Here’s a recording in a mystery language.
Do you know, or can you guess, the language?
Inflammability
Something that is not divisible is indivisible and something that is not accurate is inaccurate, yet something that is inflammable can be burnt. Why is that? Let’s find out.
The word inflammable [ɪnˈflæməbəl] means:
- Capable of burning
- Easily set on fire
- Easily excited; set off by the slightest excuse; easily enraged or inflamed.
It can also mean the opposite: Incapable of burning; not easily set on fire. It comes from Middle French inflammable, from Medieval Latin īnflammābilis, from Latin īnflammāre (to set on fire), from in- (in, on) & flamma (flame) [source].
A related word, (to) inflame means to set on fire, to kindle, to cause to burn, flame or glow, to put in a state of inflammation, or to produce morbid heat, congestion, or swelling, and something that is inflammable can be inflamed [source].
Other related words include inflammation in English , infiammare (to set fire to, to inflame, stir up or flush sth) in Italian, inflamar (to inflame, catch fire) in Portuguese, and inflamar (to inflame, ignite) in Spanish [source].
The word flammable is a back-formation from inflammable and means capable of burning, easily set of fire, or extremely contentious. The prefix in-/im- is often used like un- and non- to negate the meaning of words, such as unaware and non-abrasive. It doesn’t have this meaning in inflammable, but to avoid confusion, the word flammable was coined [source].
Other words that can be used to indicate that something is not easily set on fire include non-flammable, noninflammable, unflammable, uninflammable, incombustible, non-combustible, not flammable and fireproof [source].
In French and Spanish, something that can be burnt is inflammable, while something that cannot be burnt is ininflammable, and there’s a similar word in Italian: ininfiammabile – a nice pile up of prefixes! [source]
More on inflammable v flammable:
https://www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/flammable-or-inflammable
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combustibility_and_flammability
Language Quiz
A Cargo of Cars
Is the word cargo related to the word car? Let’s find out.
Cargo [ˈkɑːɡəʊ / ˈkɑɹɡoʊ] refers to freight carried by a ship, aircraft or motor vehicle. It comes from Spanish cargo (charge, burden, position, post), from cargar (to load, carry, charge), from Late Latin carricāre, from carricō (to load), from carrus (wagon, a two-wheeled baggage cart, load, two-wheeled Celtic war chariot), from Gaulish *karros (wagon), from Proto-Celtic *karros (wagon), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱr̥sós (vehicle), from *ḱers- (to run) [source].
A car [kɑː / kɑɹ] is a wheeled vehicle that moves independently, with at least three wheels, powered mechanically, steered by a driver and mostly for personal transportation; or any vehicle designed to run on rails [other meanings are available].
It comes from Middle English carre (cart, wagon), from Anglo-Norman carre (cart), from Latin carra, from carrus (wagon(load), cart(load), load), etc. – so the same roots as cargo [source].
Other words from the same Proto-Celtic roots include car (vehicle, car, sled, dray) in Welsh, karr (car, vehicle) in Breton, carro (wagon, cart, van, lorry, truck) in Italian, char (chariot, carriage, tank, car) in French, carro (cart, car) in Portuguese, kar (cart, car, truck) in Dutch, kärra (cart, wagon) in Swedish, qerre (cart, carriage) in Albanian, and career, carriage, carry, charge, chariot and posssibly carousel in English [source].
Other words from the same Proto-Indo-European roots include courier, course, carry, charge, current, curriculum, cursive, cursor, horse, hurry and possibly rush (to hurry) in English; corriere (messenger, courier) in Italian, and courir (to run, hurry, rush) in French [source].
Language Quiz
Rose-Tinted
If you are generally optimistic, and/or view things in a positive way, you could say that you see the world through rose-tinted spectacles or rose-colored glasses. What have roses got to do with positivity? Let’s find out.
Here in the UK we might talk about rose-tinted spectacles or rose-coloured spectacles, while elsewhere, you might talk about rose-colored glasses, rose-tinted glasses or rose-colored lenses, and you might look through, see through or wear them.
These phrases refer to an optimistic perception of something; a positive opinion, or seeing something in a positive way, often thinking of it as better than it actually is. Apparently the use of rose-coloured spectacles to mean something pleasant dates back to the 1830s, and is based on the idea that roses are widely regarded as uncommonly beautiful.
Rose-colour was used to refer to a “pleasant outlook”, and is possibly based on the French phrase coleur de rose (rose colour), which was used in poetry.
English isn’t the only language to associate the roses or particular colours with positivity:
- Catalan: ulleres violetes = purple glasses
- Czech: růžové brýle = rose-colo(ur)ed glasses
- Danish: rose bril = rose glasses
- French: lunettes roses = rose(-coloured) glasses
- Irish: spéaclaí bándearg = pink glasses
- Spanish: gafas violeta = purple glasses
- Welsh: sbectol-lliw rhosyn = rose-coloured glasses
However, in Italian, you might see the world through gli occhi di un bambino (the eyes of a child), and in Croatian you might talk about svijetla strana medalje (the bright side of the coin.
You might also talk about people being rosy-eyed (optimistic, idealistic), or say that everything in the garden is rosy (things are going well, everything is fine), or even paint a rosy picture (to describe a situation or events in an upbeat, optimistic manner, especially if everything is coming up roses (favourable, developing in a pleasing or advantageous manner), and you want to come up smelling of roses (be regarded as appealing, virtuous, respectable, untainted or unharmed).
