Words With Surprising Origins

Name:

Date:

Instructions: The stories behind everyday words can be truly astonishing. How many of these surprising word origins do you know?

1.
The word 'salary' comes from the Latin word for what?
A
Salt
B
Money
C
Gold
D
Work
2.
The word 'quarantine' comes from the Italian 'quaranta giorni'. What does it mean?
A
Sick ward
B
Forty days
C
Stay away
D
Closed door
3.
Where does the word 'ketchup' likely originate?
A
French
B
Spanish
C
Chinese (Hokkien)
D
American English
4.
The word 'disaster' literally means what in its Greek/Latin roots?
A
Evil wind
B
Terrible day
C
Bad star
D
Great destruction
5.
Where does the word 'cappuccino' get its name?
A
A city in Italy
B
A type of coffee bean
C
The color of Capuchin monks' robes
D
The Italian word for foam
6.
The word 'clue' originally referred to what object?
A
A key
B
A magnifying glass
C
A ball of thread
D
A compass
7.
The word 'nightmare' originally involved which creature?
A
A female demon that sat on sleepers' chests
B
A wolf
C
A black cat
D
A dark horse
8.
The word 'sarcasm' comes from a Greek word meaning what?
A
Sharp tongue
B
Cutting words
C
To tear flesh
D
Bitter laughter
9.
The word 'avocado' comes from the Nahuatl (Aztec) word for what?
A
Testicle
B
Alligator pear
C
Green fruit
D
Tree butter
10.
The word 'whiskey' comes from the Gaelic 'uisce beatha'. What does it mean?
A
Fire drink
B
Water of life
C
Barley juice
D
Golden spirit
11.
The word 'infant' comes from Latin and literally means what?
A
Helpless one
B
Unable to speak
C
Newborn
D
Small person
12.
Where does the word 'checkmate' in chess come from?
A
Persian: 'shah mat' (the king is dead)
B
English: 'check your mate'
C
Latin: 'scaccus matus'
D
French: 'echec et mat'
13.
The word 'malaria' literally means what in Italian?
A
Death fever
B
Swamp disease
C
Bad air
D
Mosquito sickness
14.
The word 'trivial' comes from the Latin 'trivium', which referred to what?
A
Children's games
B
Small coins
C
Simple arithmetic
D
Three roads meeting (a common crossroads)
15.
The word 'companion' literally means what in its Latin roots?
A
One who shares bread with another
B
A fellow traveler
C
Walking together
D
A close friend

Find more free puzzles and brain games at www.SeniorBrainGames.org