#18 – On word etymology (part 2)

Origins of five interesting words

Hi friends!

I hope you are well wherever you are in the world! In today’s letter, I’d like to share with you the etymologies of five words I’ve learned lately. My sources for all these words are the Merriam-Webster dictionary:

Beam

Beam comes from Middle English beem, from Old English bēam tree. It feels so fitting that a word with a meaning of ray of light comes from tree.

Genius

Genius comes from the Latin gignere, which means to beget, to produce and to give birth. I read that in Ancient Rome, genius was considered a person’s guardian spirit who protects the individual from the moment of their birth. It seems that over time, the word has come to mean someone who possesses a particularly powerful or talented spirit.

Guru

While most of us know the word guru as a spiritual teacher, master or expert, I recently found out that the Sanskrit origin of the word guru is an adjective that means heavy. So, guru literally means the heavy one. I read an interpretation that the original meaning of guru means the one who is heavy with wisdom, who stands like a mountain and does not oscillate in the vicissitudes of life.

Tulip

Tulip comes from New Latin tulipa, from the Turkish tülbent turban. This is likely due to the rounded shape of the flower being similar to that of a turban.

Oxymoron

A fun fact – the word oxymoron is an oxymoron itself! It comes from the Greek oxys sharp, keen and mōros foolish, dull. I found this so delightful!

Thank you for being here! I hope you have an amazing week ahead!

PS: This time of the year always makes me so happy! Look at these flowers! :)

A park in Toronto