Around is in the dictionary to mean 'in the vicinity' or perhaps 'encircling'. It is also used as a synonym for 'about' and also 'on'. Historically, the correct usage is seen from around 1600, prior to that it appears as 'on round' which might seem bad grammar but does make more sense.
Barter is so often wrongly used to mean 'negotiate' when bartering is correctly an exchange of goods. Interesting to note the word came from Old French barater where other meanings included 'cheat, deceive' and is related to Irish brath or 'treachery'.
Canvas is a strong fabric used as protection, it is not a way of judging or gathering support, that word is 'canvass'. The former comes from Old French chanevaz and Latin cannapaceus, both meaning 'made from hemp' - the word is also related to 'cannabis'. Canvass has an identical origin, probably due to a sheet of canvas being used to sift or examine something.
Discreet, meaning 'circumspect', is often confused with 'discrete' meaning 'separate from'. Both spellings were used for the first meaning until 1600, and both come from the Latin discretus 'separated'.
Eponymous refers to something which gives its name to something else, such as the eponymous hero of the novel Jane Eyre is the character Jane Eyre. Yet this is often reversed, such as when people refer to their vacuum cleaner (a Dyson, or Electrolux) and having done the 'hoovering' with it. It first appears in English in 1833. Clearly from Greek, it originated as eponymos, where it referred to the title of magistrates who had given their name to the years when they held office.
Forego is often mixed up with 'forgo'. The former means 'to precede' and the latter 'to go without'. Etymology does not help with these compound words.
Gone is the past participle of 'go', traceable to Proto-Indo-European ghe to release'. Went, which is the simple past tense of 'go', began as 'wend' and became the past tense of 'go' around the beginning of the 17th century.
Hoard is 'a collection of items deposited together', while a 'horde' is a 'collection of people'. The former comes from Proto-Indo-European ske 'to cover, conceal', the latter is a word coming from several Middle East languages meaning 'camp, army'.
Imply and infer are often reversed, when correctly 'imply' refers to the speaker and infer to the listener. Etymology does not help at all for these compound words, as we can see when we realise the Proto-Indo-European roots for these are words meaning 'plait', when it comes to imply, and 'to bear children' in the case of infer.
Levee and levy, where 'levee' is from a French word which has also given us 'lever' and meaning 'a raising', while 'levy' is a tax or surcharge but also comes from the Proto-Indo-European root ;eghw 'a raising'.
Myself or, as Joan Armatrading once sang, >My, Myself, I are often confused and yet there are very clear rules for the use of each. 'I' is only used as a subject; 'me' only used as an object; and 'myself' only as a reflexive object. In recent times 'myself' has also been used, and incorrectly so, as a form of hypercorrection - this as in "I myself saw it with my own eyes". Interesting to note that 'I' has only been used since the middle of the twelfth century, it came to English from Old Frisian ik and Proto-Germanic ek. 'Me' is found in just about every root language and goes right back to Proto-Indo-European me which is always used to mean 'I'. 'Myself' did not appear until the early sixteen century, and even then began as 'meself' and changed through misunderstanding of 'herself' and 'hisself' being gender based, when the latter is simply the early version of 'meself' and 'herself' a misunderstanding of the apparent gender reference of 'hisself'.
Novitiate is often used incorrectly. A novice is a trainee, but it is when used to refer to a trainee in a religious order that problems occur. Novitiate refers to the period when one was a novice or the time spent as a novice. It is not, as so often said, a description of a novice monk or nun. 'Novice' came from Old French novice (with the same meaning) and Latin novicus meaning 'newly arrived, inexperienced'. 'Novitiate' is not seen until the early seventeen centruty, and is also from the same root of novicius.
Of is only included because I have often heard 'should've', 'would've', and 'could've' used, especially when emphasised, as 'should of', 'would of', and 'could of' when clearly then suffix is not 'of' but 'have'. One of the worst characters I ever heard repeating this error was that former bastion of daytime morning television Jeremy Kyle, who so often gently warned the individual perceived as the less able parent "WELL YOU SHOULD OF!" Perhaps Mr Kyle would be interested to learn the etymology of 'of' takes us back to Proto-Indo-European apo meaning both 'off' and 'away', while 'have' is ultimately from Proto-Indo-European kap 'to grasp'.
Perquisite is 'an extra privilege' and does not mean the same as 'prerequisite' or 'a predetermined condition'. Etymologically 'perquisite' appears in the fifteen century to mean 'property acquired by means other than inheritance', while 'prerequisite' is seen from 1630 and is from 'requisite', itself seen from the late foorteenth century when it was used to mean 'to inquire or ask a question'.
Regimen and regiment (and if you think that's implausible I did read 'regiment' in a book a couple of months ago when 'regimen' was clearly the correct word - and I won't mention the book or author or she might ignore me again) - are used to mean 'a system of order' while a regiment is a military unit. 'Regiment' came to English from Old French regiment 'government. rule' and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European reg 'move in a straight line. 'Regimen' has exactly the same origins. The two words came into usage in English at almost the same moment and thus have likely always been confused.
Suit and suite are 'an article of clothing' and 'a series or set', respectively. Both share an identical in etymological terms, each from Old French suite, albeit appearing at difference times, around 1300 and 1670, respectively, and are ultimately from Proto-Indo-European sekw 'to follow'.
Throw is sometimes given when 'throe' is correct. Etymologically 'throw' as in 'to toss, lob' comes from Proto-Indo-European tere originally meant 'rub, turn'; and 'throe' as in 'pang' if first seen in English as throwe meaning 'pain. pain of childbirth, agony of death' and is a;so thought to go back to the same Proto-Indo-European root'.
Wave instead of waive is ludicrously common - (I even saw it used on a mock exam question!) - and, as we all know, 'wave' is a hand gesture (no, not that one) and 'waive' means 'to refrain from insisting upon or using (a right or claim)'. The former is from Old English waefre 'restless, unstable' and ultimately from Proto-Indo-Germanic uebh meaning 'to move to and fro' (weave has the same origin) and the use as 'wave of the hand' not seen until the mid-fifteen century. What began as a legal term in Anglo-French weyver, to be precise 'deprive of legal protection', came from Old French guevr 'to abandon, give back' and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European weip 'to turn, tremble ecstatically'.
No comments:
Post a Comment