Language Of Confusion: Per-, Part VIII

Back again, somehow still looking at the Proto Indo European per-, forward. Now for all the words with F in them! That could be spooky for Halloween.

Okay, maybe not.
 
First is fore (also for, but I already etymologized that word). It comes from the Old English fore, which means… before. Not expecting any shocking revelations here. It’s from the Proto Germanic fura, which is then from the Proto Indo European prae-, from per-, just with an F instead of a P because that happens with a lot of words. Fore was a lot more common before it was replaced by before, which is from the Old English beforan, which also means before. The be- is actually from by and the rest from the Proto Germanic forana, which has fora as a verb form and is then from per-. Fore was before before.
 
Far comes from the Middle English fer, Old English feor, and Proto Germanic ferro, from per-. Then we have farther, which showed up in the late fourteenth century, and it’s actually from further. Further was furðer/forðer in Old English, which is either forth + -er or fore + -ther. Fore we just looked at. Forth is from the Old English forð, which is also just from fore. Not a big leap here.
 
And you know what other word is closely related? Afford. It comes from the Middle English aforth and Old English geforðian, to put forth, and yes, the ge- really turned into an a- here and means on or onto. The rest is from forð, just like forth. Afford is to forth onto. No, I don’t get it either. Apparently, after it started as “to put forth” in Old English, it started to mean accomplish, which then in English started to mean to have enough money for something. That… doesn’t really clarify things.
 
Sources
Online Etymology Dictionary
University of Texas at Austin Linguistic Research Center
University of Texas at San Antonio’s page on Proto Indo European language
University of Texas at Arlington
Tony Jebson’s page on the Origins of Old English
Old English-English Dictionary

From The Spamfiles

What’s this? A bonus Tuesday? More spam!

I like how there’s absolutely no indication as to what company this is offering me “membership”. For all I know it’s some sort of terrorist organization.

I do indeed want to load all generative AI creators and users into a rocket and then send the rocket into the fire of the sun.

I love how there are three gigantic warning flags just in this short message: 1. All the emojis; 2. Direct deposited (eye roll); and 3. The fact that they don’t get the comma in the right place in the dollar number. If you’re falling for this, you need help.
 

Even shorter than the last one and with twice as many red flags. Kudos.

Just loved how this was on my last Spamfiles post. Very appropriate.

Language Of Confusion: Per-, Part VII

We’re still doing this? Yes, it seems so, as there are many more words that come from the Proto Indo European per-, forward. It’s long past time for these to start getting weird.
 
First, a word that at least has per- in it. Impervious showed up in the mid seventeenth century from the classical Latin impervius, which, you know, just means impervious. The in- means not or opposite of here, and pervius means accessible or allowing things to pass through. If you break it down further, the per- is from per-, while the -vius is from via, road or way. Impervious is not passing through.
 
There’s also reciprocal, which has pro- in it so is obviously related. It showed up in the later sixteenth century from the classical Latin reciprocus, another word we need to break down. Re- means back, and -cus was stuck at the end to make it an adjective, then procus, which is pro (forward) and another -cus. Reciprocal is forward and back. Hm, these aren’t as weird as I thought.
 
Okay, former has to be weird. It showed up in the mid twelfth century from the Old English forma, which actually means first. That’s from the Proto Germanic fruma/furma, which is then from the Proto Indo European pre-mo-, from per-. Since one of per-’s definitions is first, former is first. Damn, that’s not weird at all.
 
Well, profane should be fun. It showed up as a verb in the late fourteenth century and an adjective in the mid fifteenth. It’s from the Old French profaner/prophaner and classical Latin profanare, to desecrate. Obviously the pro- comes from per- and means before, but the rest? That’s from the Latin fanum, temple or sanctuary. So profane is… before a temple. Well, at least this one’s weird.
 
Sources
Online Etymology Dictionary
Google Translate
Omniglot
University of Texas at Austin Linguistic Research Center
University of Texas at San Antonio’s page on Proto Indo European language
Tony Jebson’s page on the Origins of Old English
Old English-English Dictionary

All That Remains

Interesting things don’t often happen around here.