Then again, every rose has its thorn (every good situation includes some aspect of misfortune or adversity), and there’s no rose without a thorn (to enjoy a pleasant subject or thing, one must take trouble and hardship).
Incidentally, the word rose, which refers to a shrub of the genus Rosa, a flower of the rose plant, and various other things, comes from Middle English ro(o)se (rose, a morally upstanding and virtuous individual, reddish-purple), from Old English rōse (rose), from Latin rosa (rose, dear, sweetheart, love), probably from Ancient Greek ῥόδον (rhódon – rose), from Proto-Hellenic *wródon, maybe from Proto-Iranian *wardah (flower, rose).
Related words in English include roseate (like the rose flower, pink, rosy, full of roses, excessively optimistic), rosette (an element or ornament resembling a rose), and possibly rosemary (a shrub Salvia rosmarinus that produces a fragrant herb used in cooking and perfumes), although this might come from Latin rōsmarīnus (rosemary), from rōs (dew, moisture) & marīnus (marine, of the sea).
Sources: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/rose-colored_glasses#English
https://www.etymonline.com/word/rose-colored
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/rosy#English
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/come_up_roses#English
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/smell_like_a_rose#English
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/rose#English
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/rosemary#English
Language Quiz
Gigs, Jigs & Fiddles
What links the words gig and jig, and what do they have to do a German word Geige (violin)? Let’s find out.
A gig [ɡɪɡ] can mean:
- A live performance by a musician, band, musicial group or comedian
- A job or role for a performer (in film, television, theatre, etc.)
- Any job, especially one that is freelance or temporary, or done on an on-demand basis. Other meanings are available [source].
Its origins are lost in the mists of etymology, but its possibly related to the Old French word gigue (a string instrument similar to a mandolin, a kind of dance), which comes from Frankish *gīge (dance, fiddle), from Proto-Germanic *gīganą (to move, wish, desire), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰeyǵʰ- (to yawn, gape, long for, desire) [source].
The German word Geige [ˈɡaɪ̯ɡə] (violin, fiddle) possibly comes from the same roots, via Middle High German gīge, Old High German gīga and Proto-Germanic *gīganą (to move, wish, desire), etc [source].
The English word jig refers to such things as a light, brisk musical movement; a lively traditional Irish dance in 6/8 time, also known as a double jig (other types of jig are available); or an English Morris dance performed by one or two individual dancers. It shares the same roots as gig and Geige – maybe via Middle English gyge (fiddle), from Old French gigue etc. [source].
Another word from the same roots is guinguette, which in English and French is an old name for a sort of outdoor tavern that once existed in the suburbs of Paris, and appears to be used in modern French to refer to any outdoor bar (see above). It comes from French guinguet (a rough wine produced near Paris), from ginguer (to run, play, move a lot), from giguer (to dance, jump), from gigue (a string instrment, a jig, etc), and so on [source].
The word gig can also refer to:
- A small, narrow, open boat carried in a larger ship, and used for transportation between the ship and the shore, another vessel, etc.
- A similar rowing boat or sailboat, especially one used for racing; specifically, a six-oared sea rowing boat commonly found in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly (see above).
- A two-wheeled carriage drawn by a single horse.
It comes from Middle English gigg (spinning object, a top), possibly from Old Norse (?), from Proto-Germanic *gīganą (to move, wish, desire), etc, or ultimately onomatopoeic [source].
Language Quiz
Shiny Sheens Show
Are the words show, sheen and shine connected? Let’s find out.
Show [ʃəʊ / ʃoʊ] means a play, dance or other entertainment; an exhibition of items, etc. It comes from Middle English schewe (show), from schewen (to show), from Old English scēawian (to watch, look at, examine, show), from Proto-West Germanic *skawwōn, from Proto-Germanic *skawwōną (to look, see, watch), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kewh₁- (to perceive, observe) [source].
A sheen [ʃiːn] is a thin layer of a substance (such as oil) spread on a solid or liquid surface; splendor, radiance or shininess. It comes from Middle English shene (beautiful, fair, handsome, glorious), from Old English sċīene (beautiful, fair, bright, brilliant, light), from Proto-West Germanic *skaunī (beautiful), from Proto-Germanic *skauniz (beautiful), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kewh₁- (to perceive, observe) [source].
Other words from the PIE root *(s)kewh₁- include caution in English, choyer (to cherish, pamper, coddle) in French, cauto (cautious) in Spanish, cautela (caution, care) in Italian, precaver (to prevent, take precautions) in Portuguese, czuć (to feel, sense) in Polish, and qyr (to observe, look, analyse) in Albanian [source].
Shine [ʃaɪn] means to emit or reflect light so as to glow, etc. It comes from Middle English schinen (to shine, stand out), from Old English sċīnan (tp shine), from Proto-West Germanic *skīnan (to shine, appear), from Proto-Germanic *skīnaną (to shine, appear), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ḱeh₁y- (to shine, shimmer) [source].
Other words from the PIE root *(s)ḱeh₁y- possibly include sheer and tinsel in English, schijnen (to shine, appear, seem) in Dutch, scheinen (to shine, gleam, seem, appear) in German, skina (to shine) in Swedish, siljati (to shine, beam, glitter) in Slovenian, and skaer (glow, glimmer, tinge) in Danish [source].
So show and sheen are related, but shine isn’t.
Here are a song called Show by Ado, a Japanese singer. It’s had 238 million views in a year – a few more than my videos – so she’s quite popular: