Author: Simon

I am a linguist, web developer and musician. I live in Bangor in Wales and run Omniglot - the online encyclopedia of writing systems and languages, as well as making the Radio Omniglot Podcast.

Adventures in Etymology – Snort

By Simon

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In this Adventure we are snuffling around the origins of the word snort.

harbor seal thrusting head back and snorting

Snort [snɔɹt] means:

  • The sound made by exhaling or inhaling roughly through the nose.
  • to exhale roughly through the nose; to make a snort
  • to inhale snuff or another snortable substance

It comes from the Middle English snorten (to snore, breathe heavily, snort), from fnorten/fnōren (to snore loudly, to snort in one’s sleep, (of a horse) to snort), from the Old English fnora (a sneeze, sneezing), from the Proto-Germanic *fnuzô, from the Proto-Indo-European *pnew- (to breathe, snort, sneeze) [source].

Words derived from snort include chortle (a joyful, somewhat muffled laugh, rather like a snorting chuckle) – a blend of chuckle and snort [source]; and snortle (a hearty laugh that is punctuated by a snort on the inhale) – a blend of snort and chortle [source].

Words from the same roots at snort include πνέω [ˈpne.o] (to blow) in Greek; niezen (to sneeze) in Dutch; sneeze, pneumonia and pneumatic in English; and fnysa (to snort, scoff, sniff, harumph) in Swedish [source].

Here’s a video I made of this information:

Video made with Doodly [afflilate link].

I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog, and I explore etymological connections between Celtic languages on the Celtiadur.

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, TuneIn, Podchaser, PlayerFM or podtail.

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

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Omniglot News (11/12/2022)

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

There are new language pages about:

  • Bola (Bola-Bakovi), a Western Oceanic language spoken in West New Britain province of Papua New Guinea.

New constructed script: Geolmgeul (걺글), which is an alternative way to write Korean created by Heesu Kim, and was inspired by Korean handwriting and Japanese hiragana.

Sample text in Geolmgeul

New adapated script: Latvian Runes (ᛚᚨᛏᚡᛁᛃᚨᛊ ᚱᚤᚾᚨᛊ / Latvijas Rūnas) (걺글), a way to write Latvian with Runes devised by Xavier Merica.

Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Latvian Runes

There are new numbers pages in:

  • Wiradjuri, a Pama-Nyungan language spoken in New South Wales in Australia.
  • Bola (Bola-Bakovi), a Western Oceanic language spoken in West New Britain province of Papua New Guinea.
  • Kwara’ae, an Oceanic language spoken mainly on Malaita Island in the Solomon Islands.

There are new translations of the Tower of Babel story in Gonja and Kwara’ae

On the Omniglot blog there’s a new post about the latest UK Census, which shows a fall in the number of Welsh speakers, and there’s the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this is language is spoken in parts of Iran.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Tombulu (a.k.a. Minahasan), a Philippine language spoken in the Minahasa Regency of North Sulawesi Province in Indonesia.

On the Celtiadur blog we unlock words for Prison, Coracles in Celtic languages.

Continuing the prison theme, this week’s Adventure in Etymology looks into the origins of the word Jail/Gaol.

On the Celtic Pathways podcast about the word Coracle.

For more Omniglot News see:
https://www.omniglot.com/news/
https://twitter.com/Omniglossia
https://www.facebook.com/groups/omniglot/
https://www.facebook.com/Omniglot-100430558332117

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, TuneIn, Podchaser, PlayerFM or podtail.

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

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Celtic Pathways – Coracle

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

In this episode we’re getting out onto the river to look into the word coracle.

John Baker's Doppelmonk Brogue K188 Kalbsleder hellbraun (brown) (1)

A coracle is a small, rounded, lightweight boat traditionally used in Wales, in parts of the West Country of England. in Ireland and in Scotland. It is made of a framework of split and interwoven willow rods, tied with willow bark and traditionally covered with an animal skin such as horse or bullock hide, with a thin layer of tar to waterproof it. These days calico, canvas or fibreglass are used instead of animal hide [source].

