# English word with the most unique etymology? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 29, 2003, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-word-with-the-most-unique-etymology/198334 "2003-08-29T01:14:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2003, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-word-with-the-most-unique-etymology/198334/41 "2003-08-29T23:04:18Z")
> [@](#): > > but perhaps the word you’re looking for is parka. It’s etymology is Nenets\>Russian\>Aleut\>English. As far as I know, it’s the only English word from both Nenets and Aleut. Again, I’m not trying to be difficult. What is the “Nenets” word that went into Russsian? ---
**Author:** ![Flamsterette\_X](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/41988e/32.png) [@Flamsterette\_X](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flamsterette_X)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2003, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-word-with-the-most-unique-etymology/198334/42 "2003-08-29T23:10:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Colibri \* > \*\*Palindrome. \*\* And if you like to use them frequently, you’d be called a “[ciloholic]([Ross Mackenzie: Biography and Latest Articles](http://www.townhall.com/columnists/rossmackenzie/) rm20020110.shtml).” (a person addicted to palindromes!) Note: I originally read the term in my _Ripley’s Believe It Or Not: Encyclopedia of the Bizarre_, but thought I’d include a web link anyhow. 🙂 Sit on a potato pan, Otis. So, Ida, adios! Rats live on no evil star. Go deliver a dare, vile dog. Vanna, wanna V? Man, Oprah’s sharp on A.M. Yawn. Madonna fan? No damn way! Too bad, I hid a boot. Cain: A maniac! Plan no damn Madonna LP. Sex-aware era waxes. Solo gigolos. Ah, Satan sees Natasha. Cigar? Toss it in a can, it is so tragic. A Toyota! Race fast, safe car. A Toyota. U.F.O. tofu. Golf? No sir, prefer prison-flog. Draw, O coward! Egad! No bondage! Lepers repel. Flee to me, remote elf. Sh… Tom sees moths. Kay, a red nude, peeped under a yak. Egad, an adage! Must sell as tallest sum. “Reviled did I live,” said I, “as evil I did deliver.” No lemons, no melon. Doc, note, I dissent. A fast never precents a fatness. I diet on cod. Gnu dung. Lager, Sir, is regal. Poor Dan is in a droop. Sex at noon taxes. Evil olive. Flesh! Saw I Mimi wash self! Sniff’um muffins. Tuna nut. Never odd or even. May a moody baby doom a yam? Do geese see God? Satan, oscillate my metallic sonatas! Al lets Della call Ed Stella. Straw? No, too stupid a fad; I put soot on warts. Anne, I vote more cars race Rome to Vienna. Some men interpret nine memos. Dennis sinned. No, it never propogates if I set a gap or prevention. God saw I was dog. Campus motto: Bottoms, up, Mac. ‘Tis in a DeSoto sedan I sit. No trace; not one carton. Oozy rat in a sanitary zoo. Was it Eliot’s toilet I saw? Lisa Bonet ate no basil. A relic, Odin! I’m a mini, docile Ra! “Do nine men interpret?” “Nine men,” I nod. He did, eh? Is Don Adams mad? (A nod.) _Si_! Eva, can I stab bats in a cave? Live not on evil, madam, live not on evil. No, sir! Away! A papaya war is on. Dogma: I am God. Oh, no… Don Ho! So many dynamos. Are we not drawn onward, we few, drawn onward to new era? To: Dr. et. al. / Re: Grub / Ma had a hamburger / Later, Dot. We panic in a pew. Norma is as selfless as I am, Ron. Sun at noon, tan us. Lapses? Order red roses, pal. A dog! A panic in a pagoda! I’m a boob, am I? Dog doo! Good God! “Do orbits all last?” I brood. Ed, I saw Harpo Marx ram Oprah W. aside. An admirer! I’m Dana! Emil, a sleepy baby, peels a lime. Party boobytrap. He spots one last sale. No stops, eh? Neil, an alien. Go hang a salami! I’m a lasagna hog! Tarzan raised Desi Arnaz’ rat. All erotic, I lose solciitor Ella. Madame, not one man is selfless; I name not one, Madam. Ron, I’m a minor. Stressed was I ere I saw desserts. So, Ed, I vow to do two videos. Yo! Bozo boy! Wonton? Not now. Sis, ask Costner to not rent socks “as is.” Too far, Edna, we wander afoot. Diana saw I was an aid. Mad? Am I, madam? Angola bologna. Tennis set won, now Tess in net. Stella wondered: “No wallets?” Star comedy: Democrats. _I Love Me_, vol. I Now, Ned, I am a maiden won! Ma is a nun, as I am. Did I do, O God, did I as I said I’d do? Good, I did! Amoral aroma. Alan Alda stops race car, spots ad: “Lana – L.A.” No, son. Sue us! Pots nonstop. Dump mud. Go, dog! Stack cats. Worm row. Party trap. Wonder if Sununu’s fired now. Ed is on no