#25 – On word etymology (part 3)
Olympics-related words’ origins
Hi everyone!
Happy August. In today’s letter, I’d like to share with you etymologies of five interesting Olympics-related words since the Olympic games are wrapping up this weekend!
Once again, the awesome folks at Merriam-Webster are my source for all these words. References are at the end. Please feel free to share with me any fun etymology you know of.
Compete
I recently looked up the etymology of the word “compete,” and what I found out was surprising!
“Compete” comes from Late Latin competere to seek together, from Latin, to come together, agree, be suitable, from com- + petere to go to, seek. It’s so interesting to notice how the meaning has evolved over time!
Athlete
“Athlete” comes from Middle English, from Latin athleta, from Greek athlētēs, from athlein to contend for a prize, from athlon prize, contest.
Medal
“Medal” comes from Middle French medaille, from Old Italian medaglia coin worth half a denarius. The denarius was the principal silver coin of Rome for five hundred years. “The profile head of the goddess Roma—the personification of Rome—was the most popular image depicted on silver denarii in the second and first centuries BC,” says the Art Institute of Chicago’s website.
Game
“Game” comes from Middle English game, gamen "delight, amusement, play, contest, pursuit of animals in sport," going back to Old English gamen, gomen "amusement, jest, pastime," going back to Germanic *gamano-.
Win
“Win” comes from “Middle English winnen "to strive, struggle, obtain by exertion, earn with labor, gain, triumph," going back to Old English winnan "to labor, strive," going back to a Germanic verb base *wenu̯-.
Thank you for reading!
PS: Are you curious about what athletes and fans have been eating at the 2024 Olympics? Check out this article from Food & Wine. It’s fascinating! https://www.foodandwine.com/food-guide-paris-olympics-2024-8668612
PPS: And here is yet another picture of a Lake Ontario sign:
References:
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Compete. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/compete
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Athlete. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/athlete
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Medal. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/medal
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Game. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/game
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Win. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/win