All Questions
Tagged with terminology etymology
168
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Etymology of "guard" as a position in grappling
In grappling martial arts and combat sports, particularly Brazilian jiu-jitsu, the word "guard" refers to a type of body position on the ground. In a guard position, one person (the one who &...
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What is the origin of the term "post" as in "post a journal to the general ledger"?
I understand what it means to post a journal, but I'd love to know the origin of the term.
I've not been able to find an explanation from Google. My intuition is that it might refer to a historic time ...
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Why ternary not ternal?
Why is is the base-2 numeral system called binary, the base-3 one called ternary, when base-8 is octal and base-10 is decimal?
The different suffixes, -ary vs -al, are what I am concerned about.
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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 ...
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What is the origin of the verb 'foxed' in reference to book condition?
I ordered a book online, unseen, and the invoice told me the book, or at least its pages, were 'foxed'. I had never come across the expression, did not know the word could be a verb and discovered :
...
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Do etymologists refer to when a word was first written, rather than when it was first used (spoken)?
I've never thought about the definition of when a word was invented. I've just joined Stack Exchange and am wondering how etymologists define first use.
etymnonline dot com has
image (n.)
c. 1200
...
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How did "quantum" come to mean "smallest amount"?
In Latin, it simply means "an amount", which can be of anything and of any size. In modern English, especially in physics, it means the smallest amount physically possible, i.e. a physically ...
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Etymology of 'Priscilla' to refer to a type of curtain
Squashed between Priscian and Priscillian in Merriam-Webster Online, there's a peculiar entry, priscilla. It's not just a Biblical name, it appears, but also some sort of curtain.
priscilla:
[noun - ...
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How did 'man of war' get that name?
In chapter seven of Gulliver's Travels it is written:
But hurried on by the precipitancy of youth, and having his imperial majesty’s license to pay my attendance upon the emperor of Blefuscu, I took ...
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Why does mathematics say "quadratic" instead of "squaric"?
In mathematics, powers of 2 and 3 are often referred to using "square" and "cube" terminology: a "number squared/cubed", the "square/cube root of a number". ...
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Constructing an active verb out of a passive word [closed]
Consider the following words:
capture:
to take captive, to gain control of especially by force; to gain or win especially through effort
captive:
taken and held as or as if a prisoner of war; kept ...
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What is the term or word used to describe a name such as 'N.S Ennis' where the initials 'N.S' sound the same as the surname 'Ennis'?
My name, 'N.S Ennis', was called out in a waiting room some years ago and I was told there was an actual term for this occurrence where the initials 'NS' sound the same as the surname 'Ennis'. I am ...
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Why does a draw mean a game/match/contest that ends with no winner?
A draw is a match/game/contest that ends with no outright winner, or both teams or players having the same score. The more usual term in North America is a tie, whereas a draw is usual elsewhere. A ...
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What type of verb is EAT:FEED, KNOW:INFORM
We have verbs like :
EAT > FEED
KNOW > INFORM
My question is what kind of verbs are they? What are they called in grammar (e.g. causative, factitive etc)? I knew the name a long ago but forgot ...
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What does the term "antisemitic" mean and how did it arrive at it's modern definition? [closed]
I ask this question for two reasons. One, it's being used a lot currently in western media and online spaces such as twitter, so maybe if I could fully grasp it's definition I could understand why it'...
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