Time changes things

Little boys were once called "girls": The shocking past of 12 words

There was a time when thousands of people were "villains," and most young people were "girls." The English language is a living, breathing thing. That’s why describing something as "nice", "terrible", or "artificial" would have meant entirely different things at other points in history. Join us in uncovering the original meanings of these everyday words!

Such a short and straightforward word! How could it ever have had a different meaning? Believe it or not, "girl" didn't always refer specifically to a young female.

Around the 13th century, in Middle English, "girl" or girle was a general term for a child or young person of either sex. It wasn't until the 15th century that "girl" became exclusively associated with any young woman.

Did you guess it? The word "guy" comes from the name Guy Fawkes, the infamous conspirator behind the 1605 attempt to blow up the English Parliament.

Effigies of Fawkes, known as "guys," were burned during the annual Guy Fawkes Day celebrations. Eventually, "guy" came to refer to any oddly dressed or grotesque figure, and later, to any man in general.

Every good story needs a "villain," but this word has humble origins. It comes from the Late Latin word villanus, which meant "farmhand" or "peasant."

As social hierarchies shifted and Medieval city-dwellers sought to distinguish themselves from those living in rural areas, "villain" came to be associated with someone of low social standing, and eventually, with someone who was wicked or evil. Talk about looking down on your neighbors.

"Nice" comes from the 12th century, when the Old French word nice meant "silly" or "foolish." It can be traced further back to the Latin word nescius, meaning "ignorant."

Basically, calling someone "nice" was like saying they were a bit of a dunce. It was only by the 18th century that "nice" had evolved to mean "coy", or "refined", before finally settling on the "agreeable" or "thoughtful" meaning we know today.

The Old Norse word for "happiness" was sæl. Do you see where this is going? Seel was the Old English adaptation of it, which derived into "seely" and eventually "silly." For a long time, before the late 13th century, it meant "blessed" or "joyous."

Over time, it evolved to mean "pious" or "innocent," and then "weak" or "helpless." By the 1570s, its definition had settled on its current meaning of "foolish" or "whimsical."

"Clue" comes from the Greek word kleos, meaning "fame" or "glory." It then entered Old English as "cliewen," which referred to a ball of yarn. Do you see the connection?

Think of the Greek myth of Theseus, who used a ball of yarn to navigate the Labyrinth and slay the Minotaur. When this myth was popularized in England by Chaucer (in the late 1300s), the image of the yarn guiding Theseus out of the maze led to "clue" becoming the term for a hint or a tool that helps solve a problem. The spelling shifted to "clue" in Early Modern English, around the 1500s-1600s.

"Naughty" might bring to mind a mischievous child or a playful prank. But we all know that "naught" means "nothing." Essentially, in Old English, around the 1300s or 1400s, if you were "naughty," you were considered "worthless" or "good for nothing!"

Over time, the meaning softened, shifting to "wicked" or simply "disobedient" or "mischievous."

Today, we may catch ourselves using "terrible" and "lousy" interchangeably. But there was a time when "terrible" meant "awe-inspiring." That’s more closely related to the other meaning of "terrible," which is horrible or frightful.

It comes from the classical Latin word terribilis, used pre-500 AD, more closely related to reverence than to dread.

In Latin, nervosus meant "sinewy" or "vigorous". Initially, it described someone outstandingly strong—but that’s not what we mean today when we say we feel "nervous".

The term as we know it today emerged in the 1700s, describing a state of excitability or anxiety, perhaps because people associated those feelings with a tensing of the muscles and sinews.

Today, the term "artificial" might conjure the image of plastic flowers or even a computer generating Artificial Intelligence. But the word once meant "full of artistic or technical skill".

That is, it was used for creations we would now refer to as art, or even technology: Things crafted by human ingenuity, most often with positive connotations. Its current negative or synthetic connotation developed in more modern times, through the 1700s-1800s.

There was a time when "meat" referred to any kind of solid food. It came from the Old English word mete, which, before the 1100s, could refer to any edible, from a juicy steak to a bowl of porridge.

It wasn't until later that "meat" narrowed its focus to the flesh of animals.

Another Greek origin. Even in Ancient Greece, if you had a myrios of problems, you still had a lot of them. Its meaning was exactly "ten thousand", although it was also used as an expression to mean "indefinitely large."

