All Questions
Tagged with single-word-requests etymology
106
questions
-1
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1
answer
64
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What's the meaning of "QTY"? [closed]
I found the abbreviation "QTY" in an assay (not essay!😊). Can you tell me the meaning of this abbreviation? How can I paraphrase/explain it into ordinary words?
- 131
3
votes
1
answer
69
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How come that "bimonthly" means "twice a month" and "every two months" simultaneously? [duplicate]
What's the story behind this word, and how did it end so ambiguous, while other languages differ?
There's already "Bimestral"why does every dictionary still uses "once every two months&...
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-1
votes
1
answer
103
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Is there a word for when the name of something describes or defines how it is made?
I am wondering if there is a word for this as described in the title.
My example: I am writing about a SWANA ingredient/food product by the name of "Freekeh", which is based on the Arabic ...
0
votes
3
answers
93
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Does "transparent" have contradictory meanings?
Varous definitions of the word "transparent" seem almost contradictory:
nearly invisible
easy to perceive
functioning without the user's perception
The first two definitions seem to be in ...
- 139
1
vote
0
answers
43
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Meaning of "she has hern" in Faulkner's 'As I Lay Dying' [duplicate]
I am reading "As I Lay Dying" and have usually been able to look up the meaning behind the choice of words that Faulkner uses. However, I am unable to find a satisfactory definition of the ...
- 111
0
votes
2
answers
155
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What does "Sandbagging" (or sometimes sandboxing) mean as an expression in startup or sales and where is it coming from?
I have heard one meaning of it in the context of a personal goal is to set a too-easy goal (i.e., that you know you can easily achieve). I also heard it is coming from golf. Can someone shed more ...
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3
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696
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Word to describe someone with all knowledge in some field [closed]
Word that describes someone that has all possible knowledge in some specific field, like an expert.
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2
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1
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253
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Is "samuraily" correct?
Pahlavāni, knighthood, and samuraily may be different in forms of
cultural output, but all three are inherently from the same
historical essence.
Pahlavāni (پهلوانی) is a Persian word. In its ...
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6
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5
answers
4k
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Transformation Of The Meaning Of the Word "Idiot" [closed]
The historical core meaning of the word "idiot" was a person with a low IQ to a developmentally disabled degree.
This sense of the word is now used infrequently as it is considered rude. ...
- 2,424
1
vote
0
answers
52
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Is there a word in a dead or lost language that we lost the definition to? [closed]
Is there a word we lost the definition to?
A word whose definition we lost to history?
Something that is a part of our history but we forgot the meaning with time
- 111
2
votes
2
answers
76
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How to describe Bipolar-like behaviour in a positive sense? [closed]
Little bit of background that might seem technical - I'm looking for a name for this common pattern in web design - if you are not logged-in, the homepage shows a marketing landing page. But once you ...
- 121
0
votes
1
answer
352
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Doctrine as a verb or adjective [closed]
Doctrine should definitely be a verb in the English language, but apparently, it is not. What would then be the word that best suits such a purpose?
Ex: He was doctrined to uphold such beliefs.
- 159
2
votes
3
answers
1k
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What word was used with the meaning of "suicide" pre-1650s?
Online Etymology Dictionary puts the origin as such:
"deliberate killing of oneself," 1650s, from Modern Latin suicidium
Wiktiobary here puts:
Suicide, 1651, New Latin coinage (probably ...
- 1,927
0
votes
1
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72
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What is a word which means "un-deliberately uncooperative"? (originating back to at least the 17th-century)
I am looking for a word for the quality of being un-deliberately uncooperative?
So not the likes of "stubborn" which has a connotation of deliberate uncooperativeness to reason or what-have-...
- 1,927
0
votes
1
answer
249
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What is it called when two senses of the same word are etymologically independent?
Sometimes different senses of the same word have different etymons. For example, mole as a small burrowing animal and mole as a chemical quantity are etymologically unrelated.
Is there a name for ...
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2
votes
1
answer
263
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What is a word that describes a monolithic national identity?
Something similar in French would be la jacobinisme (Jacobinism); however, I’m not looking for a political party but a phrase or word in the English lexicon.
The definition would be:
[Blank] is a noun ...
- 21
3
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2
answers
423
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Are there any pairs of English words that are cognate to each other yet have opposite meanings?