side. Step on no pets. Rise to vote, sir! Naomi, did I moan? “Desserts,” I stressed. Spit Q-Tips. Roy, am I mayor? A car, a man, a maraca. Live not on evil. If I had a Hi-Fi… A slut nixes sex in Tulsa. Put Eliot’s toilet up. Pull up, Bob, pull up! Pa’s a sap. Ma is as selfless as I am. Did mom poop? Mom did. Yawn a more Roman way. Mr. Owl ate my metal worm. Ann, nab a banana. No, Mel Gibson is a casino’s big lemon. Pasadena, Ned… ASAP! He lived as a devil, eh? Pull up, Eva, we’re here! Wave! Pull up! I saw desserts; I’d no lemons, alas no melon. Distressed was I. Marge lets Norah see Sharon’s telegram. Ned, go gag Ogden. No evil Shahs live on. Was it a rat I saw? We’ll let Dad tell Lew. Red rum, sir, is murder. Don’t nod. Some men interpret nine memos. Dammit, I’m mad! Evil I did dwell, lewd did I live. Gert, I saw Ron avoid a radio-van… or was it Reg? Lew, Otto has a hor towel! Lonely Tylenol. O, stone, be not so. Re-paper. So, G. Rivera’s tots are Virgos. Too hot to hoot. Rats paraded a rap star. No. It is opposition. Won’t I panic in a pit now? Panic in a _Titanic_? I nap. Damn! I, Agassi, miss again! Mad! O, Geronimo… no minor ego! Boston ode: Do not sob. Gateman sees name; garageman sees name tag. “Red?” “No.” “Who is it?” " 'Tis I." “Oh, wonder!” Todd erases a red dot. I saw a Santa – at NASA was I. Mad, a detail of Eden: one defoliated Adam. Amy, must I jujitsu my ma? Trapeze part. Men, I’m Eminem. Snot or protons? On a clover, if alive, erupts a vast, pure evil: a fine volcano. Nurses run. A six is a six is a six is a… No lava on Avalon; no lava, no Avalon. Egad! A base tone denotes a bad age. And finally: there’s a town called Yreka near the Bathroom Readers’ Institute in Ashland, OR. You can buy bread at the **Yreka Bakery.**. F\_X ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-word-with-the-most-unique-etymology/198334/43 "2003-08-30T04:17:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by samclem \* > Again, I’m not trying to be difficult. What is the “Nenets” word that went into Russsian? It was right there in the quote you cited. From MWO Main Entry: par·ka Pronunciation: 'pär-k& Function: noun Etymology: Aleut, from Russian dialect, ultimately from Nenets (Samoyedic language of northern Russia) Date: 1780 1 : a hooded fur pullover garment for arctic wear 2 : a usually lined fabric outerwear pullover or jacket ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-word-with-the-most-unique-etymology/198334/44 "2003-08-30T05:19:06Z")
I’d throw out _googol_ as having the “most unique” etymology. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-word-with-the-most-unique-etymology/198334/45 "2003-08-30T05:56:42Z")
“Son, I am able,” she said, “though you scare me.” “Watch,” said I, “beloved, I said watch me scare you though.” Said she, “Able am I, son.” ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-word-with-the-most-unique-etymology/198334/46 "2003-08-30T07:37:31Z")
I have heard that the word ‘hoodlum’ comes from someone who misspelled, and then reversed the name ‘Muldoon’. Unfortunately, the only cite I can find on the 'net says that’s bogus. Another site says that in the 1870s, newspapers in San Francisco (where the word originated) came up with some very fanciful stories to explain its origin. ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-word-with-the-most-unique-etymology/198334/47 "2003-08-30T07:48:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by syncrolecyne \* > **While not strictly English etymology, I find it interesting that the words “charity” and “whore” come from the same Indo-European root.** [ul]:rolleyes: [sup] **Any possible connection to the term “Charity begins at home”?** [/sup][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-word-with-the-most-unique-etymology/198334/48 "2003-08-30T10:10:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by samclem \* > \*\ ***jjimm** said > It’s justs as you suspected, a coincidence. It didn’t come from the French either. \*\* Hmm, [dictionary.com](http://dictionary.com) gives this etymology a “[possibly](http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=penguin)”: > [@](#): > > Possibly from Welsh pen gwyn, White Head (name of an island in Newfoundland), great auk : pen, chief, head + gwynn, white; see weid- in Indo-European Roots ---
