When you hear 'push' are you hearing English or Old French?

'Push' is a word borrowed from Old French 'pousser'. The word entered the English language some time around the 13th century.

push [verb] [13th century]

• to press against with force in order to drive or impel
• to move or endeavor to move away or ahead by steady pressure without striking
• to thrust forward, downward, or outward
• to cause to increase
• raise

Meaning: Move something away by applying force.

Etymology: Probably from Old French pousser; ultimately from Latin pulsare.

Origin: From Old French to English.

note: Meaning: Move something away by applying force. Etymology: Probably from Old French pousser; ultimately from Latin pulsare.

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When you hear 'lantern' are you hearing English or Latin?

'Lantern' is a word borrowed from Latin 'lanterna'. The word entered the English language some time around the 13th century.

lantern [noun] [13th century]

• a usually portable protective case for a light with transparent openings
• lighthouse
• the chamber in a lighthouse containing the light
• a structure with glazed or open sides above an opening in a roof for light or ventilation

Meaning: a usually portable protective case for a light with transparent openings compare chinese lantern; lighthouse; the chamber in a lighthouse containing the light.

Etymology: Middle English lanterne; from Anglo-French; from Latin lanterna; from Greek lampter; from lampein to shine lamp.

Topics: Household:Objects.

Origin: From Latin to English.

note: An alternate historical spelling was 'lanthorn' possibly derived from the ancient use of animal horn to cover window apertures but allow in light.

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When you hear 'closed' are you hearing English or Latin?

'Closed' is a word borrowed from Latin 'claudare'. The word entered the English language some time around the 13th century.

closed [adjective] [13th century]

• not open
• enclosed
• composed entirely of closed tubes or vessels
• forming a self-contained unit allowing no additions

Meaning: to move so as to bar passage through something close the gate; to block against entry or passage close a street; to deny access to the city closed the beach.

Etymology: Middle English; from Anglo-French clos-; stem of clore; from Latin claudere to shut; close; perhaps akin to Greek kleiein to close clavicle.

Topics: Society:Culture.

Origin: From French to Latin to English.

note: Middle English: from Old French clos- stem of clore from Latin claudere ‘to shut’.

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The Scandinavian origins of the word 'crooked'

'Crooked' is a word borrowed from Scandinavian 'krāka'. The word entered the English language some time around the 13th century.

crooked [adjective] [13th century]

• not straight
• dishonest

Meaning: Bent or curved; figuratively dishonest.

Etymology: From crook plus -ed; crook is related to Old Norse krok hook.

Topics: Society:Culture.

Origin: From Norse to English.

note: The word crooked comes from Middle English croked the past participle of the verb croken (to bend) ultimately stemming from Old Norse krāka (hook) or Proto-Germanic krokaz meaning a bend or hook. Evolved from an even older Proto-Indo-European root for bending. It literally meant bent or curved with figurative senses of dishonesty or bad temper developing by the 13th century.

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The French roots of the word 'rosin'

'Rosin' is a word borrowed from French 'rosine'. The word entered the English language some time around the 13th century.

rosin [noun] [13th century]

A translucent amber-colored to almost black brittle friable resin that is obtained from the oleoresin or deadwood of pi...
Meaning: a translucent amber-colored to almost black brittle friable resin that is obtained from the oleoresin or deadwood of pine trees or from tall oil and used especially in making varnish.

Etymology: Middle English; from Anglo-French reisine; rosine resin.

Topics: Materials:Wood, Arts:Music.

Origin: From Latin to French to English.

note: Meaning: brittle resin from pine used on instrument bows varnish and solder flux. Etymology: Middle English via Anglo French reisine or rosine ultimately from Latin resina. Note: in French colophane is rosin while resine is general resin.

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Did you know that 'mustard' is actually French?

'Mustard' is a word borrowed from French 'moustarde'. The word entered the English language some time around the 13th century.

mustard [noun] [13th century]

• a pungent yellow powder of the seeds of any of several common Brassica hirta, B. nigra, ( or ) used as a condiment or i...
• zest
• any of several herbs (genus Brassica of the family Cruciferae syn. Brassicaceae, the mustard family) with lobed leaves,...
• a dark to moderate yellow

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note: The word mustard originates from the Latin term *mustum ardens* translating to burning must. This refers to the Roman practice of mixing ground mustard seeds with must (unfermented fresh grape juice) to create a pungent paste. The term passed through Old French (moustarde) before entering Middle English in the 13th century.
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French 'mustarde' from 'must' must, from Latin 'mustum'

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Is 'buoy' English, or is it actually Spanish?

'Buoy' is a word borrowed from Spanish 'boya'. The word entered the English language some time around the 13th century.

buoy [noun] [13th century]

• float
• a floating object moored to the bottom to mark a channel or something (as a shoal) lying under the water
• life buoy

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note: Middle English: probably from Middle Dutch boye/boeie from a Germanic base meaning ‘signal’. The verb is from Spanish boyar ‘to float’ from boya ‘buoy’. Consider also buoyant.
Etymology: Middle English 'boye' probably from Middle Dutch 'boeye;' akin to Old High German 'bouhhan' sign

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The word 'galley' originally came from Greek as 'galaia'

'Galley' is a word borrowed from Greek 'galaia'. The word entered the English language some time around the 13th century.

galley [noun] [13th century]

• a ship or boat propelled solely or chiefly by oars
• as
• a long low ship used for war and trading especially in the Mediterranean Sea from the Middle Ages to the 19th century
• galleass
• a warship of classical antiquity

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Etymology: Middle English 'galeie' from Anglo-French 'galie, galee' ultimately from Middle Greek 'galea'

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The word 'topaz' is a loan word from Greek 'topazos'

'Topaz' is a word borrowed from Greek 'topazos'. The word entered the English language some time around the 13th century.

topaz [noun] [13th century]

• a mineral that is essentially a silicate of aluminum and usually occurs in orthorhombic translucent or transparent crys...
• a usually yellow to brownish-yellow transparent mineral topaz used as a gem
• a yellow sapphire
• a yellow quartz

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Etymology: Middle English 'topace' from Anglo-French, from Latin 'topazus' from Greek 'topazos'

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Do you speak a little French when you say 'ribald'?