Hey, I don’t make fun of her hobbies.

Language Of Confusion: Per-, Part VI

There’s still more to look at from the Proto Indo European per-, forward. Quite a lot more, actually.
 
First, we’re going to look at prompt, which showed up in the mid fourteenth century as a verb, then the early fifteenth century as a noun and adjective. It comes from the classical Latin promptus, prompt or ready, which is from the verb promere, to bring forth. The pro literally means forward (from per-, of course), and the rest is emere, to take. Prompt is to take forward. I’m not sure if that makes sense or if my brain broke.
 
There’s also protest, which I believe I looked at with test words a very long time ago. It showed up in the fifteenth century meaning a pledge or declaration, then meaning a statement of disapproval in the eighteenth century, then a formal declaration of being against something in the nineteenth, and finally what we use it for in 1942—that recently! It’s from the Old French protest (not at all surprised protest is French), with the pro meaning forth or before, and the rest meaning testify. A protest is testifying before. I guess.
 
Next, how about prophet, which is very old, having shown up in the late twelfth century. It’s from the Old French prophete/profete and classical Latin propheta, and they of course took it from the Greek prophetes. Pro again means before, while the rest is from the Greek phanai, to speak. Prophets speak forward.
 
Prodigal showed up in the sixteenth century meaning lavish or wasteful, from the French prodigal and Late Latin prodigalis. That’s then from the classical Latin prodigus, lavish, with the pro- meaning forth, and the rest from the verb agere, to set in motion or act. Not sure how it got to lavish and wasteful from there, but apparently it did.
 
Finally today: approximate. It showed up as a verb in the fifteenth century and an adjective two centuries later, from the Late Latin approximatus, and its verb form approximare, to come near to. The a- comes from ad-, to, and the rest is the classical Latin verb proximare, to approach. That’s then from prope, near, from the PIE propro, on and on, from per-. And that’s how on and on leads to approximate.
 
Sources
Online Etymology Dictionary
Google Translate
Omniglot
University of Texas at Austin Linguistic Research Center
University of Texas at San Antonio’s page on Proto Indo European language
Orbis Latinus

From The Spamfiles

Spam week! Let’s see how they’re trying to scam me now.

So much to get into here. Honestly, the “days” thing is an annoying mistake, but I am offended at the use of n apostrophe in place of and.

…Just how old do you think I am?

I don’t remembering entering all these contests where I’ve won an toolset, but they just keep coming in.

Wow! I was selected to received a direct deposited of $750 from an app I never even signed up for! Miraculous!

The most annoying part of this is that Virtual Starlight Kid sounds like a real Tumblr name, and I wish it was mine.

Language Of Confusion: Per, Part V

We’re back looking at the Proto Indo European per-, forward, which shows up in a lot of places.
 
First this week, prime, which showed up in the late fourteenth century from the Old French prime and classical Latin primus, first. That’s actually from the Proto Italic prismos, from the PIE preis-, before, which of course is from per-. Now that’s a very sensible etymology.
 
Then there’s premiere, which didn’t show up until 1889 in reference to the first performance of a play. It was taken directly from premier, which premiered (couldn’t resist) in the mid fifteenth century and meant first until 1711 when it was used to mean the “first minister of a state”. It’s from the French premier, first, and that’s also from primus, big surprise. Every other prime word is from primus, too, like primal, which showed up in the seventeenth century through the Medieval Latin primalis, and primary, in the fifteenth century.
 
We also have prior, which showed up in the early eighteenth century directly from the classical Latin prior, before. So. Not much change there. It’s from the Proto Indo European prai- and prei-, which of course are from pre-. Really didn’t change much. A religious prior is also related, from the Middle English priour and before that, the Medieval Latin prior, a superior officer. And that’s from the Latin prior. I do see the relationship between superior and before, though it’s weird that the noun version of the word came through English, and appeared likely before the other one.
 
