From the very sound of it, the subject matter of this piece is something that is seemingly reserved for the elite echelons of philology. Well, I do not belong amongst that scholarship. I study etymology for the love of it. An ‘amateur’, in a literal sense of the word. My only qualifications are that I love English, words, and history. At times, I like to amuse myself by accompanying a word on its journey through civilizations, usage, and crack jokes at its expense.
‘Etymology’, a branch of what is called historical linguistics, is the “ology of etym”. Which means the ‘study’ of ‘original meanings’. Realistically, it could be the origin of words; or cultural tropes like why do the British curl their little pinky while drinking tea; of phrases, and catchphrases; sayings, and idioms; of names, stories, customs, and even superheroes / villains. The subject, by its sheer implication, is comparable to the Fields of Elysium, without the hassle of the theistic red tape.
The Wanderer, Georg von Rosen (1886)
To study etymology, is to wander. To look.
Truly.
Let’s take a look at the above few sentences. I used the terms ology, etym, and amare (from which we derive ‘amateur’). If I were to ask you where else have you seen these terms your mind would probably jump right to the plethora of words which denote ‘studies of’, most ending in ‘ology’ – biology, chronology, mythology, and others.
Don’t stop here. Let your mind wander. Look.
Do you see the -log- stuffed between the ‘o’ and ‘y’? Think, and place it somewhere. Do you see it in ‘logic’, in ‘logarithms’, and in ‘logo’? That’s because -log is a root, derived from Ancient Greek logos (words, or speech, or computation). When you “reason with words” you use ‘logic’. A device of logic in arithmetic becomes a ‘logarithm’. And a sign to represent a word becomes a ‘logo’.
But it is not mere terms which carry meanings. At least, not if you are looking.
Look at ‘amateur’ for instance. As we saw, it is derived from Latin amare (love). Ever wondered what the name of your friend ‘Amy’ means?
That was an illustration of rudimentary understanding of etymology. Which, as far as I am concerned, is all an average person needs to actually use it in every-day life. Etymology is a complex branch of philology (or the study of knowledge). What I have been referring to as ‘terms’, namely -ology, and etym-, are called ‘roots’. English is a piping hot stew of words taken from languages all over the world. Piping hot, for the reasons that it is still constantly being stirred – changing in taste, and colour. English borrows from Ancient Greek, Latin, French, Sanskrit, German, to name a few. You can ask if it really is ‘English’ anymore, but all you’d be actually doing is setting yourself up for a colonial punchline.
To the students of etymology, the language of origin of these roots is of extreme importance. Apart from helping with the chronology of a word, they can help with its modern pronunciation, and spelling. The information may also be useful in making a “traditionally correct word” (whatever that may be). For example, take a look at the word ‘monogamy’. It is derived from the Ancient Greek roots mono- (one), and gamy (marriage). If you exchange the Ancient Greek mono with its Latin counterpart in uni, you get ‘unigamy’. Which prima facie, seems and sounds unnatural. It is important to point out here that there do exist what we call “hybrid words” which ignore this rule of both the prefixes and suffixes belonging to the same parent language. But then, there are also words which are simply made up (supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, for example), and belong to no singular, or any for that matter, parent language in particular, so I am doubtful as to the extent to which this information is relevant to you and me.
But there are people who find beauty between the ink. Those who prefer to read extensively on this highly sophisticated study of origin of words. Pointing out with painful precision, the exact inflections and changes that a word has gone through, during various periods in time. I like to think I am one of them. But I also understand that such a reading of the subject is not for everyone. And, that it is not the only way to engage with this subject. Etymology can be your wife, your mistress, or just your summer love.
For someone to appreciate the meaning in their surroundings, they should not need footnotes. A lover is allowed to be reckless. If, in your wanderings, you come across a thought, as simple as “whether ‘tic-tac-toe’ is related to ‘tactics’”, you should follow that thread. Ideally it should be right? It is one game I would definitely say needs ‘tactics’ to win. So, look for the truth, even if it sounds too simple to be true. You’d be surprised at how simple the world really is once you start to question its literal meaning. The worst outcome would be that your hypothesis would be proven wrong. But it is fine – nobody is keeping score (hopefully).
Keep looking. Keep pointing out those simple patterns and recurrences of ‘roots’ that most would look right past. Tic-tac-toe may be far from ‘tactics’, but taxis ARE related to taxes (both are derived from a root which means ‘burden’. While the former ferries about a burden, the latter is a burden placed by the government on you), coronations WILL lead you to carnations (the flower is shaped like the crown of a king), and black and bleach are more similar than they may first seem (both are derived from a Germanic root which means ‘absence’). The best places to hide are always in plain sight. Beware though, this can make you come across as supercilious. You are essentially walking around shouting, “I see what you did there”, to the most random of the things (just remember to do this bit with a smug, otherwise what’s even the point).
Yggdrasill, an illustration
When Odin the All-Father went about his search for Wisdom, he was advised by the Norns, the Fates in Nordic Mythology, to wander. It is from here that we get the avatar of Odin we call “The Wanderer”. He walked through the roots and branches of the Tree of Life – Yggdrasill. The Tree that connects the Nine Realms in Norse Mythology. He walked from Helheim to Niflheim, to Midgard, walking all across Yggdrasill in search of wisdom. At the end of his journey, what led him to the wisdom he sought was the realization that true wisdom lied in the wandering itself. ‘Yggdrasill’, he realised, was derived from Old Norse Yggr (one of the many names of Odin), and drasill (a steed, or a mount). The realization, that he did not have to walk the Tree, but had to let the Tree lead him to his destination, was right in front of the All-Seeing, All-Father, all along. All he had to do was look, and he had clarity. That is when he became Odin the Wanderer, from Odin the Wise.
So, wander. And keep looking. Etymology is for you to wield as you wish.
