Interesting Etymologies, P. 4

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CAT 2009 Online Preparation

Author: lucyinthesky

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Here's Part Four of Interesting Etymologies (word origins)!

Emancipate
To emancipate is to liberate or free someone in a political society. The word is derived from the Latin manceps, which means "someone who makes a purchase". Manceps comes from the Latin for "hand", manus and the verb "to take", capere.

Enthusiasm
The roots of the word enthusiasm comes from ancient Greek. It is derived from en-theos, which means "inspired by God". An enthusiast originally meant someone who was inspired by or had a relevation through the presence of a God. Today, however, it means intense enjoyment, approval or interest in something.

Draconian
Draco was the first legislator of Ancient Athens, Greece. He set down the first written constitutions of Athens in 620 or 621 BC, posting them on wooden tablets. The laws created by Draco had heavy punishments for small offenses. His strict legal code led to the term "Draconian", a phrase used to describe authorities with very strict or harsh consequences.

Hieroglyph
The word hieroglyph comes from the ancient Greek word hieroglyphiká. This word combined the meanings of hierós, meaning "sacred", and glýphō, which means "to engrave". Together, the term meant "sacred carvings", sacred because a lot of literature that was produced was for religious purpose. It was a formal writing system for ancient Egyptians.

Microscope
The word microscope comes from the ancient Greek word micron, meaning "small" and skopein, meaning "to look or see". The microscope is an instrument for viewing objects that are too small to be seen by the naked eye.

Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of waves created when a body of water, such as an ocean, is rapidly displaced. The term tsunami comes from Japanese meaning harbor ("tsu", 津) and wave ("nami", 波). Tsunamis are common throughout Japanese history; approximately 195 events in Japan have been recorded.

Tiramisu
Tiramisu is a popular Italian dessert, made of ladyfinger biscuits dipped in coffee and cream. The name Tiramisu is Italian and means "pull-me-up" (Tirami-su), a reference to the effects of the sugar and espresso, but it can also be translated figuratively as "cheer me up".