Alright, here's the best way I can explain this: if, hypothetically, the word pairs (love, loathe) and (friend, fiend) were cognates (i.e. they shared an etymological ancestor), they would be ...
- 225
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2
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68
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What is the idea called when something has happened to you but you just don't know? [duplicate]
There is a word/idea that something has happened to you, but you just don't know that it already has occured.
Question
Have you ever been phished before?
Answer
1. Yes.
2. No, I have never been ...
- 101
3
votes
3
answers
452
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Words Similar to the -Smith Suffix [closed]
I am aware of -wright, which is often used as a compound, e.g. playwright. But are there any other suffixes that are synonymous or similar in meaning to -wright and -smith?
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2
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0
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361
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Inverse of "Decimate" (not really a duplicate)
Historically, the word "decimate" means to "reduce/ destroy by one tenth"... i.e., a decimated army of 100 soldiers would have lost 10 soldiers.
Is there a word that means the ...
- 129
0
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0
answers
60
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Word for "of or to do with groups"
I appreciate this is somewhat arbitrary, but humour me! I am trying to come up with a term that describes the following...
I am working with "groups" of people. This is the informal definition, ...
- 707
30
votes
2
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4k
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What is the P in 'nope' called?
Nope is another form of No. When we say this other form, we say p in it. What is this p called? Where did it come from?
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1
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72
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What word would have been used in-place of 'even' during 17th century London
Good evening, I am in the midst of completing a time-placed stageplay and I am being exceedingly pronounced on its authenticity, in accordance with the language and word-choice, to the 1660s in London....
- 1,927
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1
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337
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Is there a word for when suffixes are overly co-opted into new words?
For example:
Alcoholic -- Alcohol means... well, alcohol. The suffix "-ic" means "of or pertaining to"
Chocoholic -- Choco: a shortened form of "chocolate". The suffix "-holic" seemingly means "...
- 1,051
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1
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856
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General way to describe words like "understand", based on archaic senses of their component parts
The word "understand" is fascinating. A surface parse of the word gives little insight into how the components are related to the concept associated with the word. In contrast, with words like "...
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3
votes
1
answer
320
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What's the -nym for describing a time of day or a period of time?
We have these...
Morning, afternoon, evening, night, day, and it's like night and day
Midnight and noon, and high noon
Yesterday, today, and tomorrow
Earlier, later, and now
Four O'Clock
2300 hours
...
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1
vote
0
answers
62
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Word request (historical) - net worn by ancient soldiers
I am looking for a word for a net worn by soldiers in ancient times hanging down from their helmets, sometimes too long as resting on shoulders. (Please, refer to the picture annotated by red arrow ...
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1
answer
72
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Daily in terms of annual [closed]
A frequency of events can be expressed using annual (once per year).
Also prefixes can be applied to increase the frequency during the year:
biannual (twice per year), triannual (thrice per year), etc....
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36
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2
answers
10k
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Why is there paternal, for fatherly, fraternal, for brotherly, but no similar word for sons?
If paternal is "relating to someone's parents", and fraternal "relating to someone's brothers", is there, or why isn't there, a word for "relating to someone's sons", i.e: sunternal
Sentence example: ...
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5
votes
1
answer
299
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Is there a word for "invented words that are a natural extrapolation of etymology"
In "(India)" english, there is a word "prepone", which is the opposite of "postpone".
It's interesting that this word appears in a non-native dialect of English (although that's debatable given the ...
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1
vote
1
answer
714
views
What is a 'civcuck'
Context:
By having us all take up barbarism the Right is spared from the
civcuck middling elements having too much a say...
Source
I am curious about the word civcuck. I cannot find it in any ...
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5
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2
answers
413
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Is there an English word whose meaning refers to 'mind' or 'memory', but whose etymology refers to 'heart'?
I know that the English language has an expression, 'to know something by heart', that alludes to the heart but whose meaning is 'to know something from memory'.
I've discovered that this link ...
- 2,605
2
votes
1
answer
1k
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Is "startlement" a word?
I have always thought that startlement is a word in the lexicon. But one day when I was writing in a google doc, I saw it underlined like a typo. I googled it to see if it was indeed a word, or a ...
- 2,147
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0
answers
67
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Is there a term for noises which CAN'T be written as normal text?