'Ribald' is a word borrowed from French 'ribauld'. The word entered the English language some time around the 13th century.

ribald [noun] [13th century]

A ribald person

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Etymology: Middle English 'ribaud' person of low status, scoundrel, lecher, from Anglo-French, from Old French 'riber' to be debauched, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German 'rīban' to be in heat, copulate, literally, to rub

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How the French language influenced English with the word 'vinegar'

'Vinegar' is a word borrowed from French 'vyn egre'. The word entered the English language some time around the 13th century.

vinegar [noun] [13th century]

• a sour liquid obtained by fermentation of dilute alcoholic liquids and used as a condiment or preservative
• ill humor
• sourness
• vim

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Etymology: Middle English 'vinegre' from Anglo-French 'vin egre' from 'vin' wine (from Latin 'vinum') + 'egre' keen, sour

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The French origins of the word 'squire'

'Squire' is a word borrowed from French 'esquier'. The word entered the English language some time around the 13th century.

squire [noun] [13th century]

• a shield bearer or armor bearer of a knight
• a male attendant especially on a great personage
• a man who devotedly attends a lady
• gallant
• a member of the British gentry ranking below a knight and above a gentleman

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Etymology: Middle English 'squier' from Anglo-French 'esquier'

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When you say 'asperity' are you speaking French?

'Asperity' is a word borrowed from French 'asperite'. The word entered the English language some time around the 13th century.

asperity [noun] [13th century]

• rigor
• roughness of surface
• unevenness
• a tiny projection from a surface
• roughness of sound

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Etymology: Middle English 'asprete' from Anglo-French 'aspreté' from 'aspre' rough, from Latin 'asper' from Old Latin '*absperos' from 'ab-' ab- + '-speros;' akin to Sanskrit 'apasphura' repelling, Latin 'spernere' to spurn

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Is 'poke' English, or is it actually French?

'Poke' is a word borrowed from French 'pocket'. The word entered the English language some time around the 13th century.

poke [noun] [13th century]

• bag
• wallet
• purse

See 'poke' on the Loan Words Map

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Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French

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Did you know that 'gravel' is actually French?

'Gravel' is a word borrowed from French 'grave'. The word entered the English language some time around the 13th century.

gravel [noun] [13th century]

• sand
• loose rounded fragments of rock
• a stratum or deposit of gravel
• a surface covered with gravel

See 'gravel' on the Loan Words Map

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Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French 'gravele' diminutive of 'grave, greve' river bank, stony ground

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Did you know that 'brae' is actually Scandinavian?

'Brae' is a word borrowed from Scandinavian 'brá'. The word entered the English language some time around the 13th century.

brae [noun] [13th century]

A hillside especially along a river

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note: Consider Brae in Scotland and also Bray of Ireland and Brí an old Irish word meaning 'hill'.
Etymology: Middle English 'bra' from Old Norse 'brā' eyelid; akin to Old English 'brǣw' eyebrow, and probably to Old English 'bregdan' to move quickly

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Do you speak a little French when you say 'blame'?

'Blame' is a word borrowed from French 'blamer'. The word entered the English language some time around the 13th century.

blame [verb] [13th century]

• to find fault with
• censure
• to hold responsible
• to place responsibility for

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Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French 'blamer, blasmer' from Late Latin 'blasphemare' to blaspheme, from Greek 'blasphēmein'

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Did you know that 'saffron' is actually Arabic?

'Saffron' is a word borrowed from Arabic 'za‘farān'. The word entered the English language some time around the 13th century.

saffron [noun] [13th century]

• the deep orange aromatic pungent dried stigmas of a purple-flowered crocus (Crocus sativus) used to color and flavor ...
• the crocus supplying saffron
• a moderate orange to orange yellow

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Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French 'saffron, safren' from Medieval Latin 'safranum' from Arabic 'zaʽfarān'

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The Scandinavian roots of the word 'husband'

'Husband' is a word borrowed from Scandinavian 'husbandi'. The word entered the English language some time around the 13th century.

husband [noun] [13th century]

• a male partner in a marriage
• manager
• a frugal manager

See 'husband' on the Loan Words Map

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Etymology: Middle English 'husbonde' from Old English 'hūsbonda' master of a house, from Old Norse 'hūsbōndi' from 'hūs' house + 'bōndi' householder; akin to Old Norse 'būa' to inhabit; akin to Old English 'būan' to dwell

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Is 'same' English, or is it actually Sanskrit?

'Same' is a word borrowed from Sanskrit 'sama'. The word entered the English language some time around the 13th century.

same [adjective] [13th century]

• resembling in every relevant respect
• conforming in every respect
• used with 'as'
• being one without addition, change, or discontinuance
• identical
• being the one under discussion or already referred to

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Etymology: Middle English, from Old Norse 'samr;' akin to Old High German 'sama' same, Latin 'simulis' like, 'simul' together, at the same time, 'similis' like, 'sem-' one, Greek 'homos' same, 'hama' together, 'hen-, heis' one

See more loan words from 1200s.