They are also known as currachs/curraghs in Ireland and Scotland, and these words were all borrowed from Celtic languages: coracle from Welsh, currach/curragh from Irish or Scottish Gaelic.

Related words in Celtic language include:

  • curach [kəˈɾˠax] = currach, coracle in Irish
  • curach [kurəx] = coracle, curragh, frame (of a coracle or an animal) in Scottish Gaelic
  • curragh [ˈkɔrʊɡ(i)] = coracle, canoe in Manx
  • corwg(l) = coracle, skiff; vessel, drinking vessel in Welsh
  • koroug = coracle in Cornish
  • korac’h = coracle in Breton

These words comes from the Proto-Celtic *korukos (leather boat), probably from the PIE *(s)koro- (leather), from *(s)ker- (to cut off) [source].

Words from the same PIE roots include cuir (leather) in French, cuero (leather, animal skin, hide) in Spanish and couro (leather, hide) in Portuguese [source].

More details of shoe– and trouser-related words in Celtic languages can be found on the Celtiadur, a blog where I explore connections between Celtic languages in more depth. I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog.

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, TuneIn, Podchaser, PlayerFM or podtail.

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

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Adventures in Etymology – Jail / Gaol

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

In this Adventure we unlock the origins of the word jail / gaol.

Kilmainham Gaol

A jail / gaol [d͡ʒeɪ(ə)l] is:

  • A place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody.

Gaol was the standard spelling in the UK and Australia until about the 1930s, when apparently the game Monopoly popularised the jail spelling. It comes from the Middle English gai(o)le (jail, prison, birdcage), from the Old North French gaiole (cave, prison), from the Medieval Latin gabiola (cage) from the Late Latin caveola, a diminuative of cavea (hollow, cavity, cage), from cavus (hollow, concave) [source].

Jail comes from the Middle English jaile (jail, prison, birdcage), from the Old French jaiole (cage, prison), from the same Latin roots as gaol. Both words come from the Proto-Italic *kawos, and possibly from the PIE *ḱowh₁ós (hollow), from *ḱewh₁- (to swell) [source].

English words from the same roots include cave, cavern, cavity, cage and church [source].

Apparently in the USA a jail is under the jurisdiction of a local government (such as a county) and is used to confine people awaiting trail or those convicted of minor crimes [source], while a prison is under state jurisdiction and is used to confine those convicted of serious crimes [source].

I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog, and I explore etymological connections between Celtic languages on the Celtiadur.

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, TuneIn, Podchaser, PlayerFM or podtail.

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

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Omniglot News (04/12/22)

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

There are new language pages about:

  • Akkala Sámi (Аһккэла саамь киилл), an Eastern Sámi language that was spoken on the Kola Peninsula in the Murmansk Oblast in the northwest of Russia.
  • East (James Bay) Cree (ᐄᔨᔫ ᐊᔨᒨᓐ / Îyiyû Ayimûn), a Cree language spoken around James Bay in northern Quebec in Canada.
  • Vitu, a Western Oceanic language spoken on the islands of Big Vitu (Garove) and Mudua in West New Britain Province in Papua New Guinea.

New constructed script: Ladowshand, which was created by Arcee Gonepike as an alternative way to write English

Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Ladowshand

There are new numbers pages in:

  • Vitu, a Western Oceanic language spoken in West New Britain Province in Papua New Guinea.
  • Yelmek, a Bulaka River language spoken in West Papua in Indonesia.
  • Biak (wós Vyak), a Malayo-Polynesian language spoken in the Biak Islands in Papua Province in eastern Indonesia.
  • Kelabit (karuh Kelabit), a North Bornean language spoken in Sarawak in Malaysia.

There a new translation of the Tower of Babel story in Eastern Arrernte, a Pama-Nyungan language spoken in Central Australia.