Hard to give examples, as if I'm able to do it, I won't be asking this, but consider some sounds made by the tongue.
I'm giving examples of sounds which CAN be written to give you an idea:
Dog ...
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12
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Word for what a "handyman" does?
For the past several weeks, I've been trying to figure out the word for what a “handyman” does. Last night I heard someone on the TV downstairs say “this is my handiwork,” and the connection suddenly ...
- 886
0
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3
answers
3k
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What is a better word for 'condescending' (whose meaning has changed)?
In the course of my work I have to report on the way I have conducted myself with regard to people who may be of limited capacity or who have learning disabilities. I am required to indicate in my ...
- 24.8k
1
vote
1
answer
217
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Word for a Mechanical Device? [closed]
I'm really hoping that this is an actual word at this point, but it's gotten me a severe case of loganamnosis today regardless...
I'm looking for a word that was used to describe a mechanical device ...
- 89
0
votes
1
answer
852
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"Tall, Dark, and Handsome" Character Archetype?
I'm looking a singular word that implies the archetype of "tall dark and handsome". The origin of the word would also help-- I've seen a lot of responses, here and on Google, referencing "The Story of ...
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3
votes
2
answers
866
views
Term for an event where you present on a topic/research for general knowledge sharing
My synapses are failing to fire, but I need help finding a word for an event/gathering where a topic or research is presented, usually to peers for general knowledge sharing and/or discussion.
We ...
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12
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12
answers
3k
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What's the best word for denoting "treat as a single item" in the specific context I describe?
Why I'm asking
@Xanne asks "Does this really have to do with the English language?" Yes. I seek an English language verb. If you, dear reader, find it confusing that the following mentions ...
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1
vote
1
answer
90
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Why is the word "foot" used as the basic form of poetic metre?
Someone is making an analogy between "swift-footed Achilles" and poetic "feet". This makes me wonder why iambs, trochees, etc. are called "feet" and when this started. Can you help?
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2
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113
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Word for: Creator/Innovator of a Technique
I'm doing some creative writing, and I've run up against a bit of a stump. I'm not here to ask for input on my writing, but rather to ask for a word that describe the creator, discoverer, or innovator ...
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4
votes
3
answers
746
views
Medieval word for unraveling the yarn of a yarn garment to remake it
The word for untangling yarn or taking apart a yarn garment, 'unravel' (or 'ravel'), has an early modern origin. But people (especially, one imagines, the English) have been taking apart yarn garments ...
- 807
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1
answer
317
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Is there an English verb that comes from the Greek ἀσθενέω (astheneó: to be weak or feeble)?
From Wiktionary: 3. (with infinitive) to be too weak to do a thing, to be unable
Sample using this definition:
This friction <astheneo-s> to resist the force.
An answer in the negative counts.
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1
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984
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How the word 'die' have both meanings that something stop living and that the dice [closed]
The oxford dictionary describes that the word 'die' means that something stops living.
But it also means the dice(or die, for gambling).
Is there any historical story behind it?
Sorry for poor ...
- 101
6
votes
2
answers
414
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What would the Old English Wōden look like in Modern English?
What would the Old English Wōden "Odin" look like in Modern English, if it was to undergo regular sound changes? "Wooden" or something?
- 5,401
2
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1
answer
191
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Does an etymological thesaurus exist? [closed]
I need to invent a new word familiar to English speakers, and think it would be beneficial to have a thesaurus based on the etymology of words (ideally with some ngram usage sorting).
Does such a ...
- 1,857
0
votes
2
answers
152
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Man who confused word order [duplicate]
I'm trying to remember the name of a historical figure whose name has since entered the lexicon. He confused the order of words to say things like it's all nuff and stonsense for example. - I think he ...
- 121
2
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3
answers
166
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A word that means cast aside and taken back repeatedly
I need a word that defines that which is commonly tossed aside to be grabbed back again, like a notebook. I'm trying to use a word that defines this implicit nature in an object: something that is not ...
1
vote
1
answer
412
views
Term for appending "-esque" or "-ish" to a a word to form an adjective
What is the name of the term for when someone transforms a noun into an adjective by appending -esque or -ish to the end of the noun? I see this in cases where an appropriate adjective doesn't readily ...
- 317