Word Origins

About Word Origins

Give your memory a workout with Word Origins: 15 multiple-choice questions with a mix of 5 easy, 5 medium, 5 hard questions, free to play right in your browser. Where do our everyday words come from? Discover the surprising origins and etymologies of common English words in this fascinating quiz! Expect to spend about 7 minutes; every question comes with an explanation, so you learn something even when you miss.

A few sample questions

1. 1. The word 'salary' comes from the Latin word 'salarium,' which is related to what substance?

   Answer: Salt

   The word 'salary' derives from the Latin 'salarium,' which is connected to 'sal' meaning salt. Roman soldiers were sometimes given allowances to buy salt, a highly valued commodity in the ancient world.

2. 2. What language does the word 'ketchup' originally come from?

   Answer: Chinese (Hokkien)

   Ketchup traces back to the Hokkien Chinese word 'kê-tsiap,' a fermented fish sauce. It was brought to Europe by traders in the 17th century and evolved into the tomato-based condiment we know today.

3. 3. The word 'disaster' literally means 'bad star' and comes from which language?

   Answer: Italian

   Disaster comes from the Italian 'disastro,' combining 'dis-' (bad) and 'astro' (star). It reflects the old belief that catastrophes were caused by unfavorable positions of the stars and planets.

4. 4. The word 'robot' was coined in a 1920 play by a writer from which country?

   Answer: Czechoslovakia

   The word 'robot' was introduced by Czech writer Karel Capek in his 1920 play 'R.U.R.' (Rossum's Universal Robots). It derives from the Czech word 'robota,' meaning forced labor or drudgery.

5. 5. The word 'quarantine' comes from the Italian words for what number of days?

   Answer: Forty

   Quarantine comes from the Italian 'quarantina,' meaning a period of forty days. During the Black Death in the 14th century, ships arriving in Venice had to anchor offshore for 40 days before passengers could disembark.

Things you'll learn along the way

• ✓The word 'avocado' comes from the Nahuatl word 'ahuacatl,' which literally means testicle, likely due to the fruit's shape. Spanish conquistadors adapted it to 'aguacate,' which eventually became 'avocado' in English.
• ✓In ancient Rome, those seeking public office wore bright white togas to symbolize purity and fitness for office. The Latin 'candidatus' means 'clothed in white,' from 'candidus' (white, bright).
• ✓Tsunami is a Japanese word combining 'tsu' (harbor) and 'nami' (wave), literally meaning 'harbor wave.' Fishermen who found their harbors devastated upon returning from sea coined the term, as the waves were not noticeable in open water.