On the Omniglot blog there’s a new post about idiomatic ways to say you’re happy in English and Scottish Gaelic called As Happy As A Shoe, and there’s the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this is a Phippine language, but isn’t spoken in the Philippines

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Susu (Sosoxui), a Western Mande language spoken in Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal and Sierra Leone in West Africa.

There’s a Celtiadur post about words for Boots and Shoes and one about Foreheads and related things in Celtic languages.

This week we have a joint Adventures in Etymology and Celtic Pathways podcast about the word brogue.

I also made improvements to the Klallam and Koasati language pages.

For more Omniglot News see:
https://www.omniglot.com/news/
https://twitter.com/Omniglossia
https://www.facebook.com/groups/omniglot/
https://www.facebook.com/Omniglot-100430558332117

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, TuneIn, Podchaser, PlayerFM or podtail.

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

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Adventures in Etymology / Celtic Pathways – Brogue

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

In this episode we’re look into the tangled origins of the word brogue. I decided to make this a joint Adventures in Etymology / Celtic Pathways episode rather doing two separate ones. I hope you don’t mind.

John Baker's Doppelmonk Brogue K188 Kalbsleder hellbraun (brown) (1)

The word brogue in English refers to a type of shoe, or a strong accent, particularly a strong Irish accent when speaking English, although it originally referred to Irish spoken with a strong English accent, or a heavy shoe of untanned leather.

It comes from the Irish word bróg (boot, shoe), from the Old Irish bróc [broːɡ] (shoe, sandal, greave), from the Old Norse brók (trousers, breeches) or the Old English brōc (underpants), both of which come from the Proto-Germanic *brōks (rear end, rump, leggings, pants, trousers), from the PIE *bʰreg- (to break, crack, split) [source].

Related words in other Celtic languages include:

  • bròg [brɔːg] = shoe, boot, hoof in Scottish Gaelic
  • braag = brogue, shoe in Manx
  • brog = brogue (shoe) in Welsh

Brogue in the sense of accent might come from the Irish word barróg (hug, wrestling grip, brogue, impediment of speech) [source], which comes from the Old Irish barróc (fast hold, tight grip, embrace, gripe, stitch) [source],

Other words from the Proto-Germanic root *brōks include breeches/britches in English, brók (trousers, underpants) in Icelandic and Faroese, brok (trousers) in Swedish and Norwegian, and broek (trousers) in Dutch [source].

The Irish word bríste (trousers), the Manx word breeçhyn (breeches) and the Welsh word brits/britsh (breeches) were borrowed from the English word breeches. The Scottish Gaelic word briogais (trousers) comes from the Scots breeks (trousers, breeches), from the Middle English breke, from the Old English brēċ [breːt͡ʃ] (underpants) [source].

More details of shoe– and trouser-related words in Celtic languages can be found on the Celtiadur, a blog where I explore connections between Celtic languages in more depth. I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog.

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, TuneIn, Podchaser, PlayerFM or podtail.

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

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Omniglot News (27/11/22)

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

There are new language pages about:

  • Aneityum (Anejom̃), a Southern Oceanic language spoken on Aneityum Island in Tafea Province in the south of Vanuatu.
  • Kokota (Ooe Kokota), a Western Oceanic language spoken on Santa Isabel Island in Isabel Province in the Solomon Islands.
  • Nobonob, a Madang language spoken in Madang Province in Papua New Guinea.

New constructed script: Latin Partabet, which is an alternative way to write English using parts of Latin letters.

Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Latin Partabet

New adapated script: Japan Arabic, a way to write Japanese with the Arabic script.

سوبوتي نو نينڬين وا جييوٓ ني اوماري، سونڬين تو كينري نو تيندي بيوٓدوٓديسو. كاريرا ني وا ايشيكي‌ تو كنجوٓ ڬا اري، اوتاڬاي ني كوٓدوٓ سورو هيتسويوٓ ڬا اريماسو كيوٓداي أي نو سييشين دي.

