The World of Words: Vocabulary for College Success ... - eLibrary

Did You Know? 171Did You Know?Copyright © Cengage Learning. All Right Reserved.Which Words Come from Names?Many English words are taken from names in classical myths. The ancientGreeks and Romans had well-developed and colorful mythologiesthat reflected the violence and passion of life in a time when humans werelargely at the mercy of disease and natural forces.The mythological king of the gods, Jupiter, ruled thunder—a fearfulforce to ancient people. His many exploits included dethroning his fatherand turning himself into a swan in order to seduce a young girl. He lovednasty jokes. The word jovial, meaning “merry,” comes from Jove, anothername for Jupiter.Mercury, often shown with wings on his feet, was the rapid messengerof the gods. The metal mercury, used in thermometers, is a quickmovingliquid at room temperature. A quick-tempered person is oftencalled mercurial. Venus, or Aphrodite, was the goddess of love. Anaphrodisiac is a drug or food that is said to increase sexual desire.Other words come from the names of real people. The Earl of Sandwich(1718–1792) loved to gamble so much that he refused to leave thegame, even to eat. Instead he had meat brought to him between twopieces of bread. U.S. Union Civil War general Ambrose Burnside, a fashionleader, allowed his hair to grow down the side of his face, inventinga style we still call—reversing Burnside’s name—sideburns. GeorgeWashington Gale Ferris invented the Ferris wheel for the 1893Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The idea for the Frisbee came fromthe easy-to-catch pie tins manufactured by the Frisbee company inBridgeport, Connecticut.Groups of people also contribute words. The coffee drink cappuccinocomes from the Italian Capuchin order of Roman Catholicmonks.The names of places have also been used for words. The word dollarcomes from taler, shortened from Joachimstal, the city in Bohemiawhere it was first used. Peach is taken from the Latin word for Persia(now Iran), where this fruit originated. Tangerine came from Tangier, inMorocco.Even imaginary places have lent their names to English. In about1500, a Spanish novelist described a beautiful, imaginary island inhabitedby strong women. When exploring the Americas, a Spaniard used the novelist’sword to name a real place of great natural beauty, at first thoughtto be an island. It is called California.In this chapter, you will learn several words derived from names.Perhaps one day a word will be coined from your name!