Word Etymology

• Etymology

  • the study of the origin of words and how the meaning of words evolved over the years
  • helps to understand and translate words better
• Types of Word Derivation

  1. Words Derived from Names of Persons
  2. Words Derived from Names of Persons with Suffixes
  3. Words Derived from Names of Places
• Examples of Words Derived from Names of Persons

  1. bougainvillea
  2. braille
  3. Bluetooth
  4. diesel
  5. volt
  6. ampere
  7. watt
  8. newton
• bougainvillea

  • Meaning: widely cultivated climbing plant, native to tropical climates, with small flowers (usually white) and brightly colored leaves (usually red or purple)
  • Derived from: named after Louis Antoine de Bougainville, an admiral in the French navy who was also an explorer and the first Frenchman to circumnavigate the globe
• braille

  • Meaning: the system that enables blind people to read and write by representing each letter of the alphabet as distinctive patterns of raised dots
  • Derived from: named after its French inventor, Louis Braille (1809-1852), who was himself blind from the age of 3
• Bluetooth

  • Meaning: a wireless technology used to connect devices
  • Derived from: named after the King Harald Bluetooth who united the Danish tribes in the 10th century
• diesel

  • a type of liquid fuel obtained from petroleum by distillation and, when used in an internal combustion engine, it is ignited by heat generated by compression
  • named after Rudolf Diesel (1858 - 1913), a German engineer who invented the diesel engine
• volt

  • Meaning: a unit of electrical power
  • Derived from: Count Alessandro Volta (1745-1827), an Italian physicist
• Ampere

  • Meaning: a unit of electrical quantity
  • Derived from: André-Marie Ampère (1775 - 1836), a French physicist
• Newton


  Meaning: a unit of force

  Derived from: Sir Isaac Newton (1642 - 1727)
• watt


  Meaning: a unit of power

  Derived from: James Watt (1736-1819), a pioneer of steam engineering
• coulomb


  Meaning: a unit of electrical quantity

  Derived from: Charles-Augustin de Coulomb (1736-1806), a French physicist
• Examples of Words Derived from Names of Places

  1. balaclava
  2. champagne
  3. jersey
• balaclava

  • Meaning: a close-fitting woolen hood or hat which covers the ears and neck and was originally worn by soldiers in the Crimean War (1853-1856)
  • Derived from: Balaklava, a small port in southern Crimea in the Ukraine
• champagne

  • Meaning: a sparkling white wine which takes its name from the region of France in which it is produced
  • Derived from: Champagne, a former province in Northern France
• jersey

  • Meaning: a knitted pullover or garment covering the upper part of the body
  • Derived from: Jersey, an island in the English Channel
• Examples of Words Derived from Names of Persons with Suffixes

  • McCarthyism
  • Draconian
  • Colombia
  • Philippines
  • El Salvador
  • Saudi Arabia
• McCarthyism

  • the practice of making unfair accusations of treason without proper evidence
  • named after Republican US Senator Joseph McCarthy as a criticism of his anti-communist actions
• Draconian

  • laws and rules that are very harsh and severe
  • named after Draco, a democratic Athenian legislator from 7th century BC, who made harsh laws that the citizens were not even aware of
• Colombia


  named after Christopher Columbus
• Philippines


  named after King Philip II of Spain
• El Salvador


  named after Jesus, the saviour
• Saudi Arabia


  named after Muhammad bin Saud