Word Nerd

My post title isn't in Latin today because my topic is a bit tangential to Latin class... and rhyming is cool.

NY State Education Standards state that "students will demonstrate an increased English vocabulary based on Latin." Clearly there's the belief that knowing where English comes from matters.

But I also think that knowing where Latin comes from matters. I believe those of us who have ancient Greek in particular will be able to lead the discussion in how Romans were bilingual and what that means for the Latin language. The Greek language really enriched Latin, in the same way that so many languages have cultivated English into the supple tongue it is today.

To learn more about the history of the English language I highly recommend
Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue

It reaches far beyond mere word origins in it's expose of how languages influence and enrich each other. If you have any interest in language whatsoever, you'll find it to be a real page turner.

I wish I knew more about other languages from which Latin has borrowed. I learned recently that Punic words found their way into the Roman language, "ave" being one example. I know much more about borrowed words in our own native English. One of my partners in my group for a co-teaching assignment assembled many English words that come from non-European sources. I hope that you enjoy them and begin to consider imaginative ways to discuss borrowed words in the Latin classroom.

Food
Barbeque: Haiti, Arawakan, barbakoa "framework of sticks"
Maiz: Taino, mahis
Cashew: Tupi, acaîu
Cayenne: Tupi, kyinha
Potato: Taino, batata, "sweet potato"
Chili: Nahuatl, chilli
Chocolate: Nahuatl, xocolatl, "bitter water"
Guacamole: Nahuatl ahuacamolli, "avacado sauce"
Tomato: Nahuatl tomatl
Pecan: Illinois, pakani, "nut"
Squash: Naragansett, askutasquash
Candy: Arabic, qand
Lime: Arabic, liimah

Animals
Jaguar: Tupinamba, jawar
Iguana: Arakan, iwana
Puma: Quecha
Caribou: Mikmaq, kalipu, "snow shoveler"
Chipmunk: Odawa, jidmoonh, "red squirrel"
Muskrat: Massachusett, musquash
Racoon: Powhatan, ahrakun

Tools and Clothes
Canoe: Taino, canoa
Kayak: Inuktitut, qajaq
Shack: Nahuatl, xacalli, "grass hut"
Poncho: Mapudungun, pontho, "woolen fabric"
Jar: Arabic, jarrah
Racket: Arabic, rah'et, "palm of the hand"

Other
algebra: Arabic, al-jebr, "reintergration"
hazard: Arabic, yasara, "play at dice"
checkmate: Arabic, shaah ma't, "the king is dead"