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Etymology: The Study of Words

The origin of words is one of the most fascinating studies in the liberal arts curriculum. Many English words have a long and checkered history in which they were derived from words in other languages or arose out of unusual circumstances. The word "buckaroo," for example, comes from the Spanish word for "cowboy," vaquero, which has a Latin root word of vacca, meaning "cow" (Casselman, 2007). Vaquero, spoken with the Spanish pronunciation that turns v's into b's, sounds very much like "buckaroo."

The study of word origins is etymology, which is a "branch of linguistics that investigates the history, development, and origin of words" (Columbia Encyclopedia, n.d.). Etymology reveals that words have not been static throughout time, but that their meaning has arisen, changed, and adapted according to the society in which they occur and its associated history. In the study of etymology are myriad interesting word origins and stories that describe how various words came into being and what words in other languages they were originally derived from. "Photograph," for example, comes from the Greek word "photon," meaning "light," and the word "graphos," meaning "write;" it literally means to write with light.

The study of etymology occurs at all levels in our educational system. Elementary schools such as the Elvin Hill Elementary School in Shelby County, Alabama teach etymology. Elvin Hill gives students the opportunity to explore the etymology and history of their own names (Lesson Corner, 2009). Names in every country and culture have meanings, and children are delighted to learn what their names mean. The name "John," for example comes from the Hebrew name Yochanan, meaning "YAHWEH is gracious" (Behind the Name, n.d.).

Many high schools teach Greek and Latin word origins, some focusing on common prefixes and suffixes. Students learn the components of words in their original languages and the...

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Etymology: The Study of Words. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 03:47, March 29, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/2000995.html