Science

A few will be aware I have been known to speak on various subjects over the years. Fundamentally these all revolve around my favourite subject of etymology. Have always enjoyed bringing this fascinating subject to others. It’s not for me to say whether the audiences have, although many have asked me to return.

Thought it might be worthwhile sharing a snippet or two from these etymological presentations, continuing with Science. For most of us science began and ended with the school laboratory, since then only the odd documentary has subjected us to the many scientific terms. But just what is a scientific term? How many do we use every single day? You would be surprised how many you not only use but understand and even more surprised by how these terms came about and their original meaning. There is a PowerPoint presentation to accompany this talk if required.

A few examples, just a taster, and beginning with sulphur: note it is correct to use the American spelling of ‘sulfur’, is seemingly of Greek derivation and deliberately uses the ‘ph’ to suggest such. Yet nothing could be further from the truth as this is from the Latin sulfur, coming to English through the French soufre, and originally used to mean ‘brimstone’ although coming from a root meaning ‘to burn’

Arsenic: is sadly best known as a poison, however it is an essential dietary requirement in creatures such as rats, hamsters, goats, chickens and even humans (albeit only in trace amounts). It is found in three common allotropes known as black, metallic grey and yellow – this final form being particularly relevant in the origin of the name. Arsenic has been known since prehistoric times and recorded by the Greeks as arsenikon, itself from the Syriac zarniga and Middle Persian zarnik, both meaning ‘gold-coloured’. That it has been used for millennia for its decorative qualities does allow us to trace it back to Proto-Indo-European ghel meaning ‘to shine’. There is no truth in ‘arsenic’ coming from the term arsenokoites, found in the New Testament when St Paul speaks against homosexuality. Undoubtedly this does come from the Greek arsen ‘man’ and koites ‘bed’, and understood as ‘lying with men’, but any similarity to arsenic is purely coincidental.

Hydrogen: may be the most abundant element in the universe but is named for being ‘water producing’ for this is from Greek hydor ‘water’ and French gene ‘producing’. In English it was once known as Cavendish’s inflammable air, thankfully this ended by the end of the 18th century

Tantalum: was named by Swedish chemist Anders Ekberg in 1802. As tantalum does not absorb acid, he named it after Tantalus, the king of Phrygia, son of Zeus and father to Pelops and Niobe. In Greek mythology he is the one who was punished (for various reasons depending upon which version one reads) in the afterlife by standing up to his chin in a pool of water under a branch laden with fruit – yet whenever he stooped to drink or raised his head to eat they always remained just out of reach. Question is, why would it bother him if he was dead?

If you think you know someone who would like to hear me speak on this subject, drop me a line.

Household Items

A few will be aware I have been known to speak on various subjects over the years. Fundamentally these all revolve around my favourite subject of etymology. Have always enjoyed bringing this fascinating subject to others. It’s not for me to say whether the audiences have, although many have asked me to return.

Thought it might be worthwhile sharing a snippet or two from these etymological presentations, continuing with Household Items. Pots and pans, cutlery, white goods, and even those most basic items such as the table, the chair and the bed - at some point in time these must have been named and why were these chosen? A fascinatingly different look at our history through both language and everyday items. Some things will never be seen in the same light again. There is a PowerPoint presentation to accompany this talk if required.

And for a taster let’s take a look at a few examples beginning with toaster: from ‘toast’, first used to refer to the browning of bread in the early 15th century, this came from the Old French toster meaning ‘to grill, roast, burn’ and, in turn, comes from the Latin torrere ‘to parch’ which is ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ters ‘to dry’. Interestingly this is also the origin of ‘terrain’, which today refers to a broad expanse of ground but originally meant ‘dry ground’ and thus the phrase ‘desert terrain’ or ‘waterless terrain’ is quite superfluous.

Knife: comes from Proto-Germanic knibaz also meaning ‘knife’. Note the pronunciation with a silent ‘k’ is only since 1750 – this was not deliberate, it is simply quite difficult to continually say ker-nife.

Toilet: now you might be a little surprised to find the earliest use in English, seen from 1530s, came from Middle French toilette meaning ‘a cloth, bag for clothes’. This shares an origin with ‘toil’, itself a Middle French origin where toile meant ‘hunting net, cloth, web’ and traced to Proto-Indo-European teks ‘to weave’. So how did ‘cloth’ become ‘karzee’? The answer, as with all changes, is by association – the cloth adorned the dresser, the dresser was in a small room or closet, and eventually to the inevitable lavatory attached or included. Now you’re going to ask about ‘lavatory’, which comes from the same root as ‘lave’ and referred to a ‘place for washing’ – and thus began as a euphemism for ‘toilet’.

If you think you know someone who would like to hear me speak on this subject, drop me a line.