Etymology: Where do words come from?

Etymology: Where do words come from?

Fellow English teachers, before we go any further, we have a few questions for you to answer. Try to respond as truthfully as possible.

  1. When I’m teaching, I often think about where words in English come from.
  2. I am able to identify similarities between words in English and other languages.
  3. I draw ss’ attention to the etymology of words that we come across in lessons.
  4. I understand the history of the English language.
  5. I think it is important for teachers to know about etymology.

If you’ve answered ‘yes’ to any of the above, then it’s likely that you’ve learnt something about the history of the English language before, or you’ve even read up on etymology. If you have answered ‘no’, then you’ve got a whole new world to explore, one which you may never have considered, but will benefit you and your students in the classroom.

What is etymology?

The word etymology is defined as ‘the study of the origin and history of words[1]’, and interestingly comes from the Greek word ‘etymos’ meaning ‘true’. Over the years this term was applied to the study of words and their literal (true) meaning. Nowadays, etymology is a subfield within the study of linguistics and many people who are interested in the study of language will come across it at some point during their learning journey. It could even be argued that etymology is a branch of history seeing as the evolution of language is so interwoven in the historical events that have caused it to develop over the years.

Why is it useful for English teachers?

English has a very colourful history and, unlike other languages, is not controlled by any official body which determines what can be deemed as correct English or not. Any study of the English language is very much descriptive as its widespread use causes many changes which are happening at this very moment. Have you ever asked yourself why English has become such an international language, spoken by many as a second language all over the world? Some argue that it’s precisely this lack of rules over the years that has made English such a flexible language which has always adapted to its context.

English is essentially a Germanic language, which evolved from the Proto Indo-European branch of languages and has been subject to huge political and historical influences since that time. We usually refer to the original Germanic version of English as Old English and would be very difficult to understand as an English speaker today. Over the years, various invasions of the British Isles meant that English came into contact with many other languages which have shaped it into modern-day English. The Vikings brought their language ‘Old Norse’ with them, and many words related to war, landscape, animals and society come from this root. Then, in 1066, England was conquered by the Normans, who brought Old French with them and French soon became the language of the higher echelons of society as well as education and literature.

In fact, ‘the vocabulary of Modern English is approximately a quarter Germanic (Old English, Scandinavian, Dutch, German) and two-thirds Italic or Romance (especially Latin, French, Spanish, Italian), with copious and increasing importations from Greek in science and technology and with considerable borrowings from more than 300 other languages.’[2] As teachers of this language, it is our job to know something about the history of English, as this gives an important insight into the inner workings of the language and can provide clear explanations for some of the most confusing elements of the language. If you’ve ever stood at the front of your class and wondered, ‘why is it like that’, the answer is probably an etymological one and it really does pay off to go and seek out those answers.

How can I use it in the classroom?

It’s important to remember that teachers are not walking dictionaries, and a lot of the knowledge we have about language comes from having to teach it or being asked questions in class that you might not have the answer to. Whilst it’s normal not to have all the answers, we can’t rest on our laurels and hope that the questions go away, we must investigate language as it comes up in our lessons and gradually build up our knowledge. In the same vein, students don’t need lectures on the history of language, but they would benefit hugely from gradually gaining knowledge on the topic in order to help them understand the trickier elements of language.

Here are a few top tips to consider when considering etymology in the classroom.

Don’t forget about grammar

Whilst we focus heavily on lexis when we consider etymology, grammar has also been shaped by the different linguistic influences on English. Take the past simple, for example, whose irregularity is down to its history. The two ways of forming the comparative and superlative- also due to varying linguistic influences. Once you start looking into it, there is a whole world of grammatical history to discover which gives much more meaning to the language that we teach in class every day.

Work on synonyms

Heavy lexical borrowing from French has meant that English has a wealth of synonyms that students have to contend with. Many synonyms come from the fact that there is a Germanic root word with a Latin-based equivalent. Working on these in class can be incredibly useful for students as the context is so important when it comes to knowing which synonym to use and its level of formality.

Ask more etymology-based questions

Just as we ask CCQs to check students have understood what we are teaching them, we should include more etymology-based questions in our classroom repertoire. Once you start introducing students to the differences in language based on its history, these questions will help them make much more sense of what they are learning and could make it much more memorable.

Draw students’ attention to similarities in languages

Similarities in languages (especially if you teach European students) can be both a blessing and a curse as there are some words which do not translate exactly between languages. Looking into the history of these similarities can lead to a more in-depth understanding of the language and can prevent students from making literal translation errors without having considered the meaning differences.

Encourage students to be curious learners

Whilst some students might not seem interested in what you have to say about the English language, there are others who will find it incredibly helpful and useful. Looking more into word roots and the history of a language avoids lessons just becoming ‘this is the way it is’ type lessons in which students just have to absorb all of the rules and definitions we are giving them without much consideration for why. Encourage them to ask questions and be curious- this will be much more engaging for them in the long run.

Look up the origins of words in class

If you don’t know where a word comes from or why something is the way it is, then learn together with your students. Just as you would look up a word’s meaning if you didn’t know it, normalise looking up the etymology in class and learn alongside your students.

Keep notes

If you find out any interesting information in class or have a huge lightbulb moment, always note it down. Teachers are also learners and take notes as you would do if you were in a classroom learning about the history of words as a student. Use these notes for future classes or simply to review everything you have discovered about the English language whilst teaching it.

Conclusion

There are so so so many exciting facts to learn about the history of the English language every word that we utter is laced with a rich and colourful history that has led us to where we are today. As we spread the use of English even further around the world, it’s our job to honour its past and the teachers and speakers who have come before us to give our students a more global view of the language and how it came to be. If this has whetted your appetite and you’re more interested than ever in learning a bit more about the history of English, then we recommend Bill Bryson’s book ‘Mother Tongue’ as a great place to start your learning journey.

 

[1] https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/etymology

[2] https://www.britannica.com/topic/English-language/Vocabulary

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