**Author:** ![Hanayatori](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8baadc/32.png) [@Hanayatori](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanayatori)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-word-with-the-most-unique-etymology/198334/49 "2003-08-30T18:56:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by syncrolecyne \* > \*\*While not strictly English etymology, I find it interesting that the words “charity” and “whore” come from the same Indo-European root. > [Whore Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com](http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=whore) \*\* I like that. It’s also interesting that “science” and “shit” have the same Indo-European root. 🙂 [http://www.bartleby.com/61/roots/IE464.html](http://www.bartleby.com/61/roots/IE464.html) ---
**Author:** ![Hanayatori](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8baadc/32.png) [@Hanayatori](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanayatori)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-word-with-the-most-unique-etymology/198334/50 "2003-08-30T19:06:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by syncrolecyne \* > \*\*While not strictly English etymology, I find it interesting that the words “charity” and “whore” come from the same Indo-European root. > [http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=whore](http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=whore) \*\* Also interesting is that “science” and “shit” have the same Indo-European root. [http://www.bartleby.com/61/roots/IE464.html](http://www.bartleby.com/61/roots/IE464.html) ---
**Author:** ![Hanayatori](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8baadc/32.png) [@Hanayatori](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanayatori)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-word-with-the-most-unique-etymology/198334/51 "2003-08-30T19:09:46Z")
Sorry, my first response ended with a page expiration, so I thought that it hadn’t posted. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-word-with-the-most-unique-etymology/198334/52 "2003-08-30T19:46:40Z")
> [@](#): > > Also interesting is that “science” and “shit” have the same Indo-European root. That is actually pretty easy to believe. The motto of the cafeteria at my Catholic prep school was “He knows the faith” which, rendered in Latin was _Fidem scit_. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-word-with-the-most-unique-etymology/198334/53 "2003-08-30T20:50:09Z")
I like astonish - it comes from roots meaning, “To be struck by lightning.” ---
**Author:** ![1010011010](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/ea666f/32.png) [@1010011010](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/1010011010)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-word-with-the-most-unique-etymology/198334/54 "2003-08-30T21:19:06Z")
I was reading something a while ago about words exchanged between languages that are writen in different directions (E.G. between arabic, written right to left, and hebrew, written left to right) having their letter order reversed. Unfortunately I can’t remember any sets of examples (Knesset was half on one) or find the page… ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-word-with-the-most-unique-etymology/198334/55 "2003-09-01T12:03:07Z")
> [@](#): > > Re sine, my Oxford Canadian says that it comes from the word sinus meaning a fold in a toga. I just learned that “sine” may have an even more interesting etymology. I picked up the third collcted volume of Larry Gonick’s **The Cartoon History of the UNiverse** (It came out in 2002, but I hadn’t seen or heard of it until now! Why doesn’t anybody notice thes things? _Highly_ recomended!) In a footnote on page 41 he notes: > [@](#): > > Many of these “arabic” wrds themselves originally came from somewhere else. For example, the word “sine” in rigonometry, according to many histories, comes from an arabic word meaning “bay”. But the sine has nothing to do with a bay. In fact, the Arabs just copied the word “sine” from Hindu geometry, where it came from a Sanskrit word meaning “bowstring”. > > Source: A cartoon history of math published in India! The significance of “bwstring” becomes obvious when you look at his picture (the footnotes are in comic form, too). He has the definition of “sine” as usually given in math, except that it’s comparing the length of a chord to a section of an arc, and the arc looks like the bow, wih the chord – the sine – being the bowstring. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-word-with-the-most-unique-etymology/198334.md?page=2)