Dominick Inglese

Engish 316

Dr. Meehan

May 15, 2002

Etymological Roots of Various Words and Correlations Between Them

After studying the previous and precise meanings of the following words I

have a deeper interest in the interpretation and roots of the words that I use daily.

In fact, recently a foreign student asked me why Americans use “nice” so often.

That this word once meant “stupid, foolish person” and gradually changed

meanings from “particular interest” to “details” to the general sense of the word

as we now understand it, “whenever something is acceptable” or “good” is

fascinating to native English speakers and others.

The following is a list of selected words with distinct and unknown

connections.

Malediction has Latin roots and this word has two morphemes: 1.) mal,

meaning bad and 2.) -diction, meaning to speak words. Diction has roots in 12th

century French language. In French, diction meant “saying, mode of expression.”

In the late Latin language, the word was a noun meaning “the mode of speech”

and “the action to say.” In Modern English diction is “the expression of ideas in

words” or “choice, selection of word manner in which anything is spoken.” The

prefix mal- was formerly written male- but pronounced in one syllable –mal. The

French root was used as an adverb. The Latin root meant “ill” from Latin malus.

This “bad” prefix is combined with many words to convey an ill sense of action or

state of being. The prefix male- combined with -diction forms malediction, which

is to speak ill mannered toward someone. Malediction first appears in 1447 with

different spelling endings: -dyccion-dyccoun-diccyon-diccion used with the prefix

male-.

The word curse has more spiritual context. It is used as a formal

ecclesiastical censure or excommunication. It is defined as “uttering a

malediction”. The past spellings of curse include curs, kors, curss, and curce.

Curse used as a verb was spelled cursian, cursen, kurse, cors, curss, curse. The

early meaning was “to speak words which consign people to evil fate; to pour

malediction upon”. Cursed was first shown in 1200 then 1420.

Sinister is of many origins, including French sinister, Portuguese and

Italian sinistrro, as well as Spanish siniestro. Of course Latin sinister, meaning

left, left-handed. Situated on the left side of the body; towards the left hand.

Somehow the left side of the body is associated with the current meaning of

sinister. In Modern English a sinister person may give Information with intent to

mislead. This includes actions done with ill will to people and with advice given to

mislead the actions of others. Any advice that is bad and meant too lead
someone astray from the right path. Also meaning “omens full of dark

suggestions”. Sinister first appeared in 1411.

The english word adroit was a French adverbial phrase. Written “a droit-

according to the rightly.” This is noteworthy because adroit seems to mean the

opposite of sinister, yet the word adroit is not used as commonly as sinister. The

OED directed the definition of adroit to the word direct.

Direct has direct roots in Latin drictum, dirictum, directum all meaning

“right, readiness, clever, dexterous, of reliable resource, mental and bodily, ready

skill”. Direct as a verb was spelled derelct (Latin derect stem of dirigere) meaning

“to set straight, guide, to rule, keep straight, to put in right order, to cause person

to turn toward the right”. It also means, “to inform or instruct person.” Also, in

music, direct means “to conduct a performance.” If one is involved in films, direct

means “to supervise in making a film.” Others take a different meaning of direct,

“to order a thing to be done.” Direct is related to adroit in the sense of “moving or

situated on right angles of surface like sundial, not declined of sphere.” This

definition could be taken to mean the opposite of sinister, which is to give ill

advice to someone with the intent to direct her in the wrong direction. Direct has

several meanings: “of succession-direct heir.” In math and science direct is used

for terms and rules of motions of planets. In political science direct means to

receive something not second hand “to pay direct taxes.” Direct first appeared in

writing in the year 1391 and later in 1548.

 Curious was spelled several ways: coryous, curiose, curyouse. The roots

are in Old French, Provencal, Spanish, Italian and Latin “curios.” An interesting

meaning, which is now obsolete, is, “bestowing care or painstaking careful to

details.” A very unexpected meaning is the modern use of curious as an

euphemistic description of erotic or pornographic material. A more acceptable

definition of curious is “studious, attentive, clever, nice (which meant attention to

particular details), difficult to satisfy, particular to details.” The popular

understanding of curious is in the present subjective definition: “a desire to know

what does not concern one.” Other meanings include, “skilled as a connoisseur

or virtuoso, made with care or arrangement; skillfully, elaborately wrought,

carefully worked out or prepared.” The first time curious was used in writing was

in the year 1340.

Simple has roots in several languages, two of which are, of course, Old

French and Latin simplus or simplex. Other languages are 12th century Provencal

Spanish and Portuguese, Dutch, Frisian, German, Danish, Middle Dutch, and

Swedish. The following changes in spelling coincide with changes in

pronunciation: simpel change in pronunciation to simpil, cympylle, sympul,

semple. The gradual changes in meaning give a complex understanding of this

simple word. Simple once meant “innocent, humble, plain, unadorned, poor

unranked person, small insignificant of little value, lack of acuteness or quick

apprehension and mental powers, simple simon with nothing added.” In the

religious life simple indicated the “early vows taken by members of religious

world from which they may break the vows.” The current meaning is “an ignorant

or foolish person”. It could also mean “a medicine composed only of constituent

materials”. An unusual meaning is “to render one simple, single to seek for, or

gather.” The first recorded time simple is in the year 1220.

Silly is a purely English word with no known etymological roots. It is used

as an adjective, subject and adverb. Various spellings show the change in

pronunciation: syly, sylie, silie, sily, cillie, Middle English seely, sely. It was most

often used as an adjective, indicating someone “deserving of pity compassion or

sympathy; deserving of pity; a stupid person helpless, defenseless, esp. women

and children of animals weak and fragile; insignificant.” These and the following

meanings are obsolete: unlearned, unsophisticated, simple, rustic, ignorant,

plain, imbecile. In Modern English the word silly denotes someone “lacking in

judgment, foolish.” In the sense of words, silly means “evincing or association

with foolishness”. When someone acts silly they may play games: “to play silly

buggers game; to fool about; to mess around”. Famous phrase “Ask silly

question get silly answer.” It is often combined with other words as a prefix.

Combined with –looking or “silly ass-foolish person.” Also meaning “stunned as

by a blow.” Silly first appeared in writing in Middle English in 1425.

 Nice is a very curious word. There have been various spellings: nyce,

nise, neys, niece, Scottish nyss, Old French nice, Provencal nesci, Spanish and

Portuguese necio, Itallian nescio, and, of course, Latin nescius. The original

meaning was “foolish person, stupid, senseless.” This now obsolete from of nice

first appeared in 1290. In is unusual that nice has obsolete meanings like

“wanton, loose-mannered, lascivious people and conduct.” Other strange, rare,

uncommon, and unusual meanings, which are obsolete, include, “slothful, lazy,

indolent, effeminate, unmanly, delicate, luxurious, coy, shy, modest, difficult to

please because of good taste.” The Modern English meaning refers to someone

with “particular taste.” Someone who is nice is “precise,” with “strict conduct

which is not obvious, demanding close consideration or thought minute subtle

precise.” Another unusual meaning is, “critical, full of danger.” Nice food means

“dainty.” In other affairs it means, “carefully accurate agreeable as a nice girl who

is kind and considerate to others.” An ironical use is “nice and sick.” It is

combined with other words “nice-looking.”

Complicated has a very simple origination compared to simple. It is used

as a participial adjective from the French verb + -ed. It used to mean folded

together, which is obsolete. The closer to the current meaning is, “tangled,

intricate and confused.” Complex compound is the opposite of simple. In surgery

“complicated fracture” is a serious matter.

 Most of these words are used daily by most English speaking people. This

research is significant because further research will ignite deeper understanding

of the words used in English.