The Logocosm

Great site for logophiles

The Editor — Mon, 26 May 2008 20:30:21 +0000

Check it out. Run, don’t walk:

http://phrontistery.info

Diseases

The Editor — Mon, 05 May 2008 00:14:03 +0000

botulism

1878, from Ger. Botulismus (1878), coined in Ger. from L. botulus “sausage” + -ismus suffix of action or state. Sickness first traced to eating tainted sausage.

measles

c.1325, probably from M.Du. masel “blemish” (in pl. “measles”), from P.Gmc. *mas- “spot, blemish” (cf. O.H.G. masla “blood-blister”). Probably influenced by O.Fr. mesel “leprous,” from L. misellus “wretched, unfortunate,” dim. of miser “wretched.” Measly “affected with measles” is 1687, sense of “meager and contemptible” first recorded 1864 in British slang.

gonorrhea

1526, from L.L. gonorrhoia, from gonos “seed” + rhoe “flow,” from rhein “to flow.” Mucus discharge was mistaken for semen. In early records often Gomoria, etc., from folk etymology association with biblical Gomorrah.

streptococcus

bacteria genus, 1877, Mod.L., coined by Viennese surgeon Albert Theodor Billroth (1829-94) from Gk. streptos “twisted” + Mod.L. coccus “spherical bacterium,” from Gk. kokkos “berry.” So called because the bacteria usually form chains.

Etyomological information accessed at www.etymonline.com

Image accessed at www.wannaveg.com (check out the site, in paticular “Our Mission.” Multiply by seven).

Favorite Words: B

The Editor — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 02:39:06 +0000

Beatific: ADJ. experiencing or bestowing celestial joy.

Her beatific personality was, as always, in irreverent contrast to her moribund locality.

Bouffant: ADJ. puffed-out; full.

His self-worth could not be called bouffant any more than his self-deprecating comments at dinner last night could be called civil.

Definitions accessed at www.dictionary.com

Learn your latin roots: A

The Editor — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 15:38:30 +0000

acu, acr, ac——————–needle

alt—————————-high

ann, enn———————-year

arch, archi——————–govern, rule

ASSIGNMENT: Please post your favorite English derivatives in the comments.

First words: a curiosity and a correction

The Editor — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 03:19:20 +0000

plethora:

1541, a medical word for “excess of body fluid,” from L.L. plethora, from Gk. plethore “fullness,” from plethein “be full” (see poly-). Fig. meaning “too much, overfullness in any respect” is first recorded 1700.

travesty:

1674, from adj. meaning “dressed so as to be made ridiculous, parodied, burlesqued” (c.1662), from Fr. travesti “dressed in disguise,” pp. of travestir “to disguise” (1592), from It. travestire “to disguise,” from L. trans- “over” + vestire “to clothe”

Accessed at http://www.etymonline.com