There are new numbers pages in:

  • Manam, a Western Oceanic language spoken on Manam Island in Papua New Guinea.
  • Sursurunga, a Western Oceanic language spoken in Namatanai district of New Ireland Province of Papua New Guinea.
  • Western Subanon (Sinubanon), a Philippine language spoken on the Zamboanga Peninsula in the Mindanao region of the Philippines.
  • Kokota (Ooe Kokota), a Western Oceanic language spoken on Santa Isabel Island in Isabel Province in the Solomon Islands.

New Tower of Babel translation in Aneityum

On the Omniglot blog there’s a new post called Water Trumpets, which is about the French phrase une trombe d’eau (cloudburst, downpour), and there’s the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in parts of West Africa.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Inuinnaqtun, an Inuit language spoken in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories, of Canada.

There’s a new Celtiadur post about words for Sticks and Rods and related things in Celtic languages.

On the Celtic Pathways podcast we’re examining some words for flowers and related things.

In the Adventure in Etymology we’re looking into the origins of the word quiver, both the quiver for arrows, and quiver as in to shake, which come from different roots.

In other news, I went to a concert this week featuring N’famady Kouyaté, a singer and musician from Guinea in West Africa, who is based in Cardiff in Wales. He sings in Mandinka and Susu, and possibly in other languages, and also adds bits of English and Welsh in some songs. It was great fun. Here are a couple of his songs:

For more Omniglot News see:
https://www.omniglot.com/news/
https://twitter.com/Omniglossia
https://www.facebook.com/groups/omniglot/
https://www.facebook.com/Omniglot-100430558332117

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, TuneIn, Podchaser, PlayerFM or podtail.

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

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Adventures in Etymology – Quiver

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

In this Adventure we investigate the origins of the word quiver.

Mongol Bow and Arrow Quiver

A quiver [ˈkwɪvə / ˈkwɪvɚ] is:

  • A portable case for holding arrows
  • A collection or store

To quiver means:

  • To shake with a slight, rapid, tremulous movement
  • To tremble, as from cold or strong emotion.

Quiver as an adjective means:

  • fast, speedy, rapid
  • energetic, vigourous, vibrant

The quiver for arrows comes from the Middle English quiver/whiver (a quiver, arrow case, case for a bow) from the Anglo-Norman quivre (a quiver), from the Old Dutch cocere/kokere (a quiver, case) from the Proto-West Germanic *kukur (container), possibly from Hunnic and/or ultimately from Proto-Mongolic *kökexür (leather vessel for liquids, snuff bottle) [source].

Words from the same Proto-Mongolic root include хөхүүр / ᠬᠥᠬᠦᠦᠷ [xoxur] (leather bag for holding liquid, wineskin, waterskin, snuffbox) in Mongolian, koker [ˈkoː.kər] (tube, cylinder, quiver) in Dutch, Köcher [ˈkœçɐ] (a quiver) in German, and kukkaro [ˈkukːɑro] (purse) in Finnish [source].

The verb to quiver and the adjective quiver (fast, energetic, vigourous) come from the Middle English quvier/cwiver (active, agile, lively, brisk, quick), from the Old English *cwifer, possibly related to cwic (alive. living, intelligent, keen), from which we get the modern English word quick [source].

Here’s a video I made of this information:

Video made with Doodly [afflilate link].

I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog, and I explore etymological connections between Celtic languages on the Celtiadur.

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, TuneIn, Podchaser, PlayerFM or podtail.

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

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Celtic Pathways – Flowers

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

In this episode we’re look into words for flowers and related things.

View from Sabhal Mòr Ostaig

In Proto-Celtic, the word *blātus meant flower of blossom. It comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *bʰleh₃- (bloom, flower) [source].

