Just wondering

People who have studied Mediterranean languages, even without the benefit of Latin, also become fascinated by the origins of words and the cognates in the various languages they do know. My DS2 takes after me in his interest in language even though he doesn't have the advantage of a classical education.
The easiest language I ever learnt (or tried to learn) was Swahili. Grammar completely different from Indo-European grammar, but followed a pattern that was easy enough to learn.

Yes anno. It's so satisfying to 'link up' words in Spanish/ French/ Italian etc and see their roots. My DS finds it equally interesting and he had a better grade in higher Latin than I did!!
Unfortunately, Latin has now been cut from the curriculum at his alma mater (which I'd also attended).
I've never ventured beyond european languages although I made a point of learning a few useful phrases in Urdu.

Another good book is Lingo, by Gaston Dorren.

Bellanonna, my knowledge was so bad about this that I just thought a journalist, or a region made up a word, and it entered a dictionary at some point.
So it hadnt occured to me that anything much could be written about the origins of a word for that reason.

And I had no idea that Shakespeare and anyone else for that matter, deliberately made up words.

I havent really given much thought to the entire subject of origin of words since schooldays.
I did do Latin at school, but that was part of said schooldays.

I too have always been interested in the origin of words ...fostered by my dear father (self taught),who delighted in passing on what he had painstakingly learned. In our house too was The Loom of Language and Mathematics for the Million (both by Lancelot Hogben?). My father pointed out that "slogan" and "galore" are words in common and frequent use...both derived from Scottish gaelic.

I am interested in the origins of words and the other day a friend referred to "swimming togs."

I hadn't heard that expression for years although I used to use it. "Togs" comes from the French "togue" meaning cloak or from the Latin "toga."

One has to be careful. The love of language can lead to intolerance. I have to consciously remind myself that nothing is cast in stone. BUT…when did problems become issues? Are there any nouns that can’t be verbed(?)?

Lots, surely? Just looking round my room, if I verbalise lamp that would mean to hit someone. Chair would be to take a meeting. Carpet would be to admonish someone. I haven't been in the garden yet! But you get my drift (think that's a WS phrase) some you can but not all.
I certainly don't feel intolerant. Just at times irritated by inaccuracies like text for texted and so on. That's my inner Grumpy Old Woman being exercised from time to time.

Thanks, janer, I've added 'Lingo' to my wish list.

Falconbird, I was quite amused, on my first visit to NZ that 'togs', which has become archaic in Britain, is still in common use there for swimming gear.

And to add to your list, Bellanonna, the most obvious one from recent years is 'medalled'. So wrong...or is that just my own inner GOW having a bit of a work-out?

ana

Another neologism, related in form to freebie must be newbie - describing new member of a group of any kind. Handy, because there isn't really any alternative term.

@Gerente - Surely 'cast in bronze' or 'set in stone' - I don't see how one could cast anything in stone!

Yes fb, you are quite right, I am cast down.. But wait! Plaster of Paris?

A little light-bulb moment (and isn't that a satisfying phrase?) for me was following my MiL's saying, "it's all san fairy anne to me". At some point, I heard "Ca ne fait rien" and realised she had meant she didn't care one way or the other. She didn't know any French - she believed.

There are three of us in our little office who went to school when an emphasis was put on grammar and punctuation. We are known to be members of the Grammar Police. The others are under 30 and don't get so worked up about it. However, one of us oldies always puts herself first - "Me and John" as the subject of a sentence ... It took me years to beat this habit out of my daughter who would refer to "Me and Rosie..." At the beginning of a sentence

Or one of we oldies?

No, you were right - it's 'one of us' so why should it be different with 'oldies' appended?

My DiL, although one of the generation that learnt little or no grammar at school, is firm about correcting my GC if they make the I/me mistake. Now that they have grammar in the SATs, I wonder if some of the teachers have had to take a refresher course, since most of them haven't been taught grammar in their schooldays. As a school governor, I read all too many letters from job applicants that were littered with errors, especially with misplaced apostrophes.

Brilliant!!!!! Whoever would have thought it. Freebie comes from the word free and Gofer comes from go for.
You learn something new all the time, don't you?

Even slang comes from somewhere There is a reason why people start to say strange things instead of "proper" words.

petra

Been away from this thread since I posted last week. Just wanted to say thanks janerowena for mentioning the Lingo book - I downloaded this to my Kindle some time ago and had completely forgotten!
I have to say, much as I love my Kindle, this is a problem sometimes. Actual books on actual bookshelves are so much easier to pick up and put down again, instead of having to remember what's in your virtual library and then search for it. In the meantime, of course, you have to remember which novel you'd been in the middle of and re-open it.
On the other hand, of course, buying print books always created a storage problem for me and I was continually taking books to the charity shop. At least the Kindle deals effectively with that! But I think on balance I prefer print for reference books. Novels are not likely to be re-read these days anyway (so many books, so little time!)

Exactly Ash Tree, I value my Kindle for the same reasons as you, but find I prefer most non fiction and reference books as real books to dip into.

Soontobe. I forgot to add that I'm in constant amazement at your pearls of wisdom. Whatever will you come up with next.

I wonder that about you too, petra.