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English Words with Interesting Origins

Human language is developing from time to time, but there are English words with interesting origins that you should know.

Boycott

boycott

Boycott – refuse to deal with, named after a landlord in Ireland who made him self unpopular by his treatment of his tenants and was socially isolated. eg. The workers decided to boycott the company due to unfair wages. 

Braille

louise braille

Braille – name of a raised writing system used by blind people, named after Lazlo Biro, its Hungarian inventor. eg. The book was printed in Braille so that visually impaired readers could enjoy it.

Chauvinist

chauvinism

Chauvinist – strong belief that your country or race is superior to others, named after Frenchman, Nicolas Chauvin, who was fanatically devoted to Napoleon Bonaparte, it. eg. His remarks about women in the workplace made him sound like a chauvinist.

Biro

Biro

Biro–ball-point name, named after Lazlo Biro, its Hungarian inventor. eg. The book was printed in Braille so that visually impaired readers could enjoy it.

Hooligan

Hooligan – a rough and lawless youth, named after the Irish Family name, Hooligan. eg. The police arrested a hooligan who was causing trouble at the football match.

Machiavellian

Biro

Machiavellian – cunning, deceitful, unscrupulous in the pursuit of a goal, named after Nicollo Machiavelli, the Italian statesman who died in 1527. eg. His Machiavellian tactics helped him rise to power, but at the cost of his colleagues’ trust.

Mentor

mentor

Mentor – loyal and wise advisor, named after Mentor, friend to Odysseus. eg. My professor became my mentor and guided me throughout my studies.

Pamphlet

pamphlet

Pamphlet – a small leaflet, named after a character Pamphilus, in 12 century love poem. eg. The volunteer handed me a pamphlet about environmental conservation.

To Pander

to pander

To pander – to indulge someone’s desires, named from Pandoras, a procurer or pimp in Ancient Greek Mythology. eg. The politician tried to pander to voters by making unrealistic promises

Saxophone

saxophone

Saxophone – musical instrument, named after the Belgian inventor, Adolphe Sax. eg. He played a beautiful melody on the saxophone during the jazz concert.

Tawdry

tawdry

Tawdry – looking bright and attractive but in fact, cheap and tasteless, named from St. Audrey, at whose annual fair in the town of Ely, near Cambridge, cheap gaudy scarves were sold. eg. The necklace looked expensive, but upon closer inspection, it was just a tawdry piece of costume jewelry.

Watt

watt electricity

Watt – unit of power, named from the 18th century Scottish inventor, James Watt. eg. The new LED bulbs use only five watts of power, making them energy efficient.

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