The Wonder of Word Origins
Lifestyle
Lifestyle It’s estimated that we speak around 16,000 words a day, but have you ever thought about where they came from?Etymology shows that language has an amusing if not downright laugh-inducing sense of humor at times. Here are just a few examples of curious word origins.
DudeThis is a word that has certainly done a 180-degree turn: in the 1880s, instead of referring to a laid-back man, it described one overconcerned with his appearance.
FreelanceCredited to Sir Walter Scott’s 1819 novel Ivanhoe, this was a name for a warrior who fought for whoever was the highest bidder (presumably using whatever free lance was available for battle).
GeniusIn fourteenth-century Rome, this moniker belonged to a person’s guardian spirit—a force that watched over them from birth and guided them through life.
MuscleMusculusthe Latin word muscle comes from, literally means “little...
