#7 – On word etymology (part 1)
Origins of five interesting words
Do you look up origins of words? I definitely do!
I find that learning etymologies helps me to remember words more easily and develop a deeper appreciation for their meaning. In this letter, I’d like to share with you origins of five interesting words.
Philosophy
Philosophy is a combination of two Greek words: Philos, which means love, and sophia, which means wisdom. So philosophy literally means love of wisdom.
Mystery
The root of “mystery” is a Greek verb, muein, which means to close the mouth. I learned this from Lewis Hyde’s “The Gift.”
Nostalgia
Nostalgia comes from two Greek words: Nostos and algos. Nostos means homeland, whereas algos means pain or longing — so nostalgia literally means longing for one’s homeland.
Spirit
According to Merriam-Webster (an excellent source for etymologies, by the way), spirit comes from: Middle English, from Anglo-French or Latin; Anglo-French, espirit, spirit, from Latin spiritus, literally, breath, from spirare to blow, breathe.
Comfort
Also, according to Merriam-Webster, comfort (verb) comes from Anglo-French conforter, comforter, borrowed from Late Latin confortāre "to strengthen, restore strength to, invigorate, cure" (Medieval Latin also "to cheer, reassure"), from Latin con- con- + Late Latin -fortāre, verbal derivative of Latin fortis "strong, robust.”
PS: On another note, Happy December!
In the hustle and bustle of this year-end period, let’s not forget to take some time for ourselves to reflect, rest and rejuvenate. Lately, I have been thinking of this quote from the Great Maya Angelou:
“Every person needs to take one day away. A day in which one consciously separates the past from the future. Jobs, family, employers, and friends can exist one day without any one of us, and if our egos permit us to confess, they could exist eternally in our absence. Each person deserves a day away in which no problems are confronted, no solutions searched for. Each of us needs to withdraw from the cares which will not withdraw from us.” ― Maya Angelou
PPS: If you enjoy reading Saran Wrapped Letters, please feel free to share it with your friends and family! Thanks for being here :)
I love this concept of using etymologies to remember words better. I'm going to experiment with this the next time I come across an interesting word I want to retain; I think it'd increase my enjoyment and appreciation of it.