Descendents in the modern Celtic languages include:

  • bláth [bˠl̪ˠɑː/bˠl̪ˠaː] = blossom, flower; bloom, beauty, prime; prosperity or abundance in Irish
  • blàth [bl̪ˠaː] = bloom, blossom, flower, consequence, effect or heyday in Scottish Gaelic
  • blaa [bleː] = bloom, blossom, flower, heyday or pride in Manx
  • blodyn [ˈblɔdɨ̞n / ˈbloːdɪn] = flower, bloom, blossoms, florets, flowering plant or petal in Welsh
  • bleujen [ˈblɛdʒən] = blossom or flower in Cornish
  • bleuñv [blœ̃w] = flowers, flowering, apogee or menstruation in Breton

The Proto-Celtic word *blātus became *blātōnā (flower) in Gaulish, which was borrowed into Medieval Latin as blādōna (mullein – plants of the genus Verbascum), which became belladonna (a.k.a. deadly nightshade / Atropa belladonna) in Italian [source].

English words from the same PIE root include bloom, blossom, blade, flower, flour, flourish, foliage and folio [source].

Incidentally, words meaning flour in some Celtic languages come from the same PIE root, via Anglo-Norman, Old French, Latin and Proto-Italic. They include fflŵr/fflowr in Welsh, flooyr in Manx, flùr in Scottish Gaelic, and plúr in Irish, which also means flower [more details].

More details of flower-related words in Celtic languages can be found on the Celtiadur, a blog where I explore connections between Celtic languages in more depth. I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog.

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, TuneIn, Podchaser, PlayerFM or podtail.

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

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Omniglot News (20/11/22)

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

There are new language pages about:

  • Taiwanese Hakka (Thòi-vân Hak-fa), a group of Hakka dialects spoken in Taiwan.
  • Samogitian (žemaitiu kalba), an Eastern Baltic language spoken in the Samogitia region in the west of Lithuania.
  • Ughele, an Oceanic language spoken on Rendova Island, one of the New Georgia Islands in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands.

New constructed script: Verical, an alternative script for English created by Arcee Gonepike.

Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Verical

New adapated script: Urduk Cyrillic (Урдӯк Сӣрӣлик), a way to write Urdu with the Cyrillic alphabet devised by Damian Izrullah bin Abdullah.

Танāм инсāн āзāд ōp huқӯқ изёт Ке етибāp ce барāбар педā һӯ’e heнь. Инһень замӣр ōp aқёл ўадӣ’ат һӯ’ӣ һэ. Ислийе инһень ек дӯсре ке сāтһъ бһъаи чāре ĸā cëlӯĸ ĸapнā чаһи’е.

There are new numbers pages in:

  • Miami (Myaamia), an Algonquian language that was spoken in Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, Ohio and Oklahoma in the USA, and which is currently being revived.
  • Tamambo (Tamabo), an Oceanic language spoken mainly on Malo Island in Sanma province of Vanuatu.
  • Siar (ep warwar anun dat), an Oceanic language spoken in New Ireland Province in Papua New Guinea.
  • Ughele, an Oceanic language spoken on Rendova Island, one of the New Georgia Islands in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands.

If you give someone Short Shrift, you ignore, disregard or exclude them, or give them little time or attention. What is shrift though, and why is it short? Find out in this Omniglot blog post. There’s also the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in Canada.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Dhuwal, a Yolŋu language spoken in the Northern Territory of Australia.

There are new Celtic cognates pages with the names of various Countries and Languages in Celtic languages.

There’s a new Celtiadur post about words for Hooks and Crooks and related things in Celtic languages.

On the Celtic Pathways podcast we’re rounding up some words for Mutton, sheep and related things.

In the Adventure in Etymology we’re calmly looking into the origins of the word Nonchalant, and asking, if you can be nonchalant, can you also be chalant?

For more Omniglot News see:
https://www.omniglot.com/news/
https://twitter.com/Omniglossia
https://www.facebook.com/groups/omniglot/
https://www.facebook.com/Omniglot-100430558332117

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, TuneIn, Podchaser, PlayerFM or podtail.

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

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