It later entered the English language in the 1550s, meaning specifically "the number of 10,000."

Notable names for humble plants

From Achilles to kidnappings: 12 plant names derived from mythology

Image: Smit Shah

It should come as no surprise that many plants have names linked to mythological figures, since most scientific plant names are derived from Greek or Latin. These 12 plants have names with hidden meanings that most of us may not recognize. Did you know any of these?

Image: Beth Macdonald

This genus of flowering plants was named after Achilles, the mythical Greek hero and greatest of the Greek warriors, famed for his knowledge of healing herbs.

According to legend, Achilles knew of yarrow’s healing properties and used the plant to treat the wounds of his soldiers during the siege of Troy.

Image: Sergiy Tsyganenko

The name Ambrosia comes from Greek mythology, where ambrosia was the food or drink of the gods, said to grant immortality and eternal youth. It was often associated with divine nourishment and sometimes carried by doves. According to some versions of the myth, even the sun god Helios fed his horses with ambrosia.

Ironically, the plant genus _Ambrosia_—commonly known as ragweed—is now infamous for causing seasonal allergies rather than bestowing any divine gifts

Image: Annie Spratt

Commonly known as the windflower, the anemone is a delicate flowering plant that sways easily in even the gentlest breeze. According to Greek legend, the anemone sprang from the drops of blood shed by Adonis after he was fatally wounded by a wild boar during a hunt.

Image: Laura Ockel

According to a lesser-known Greek myth, Acantha was a beautiful nymph who didn't reciprocate Apollo's feelings, so, as an act of revenge, he transformed her into a plant. After this incident, the graceful nymph became a striking flower with bold, spiny leaves and distinctive petals.

Image: Esteban Castle

Revenge for unrequited love seems to be a recurring theme among the Greek gods. According to one myth, Syrinx was a beautiful nymph who caught the attention of Pan, the god of the wild. When she rejected his advances, she fled and was transformed into a reed to escape him. In his sorrow, Pan cut the reeds and crafted them into the first pan flute.

The plant genus Syringa (commonly known as lilac) was named after this myth. The name Syringa is derived from the Greek word syrinx, meaning pipe or tube, referencing the plant’s hollow stems.

Image: Christina Brinza

The name of this flower means "rainbow" in Greek, which is fitting, as it is associated with Iris, the Greek goddess of the rainbow and the divine messenger of the gods. Appropriately, irises bloom in a wide range of colors, nearly spanning the full spectrum of the rainbow.

Image: Rachel McGrane

Persephone, the daughter of Demeter, goddess of agriculture and fertile soil, was abducted by Hades, the god of the underworld. Though eventually rescued, Persephone was fated to spend six months in the underworld and six months above ground, symbolizing the changing of the seasons.

Some seasonal flowers that bloom and fade in sync with this myth are poetically referred to as "Persephone’s Path."

Image: Rebekah Hansen

The Greek sun god Helios lends his name to the genus Helianthus, commonly known as sunflowers. These radiant blooms resemble the burning sun with their golden petals spreading out like rays, capturing the essence of sunlight in both form and name.

Image: Al Diaz

As the legend goes, Proteus was a sea god known for his gift of prophecy. However, he disliked his prophetic duties and would evade them by shape-shifting into various forms and disguises.

The Protea flower was named after Proteus because it comes in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, reflecting the god’s many transformations.

Image: Xuan Nguyen

Water nymphs, known as Nymphs in Greek mythology, were often believed to inhabit ponds, rivers, and other bodies of water. The genus Nymphaea, which includes water lilies, takes its name from these mythical creatures, reflecting the flowers’ natural aquatic habitats.

Image: Dylan Freedom

In Greek mythology, Agave was the mother of King Pentheus, who opposed the god Dionysus (also known as Bacchus). In a tragic turn, Agave was driven mad and blinded by Dionysus, causing her to mistake her son for a wild boar and kill him.

This fierce mythological figure lends her name to the Agave plant, known for its sharp, spiny leaves and resilient nature.

Image: prathap karaka

Zephyranthes, sometimes called the fairy lily, open their flowers nearly flat only in full, direct sunlight. These charming flowering plants are named after Zephyr, the Greek god of the west wind, who was said to be the lover of the goddess Flora. Given this connection, it is no surprise that his name graces such a delicate flower.