Unexpected meanings

In its Latin origin, this compliment was an insult

Words of Latin origin abound in the English language, many of them with an original meaning quite similar to the current one. But some words, however, might surprise us when we look up their etymology. What does being genuine have to do with your knees? Which word comes from people gossiping in a street corner? Which compliment started as an insult? Here are 10 unexpected Latin etymologies.

Some linguists state that "genuine" comes from gignere, "to produce", related to the idea of giving birth. In this sense, something genuine would be something innate, not acquired. But there is an alternative origin proposed that links the term to genu, "knee". In Ancient Rome, newborns would be placed in front of their father to be acknowledged. If the father decided to recognize the infant as their true child, he would pick them up and place them on his knee.

Borrowed from French, the term "mortgage" is not completely of Latin origin. Its second half, gage, comes from a Germanic term for "pledge". Mort, however, comes from mortuus, meaning "dead". What do "dead pledges" have to do with real estate loans? In its original sense, mortgages were pledges that resulted in "death": either the pledge died when it was fulfilled, or when one of the parties failed to pay, which "killed" their rights over the collateral.

At first glance, we might not see the Latin roots of this word, but they become quite clear when we separate the two parts that compose it: Porcus, "pig", and spina, "thorn", which makes a porcupine a "thorny pig". English adopted this name through the French porc-espin, which resulted in the Middle English porke despyne. The name had several variations in English (including the Shakespearean porpentine) before settling into its current form.

What do muscles and rodents have in common? More than you might think. The Latin term for "muscle" comes from the diminutive form of mus, "mouse". For Ancient Romans, the movement of the muscle tissue under the skin looked like a small mouse scurrying around, which made the name musculus, "little mouse," quite fitting.

Trivia lovers might be delighted to learn that, since the time of the Ancient Romans, fun facts were shared just for the sake of sharing them. From the word trivium, "where three roads meet", trivia was used to describe road intersections where people gathered to chat, gossip, and share "trivial" news. Trivia might be of little consequence since its origins, but it has been loved and shared for centuries.

Being called "nice" might not be the highest of compliments, but it is also not a bad thing to be called. That is, in the last few centuries. In its Latin origin, nescius (from nescire, "to not know", "to ignore") was undoubtedly insulting, and it continued to be up until the 15th century, when "nice" lost its meaning of "fool", "ignorant", or "fussy", and adopted the meaning of "precise" and later on "agreeable" and "kind".

The placenta is an extraordinary and fascinating organ, but its name is almost underwhelming in its simplicity. It was named in the 16th century by Italian anatomist Realdo Colombo, who chose the name placenta uterina, Latin for "uterine cake". Yes, placenta is the Latin word for "cake" or "flatbread". Why did Colombo choose the name? To him, the shape of the placenta resembled a traditional baked flat cake.

In English, many familiar relations kept their original Old English form, but some were replaced by their Norman-French equivalent. "Uncle" (in Old English, ēam for maternal uncles and fædera for paternal uncles) was adopted from the French oncle, derived from the Latin avunculus. While avunculus was used in Latin for maternal uncles and is often translated as "mother’s brother", it is actually the diminutive of avus, "grandfather", which made your maternal uncle your "little grandfather".

We are used to suspecting the hidden motivations of political candidates, a reality that makes the etymology of "candidate" sound ironic. The term comes from the Latin candidus, meaning "shining white". Political candidates in ancient Rome would wear a bright white robe or toga candida as a sign of their purity, honesty, and good reputation, and they were known as candidatus or "clothed in white".

If you were to look for the Latin root of the word "desire", you would find the verb desiderare, meaning "to long for", "to wish", or "to demand". But what is behind desiderare? While some experts consider this a folk etymology**, others link** desiderare to de sidere ("from the stars"), from sidus ("heavenly body" or "star"), connecting "desire" with something ruled by or wished upon the stars.

Naming the expert

What would you call an expert in fruits? Let's see if you can guess!

Image: Romain Vignes

We all know what a biologist or a historian studies —those are easy. But what about a pomologist or a speleologist? Some areas of expertise have names that sound nothing like what they actually mean. In this article, you'll see the name of a field first —then try to figure out what it really means before reading the answer. Some might be simple, but others will surprise you. Ready to test your knowledge? Let’s begin!

