This blog is for everyone who uses words.

The ordinary-sized words are for everyone, but the big ones are especially for children.



Wednesday, 29 August 2012

Nuts and Bolts: the world's oyster.

English, like a fruit salad, is full of delights from all over the world.

The word hammock, for instance, comes to us from a language called Taino, which was spoken by some of the people of Caribbean.

Kylie comes from Noongar, an Australian aboriginal language (it means throwing stick).

Mojo comes from from the Senegal River valley. It's the Fula word for medicine man.

Tea is from the Chinese city of Xiamen, a word of the language usually called Amoy

Person is probably an Etruscan word, phersu, which meant mask. (Etruscan was spoken in Italy before the Romans took over.)

Bangle is Urdu, from Bāngṛī बांगड़ी.

Chipmunk is from the Odawa  jidmoonh. Odawa is a native language of Canada and the USA.

And bosh is Turkish.

I could go on like this almost for ever. Speaking English involves showering oneself with exotic jewels.

But is much much cheaper.

Word To Use Today: one from a really surprising language. How about bosh, meaning rubbish. That'll be fun - and easy, too.

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