from and what does extravagant mean

Formed from the Latin words extra, outside, and vagor, to wander, extravagant has the literal meaning, “tending to wander outside the usual path; hence, astray, roving.” Such were the senses of the term in Shakespeare’s time. But it soon became extended in meaning, and “straying beyond reasonable bounds” became the usual intent of the word. … Read more

Where does the word “damask” (damascene) come from and What does damask mean?

where does the word damask damascene come from and what does damask mean

Although Chinese weavers had long engaged in the production of beautiful woven designs in their silken fabrics, it remained for the weavers of Damascus, in the eleventh or twelfth century, to outstrip all other countries in the creation of silken textiles of unusually rich and curious design. These fabrics, sometimes with colors woven into the … Read more

Where does the term “criss-cross” come from and What does criss-cross mean?

where does the term criss cross come from and what does criss cross mean scaled

Our ancestors treated learning with reverence and respect, possibly because most of the teaching, three and four centuries ago, was performed by men trained for the ministry. So it is not amazing to find that when children learned the alphabet, the little “hornbooks” from which they studied were almost invariably decorated with a cross. Sometimes … Read more

Where does the word “devil” come from and What does devil mean in Greek?

where does the word devil come from and what does devil mean in greek

The Hebrew “Satan,” which appears in the Old Testament as the name of the enemy of mankind, means literally “adversary.” When the Old Testament was rendered into Greek the translators looked for a word to reproduce this literal meaning. They hit upon diabolos, the noun from diaballein, which was compounded of dia, across, and ballein, … Read more

Where does the word “diaper” come from and What does diaper mean?

where does the word diaper come from and what does diaper mean

Although the word “diaper” has been the name of a textile fabric from its earliest introduction into western Europe, the fabric was not always intended to be converted into breechcloths for babies. Quite the contrary. In the earliest Greek reference to the cloth, in the tenth century, the fabric was probably made in Byzantium and … Read more

Where does the word “demon” come from and What does demon mean?

where does the word demon come from and what does demon mean

The Greek verb daiein, which meant “to divide,” had the special sense “to distribute destinies.” Thus daimon, which is probably connected with it, meant “a divine power.” It was nearly always used in a good sense; Socrates, for instance, spoke of his daimon, meaning very much what we should call “guardian angel.” But when the … Read more

Where does the word “dismal” originate and What does dismal mean in Latin?

where does the word dismal originate and what does dismal mean in latin

Two accounts have been advanced to explain the origin of the word “dismal”. Both are plausible, and neither is absolutely certain; therefore the dictionaries usually content themselves by saying, “probably thus and so,” or “origin uncertain,” or the like. One account connects it with an early English phrase, “in the dismal,” meaning “in the blues, … Read more

Where does the word “chattel” (cattle) come from and What does chattel mean?

where does the word chattel cattle come from and what does chattel mean

Under the feudal system, one’s “capital” consisted in what was considered to be his personal property, that is, in such possessions that could be moved, whatever the form of those possessions. To an English peasant of the Middle Ages, such possessions were largely restricted to his livestock, to the oxen, cows, sheep, that the tenant … Read more

Where does the word “chevaux-de-frise” originate and What does chevaux-de-frise mean?

where does the word chevaux de frise originate and what does chevaux de frise mean

During the long struggle for Dutch independence from Spanish rule, in the latter part of the seventeenth century, the people of the Low Countries were greatly handicapped by a lack of adequate cavalry or, especially, by lack of protection against cavalry charges. They might, to some extent, flood their lands by opening dikes, but that … Read more

Where does the word “commando” come from and What does commando mean?

where does the word commando come from and what does commando mean scaled

Although it was the Portuguese who were first to colonize South Africa, no extensive development of the region took place until the Dutch East India Company founded Capetown in the latter part of the seventeenth century. Dutch settlers immediately began to have difficulties with the natives. The Hottentots, first to be encountered, were either enslaved, … Read more

Where does the word colossal (Colosseum) come from and What does colossal mean?

where does the word colossal colosseum come from and what does colossal mean scaled

Ancient sculptors were accustomed to make their statutes somewhat more than life size, especially those which were to be mounted upon high pedestals or as architectural ornaments upon lofty buildings. Thus, when viewed from the roadway, the figures appeared in proper proportions and the fine details of the artist’s handiwork were not lost through the … Read more

Where does the word “clue” come from and What does clue mean?

where does the word clue come from and what does clue mean

Several thousand years ago, the large island of Crete, in the eastern Mediterranean, was at the height of its glory. Explorations show that its culture, about two thousand years before Christ, must have rivaled that of Egypt at its best and was far more advanced than that attained in Greece for many centuries. But among … Read more

Where does the word “coach” come from and What does coach mean?

where does the word coach come from and what does coach mean scaled

In a little town in Hungary, back in the fifteenth century, there lived an obscure carriage builder, destined to make his village known throughout Christendom, though his own name is unrecorded. Possibly the king, Ladislaus Posthumus, or his successor, Matthias Corvinus, for the date is uncertain, wished something more elaborate or larger than the usual … Read more

Where does the word “cake” come from and What does cake mean?

where does the word cake come from and what does cake mean scaled

Outside of Scotland, the original sense of the word “cake” applied to something edible occurs chiefly in combination, as pancake, hoecake, fishcake. That is, back in the days of Chaucer (and still among the Scots), a cake was distinguished from a loaf by its appearance and the manner of its baking. The cake was flattened … Read more

How did the Caterpillar Get Its Name and Where Does the Word “Caterpillar” Come From?

how did the caterpillar get its name and where does the word caterpillar come from

Pilare is the Latin for “to grow hair” and gives an adjective pilosus, meaning “hairy.” From this and their own word chat, a cat, the French formed chatepelose, “hairy cat,” which may be compared to “woolly bear,” the common name by which English children refer to the same fuzzy creature, the caterpillar. The French word, … Read more