Word of the Day / Etymology

[LaurieHolden]

I do like a bit of a dive into origins of words, and the way in which their meanings have changed throughout history.

[LaurieHolden]

Yakka first occurs in the 1840s as a verb meaning ‘to work’, and it derives from yaga meaning ‘work’ in the Yagara language of the Brisbane region. Yakka found its way into nineteenth-century Australian pidgin, and then passed into Australian English.

[Skids]

Running 'Amok'.

The word "amok" comes from the Malay word "mengamok," which means to make a furious and desperate charge. Captain Cook used the phrase to describe the behaviour of Malay tribesmen.

[stui magpie]

Most people are aware of the word Snafu and understand it to be a chaotic state, not many are aware that it's origins is as a US Military Acronym, where it means Situation Normal All F'd Up.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SNAFU

[watt price tully]

I don’t mean to bug you but what is the etymology of aetiology and entomology? 😉🤔

[stui magpie]

latin.

[LaurieHolden]

Actually Greek. The suffix 'ology' is adapted from Ancient Greek literary origins, meaning 'the study of'.
While many branches of knowledge / science have Latin names, there isn't a Latin term for 'oligy'.

[stui magpie]

There is if you pronounce the 'li' with an r, but otherwise I defer to your knowledge.

[LaurieHolden]

Sangfroid - the ability to stay calm in a difficult or dangerous situation.
Derived from French sang froid, literally "cool blood," from sang "blood" (from Latin sanguis).
Its a tricky one on the pronunciation front though. More 'son-frWa'.

If you ever get invited to the MCC, you could try and blend in, and use it in a sentence, e.g -
"despite having his head taken off on numerous occasions, Ginnivan maintained his sangfroid, and proved himself once again by kicking a brace of goals"

[think positive]

Sangfroid, I love that, rolls of the tongue, I’m a gunna remember that one!

[LaurieHolden]

soliloquy - A speech in a play that the character speaks to himself or herself or to the people watching rather than to the other characters:
Hamlet's soliloquy starts "To be or not to be".

plural soliloquies

I sometimes find myself walking around home uttering soliloquy. I think that is also called talking to yourself...