A.Word.A.Day with Anu Garg What does a marathoner have in common with a Neanderthal and a milliner? All three are derived from the names of places. The word marathon is from Marathon in Greece, the word Neanderthal is coined from Neander valley in Germany, and a milliner is, literally, someone from Milan, Italy. These are examples of toponyms (from Greek topos: place), words derived from place names. This week well see five other words coined from place names (in the Czech Republic, Syria, Scotland, England, and Spain). Bohemian PRONUNCIATION: (bo-HEE-mee-uhn) MEANING: adjective: 1. Relating to Bohemia, its people, or languages. 2. Living an unconventional life. 3. Leading a wandering life. noun: 1. A person (such as a writer or an artist) who lives an unconventional life. 2. A vagabond or wanderer. 3. A native or inhabitant of Bohemia. 4. The Czech dialects spoken in Bohemia. ETYMOLOGY: From French bohémien (Gypsy, vagabond), because Gypsies were believed to come from Bohemia or entered through Bohemia. Bohemia is a region in central Europe, now a part of the Czech Republic. Earliest documented use: 1579. USAGE: The Green Relief natural health clinic in a bohemian part of San Francisco doesnt sound like an ordinary doctors surgery. For those who wonder about the sort of relief provided, its logo -- a can#nabis leaf -- is a clue. Virtually Legal; The Economist (London, UK); Nov 12, 2009. A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: One must be drenched in words, literally soaked in them, to have the right ones form themselves into the proper patterns at the right moment. -Hart Crane, poet (1899-1932)
Posted on: Mon, 28 Jul 2014 13:00:00 +0000
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