Image: Marina Vitale

Simply looking at the word "oology" reminds one of something circular, doesn’t it? You can’t be blamed for thinking this is the study of eyes. It does remind one of the verb "ogle."

You might also have thought of oolong tea— perhaps oologists are connoisseurs of rare brews? Or maybe they are scientists studying oolite rocks?

A clue: Oologists probably roll their eyes a lot during Easter hunts.

Image: Landon Martin

Did you guess it? Oology is a branch of ornithology —the study of birds— that focuses on eggs! A person who studies or collects eggs inspecting their size, color, and shape, and observing the nesting and breeding behavior of their parents, is an oologist.

The term comes from the Greek oion, meaning egg. So if you thought of oolite before, you weren’t too wrong: Oolite rocks are also called "egg stones" because of their composition, which are spherical grains cemented together. Both words share the common Greek root.

Image: Leon Contreras

Surely, campanology isn’t the study of camping. Or could it be? It can remind one of the word "hippocampus," but that could refer to either the part of the brain or sea horses. Another likely guess: Maybe it is the title for people who study campaigns, like marketers or publicists?

A clue: Don’t you think the word has a familiar ring?

Image: Matt Artz

Campanology is actually the study of bells —how they are made, rung, and tuned. The word comes from the Late Latin campana (bell), and the term has been in use since at least the 18th century.

Now you know: campanologists analyze the acoustics of bells, the techniques of change ringing (a complex system of bell sequences), and the history of bell towers worldwide.

Image: Bob Coyne

Two options jump to mind right away: Hippos and hippies. The cultural movements of the 60s were important enough that some historians might have specialized in their study.

Hippos are important, too: The two remaining classes of hippos are classified as vulnerable and endangered. Surely, looking after their population requires experts. Is that something that hippologists do?

A clue: Hippos are a closer guess than hippies.

Image: Helena Lopes

Horses! Alright, equestrian fanatics probably guessed this one easily. A hippologist is an expert in the veterinary and management of horses. They are responsible for answering all questions horses’ owners might have about anatomy, reproduction, health, dressage, driving, and more.

This word also derives from Greek, where hippos means "horse". That term is at the root of the scientific names for sea horses and hippos, too.

Image: Mae Mu

Is this about pomodoro sauce? Many know that pasta al pomodoro is a dish prepared with fresh tomatoes and olive oil. Fewer people know that pomodoro is simply the Italian word for tomato.

In fact, pomodoro is the result of adding pomo (apple) + d’oro (of gold). No, pomology doesn’t study tomatoes, but that might give you a clue about what it actually does.

A clue: Do you know what pomme means in French?

Image: Jo Sonn

Pomology is actually the study of multiple fruits —not just the "apple of gold" tomato (which, whether you like it or not, is a fruit, according to botanists).

A pomologist works in the branch of botany investigating fruits and their plants of origin, researching to enhance their cultivation and use. The name derives from the Latin pomum, which means "fruit."

Image: Suzy Hazelwood

You are probably thinking that this word couldn’t have anything to do with "spelling," because it would be written with two Ls. And you’d be correct: The role of speleologists is very distant to that of linguists.

But it feels like you’ve read the word before, doesn’t it? Did it have something to do with the outdoors, or with outer space, maybe?

A clue: You would likely need a flashlight to be a speleologist.

Image: Viviana Camacho

In reality, speleology is the scientific study of caves: Their formation, structure, and ecosystems. The word comes from the Greek spēlaion (cave).

Speleologists explore underground tunnels, study stalactites and stalagmites, and even analyze the creatures that live in caves. To be a good speleologist you’d need to know a bit about biology, chemistry, geology, and cartography, to name a few… And to not be claustrophobic!

Image: Leo_65

You wouldn’t be the first person to think about myrrh when reading this word. Nor the first to think about mermaids.

A more down-to-earth guess would be to assume that this has something to do with memories, or the ability to form and retain them. But that is also incorrect.

A clue: Have you ever seen a formicarium?

Image: Prabir Kashyap

The correct answer is ants! Myrmecology is the scientific study of ants because myrmex is the Greek word for the insect.

Myrmecologists study their complex colonies and examine how these tiny creatures communicate and cooperate. A formicarium, which we mentioned, is another name for an "ant farm," often built to observe ant behaviors like engineering and teamwork.

How many areas of expertise did you guess correctly? If none, we hope you learned a few new words!