Next is proud. It comes from the Old English prud, Old French prud, Late Latin prode, and classical Latin prodesse, to benefit. The pro- part is from per, while the esse part is to be, which would make this to be forward. Hm. Anyway, related to that is the word prowess, which showed up in the early thirteenth century meaning an act of bravery. It’s from the Old French proece, which happens to also be from prud. Prowess and proud are related. Who knew?
 
Sources
Online Etymology Dictionary
Google Translate
Omniglot
University of Texas at Austin Linguistic Research Center
University of Texas at San Antonio’s page on Proto Indo European language
University of Texas at Arlington
Tony Jebson’s page on the Origins of Old English
Old English-English Dictionary
Dictionary of Medieval Latin
Orbis Latinus

Real Horror

I remember when spiders were the worst thing I was scared of.

It’s putting a damper on the season, I can tell you that much.

Language Of Confusion: Per, Part IV

We still have plenty of words left that are descended from the Proto Indo European per-, forward.
 
First of all, paradise. It showed up first in late Old English specifically referring to the garden of Eden, and it comes from the Old French paradis, Late Latin paradisus, and the Greek paradeisos. Interestingly enough, that actually comes from Avestan origin—Avestan being an Arabic language in the third and fourth centuries—and in fact the modern Arabic word firdaus means paradise. So Avestan had the word pairidaeza, enclosure or park, where pairi- means around and is from per- while the rest is from diz, to make or form a wall.
 
Pardon showed up in the fourteenth century, from the Old French pardon/pardoner, Medieval Latin perdonum, and Vulgar Latin perdonare. The per is of course form per, through in Latin, and going through something is going forward, I guess. The rest of the word is from the classical Latin donare, to give, the origin word of donor. To pardon is to give a gift. Through.
 
Next, paramount, which showed up in the mid sixteenth century from the Anglo French/Old French paramont, which is also from the Latin per plus amont, which means upward or upstream (and is the origin of amount). Paramount is through upwards. I guess something paramount is upwards of everything?
 
Paramour is weirdly funny. It showed up in the early fourteenth century, from the Anglo French/Old French par amour, and you know the par is from per, while the rest is from amare, to love. Paramour is to love through. The funny part? Originally, paramour was used to refer to Jesus—by women—or the Virgin Mary—by men. Make of that what you will.
 
Promise showed up in the fourteenth century from the Old French promesse and classical Latin promissum, promised. The verb form is promittere, with the pro- from per- and the mittere meaning to send or release—the origin of mission, a word I looked at a very long time ago.
 
Finally today, we’ll look at pristine. It showed up in the mid sixteenth century, but back then it meant primitive or earliest period, not meaning pure until 1899—and back then, it was slang that educated people would not use to mean something like untouched. It’s from the French pristin, and classical Latin pristinus, which actually means former or original, with the pri- meaning before in Old Latin (and from per of course). The takeaway here? Pristine is slang! If you use it to mean pure or untouched, you’re using it wrong!!!
 
Sources
Online Etymology Dictionary
Google Translate
Omniglot
University of Texas at Austin Linguistic Research Center
University of Texas at San Antonio’s page on Proto Indo European language
University of Texas at Arlington
Tony Jebson’s page on the Origins of Old English
Dictionary of Medieval Latin
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Fordham University
Orbis Latinus
BrightHub [https://www.brighthubeducation.com/]

October Goals

Okay, somehow it’s October, don’t know how that happened. Ha ha, a month left until the election, I’m fine, I’m totally fine, we’re not all going to die if it goes the wrong way or anything.
 
I can’t remember what I was supposed to be doing last month.
 
September Goals
1. Find something new to write that actually interests me.
At long last, I found something that I really want to write! Yay!
 
2. Edit something old to post on my other site. Luckily I have tons of options.
Getting around to it. I’m pretty sure I know what I’m going to go for.
 
3. Try to read some more. Maybe this will help me recharge.
Definitely didn’t do this as much as I’d like. I wish I had a few more hours in the day.
 
And now for October…
 
October Goals
1. I’d like to get another 30K down in my new project. Of course now my laptop has decided to randomly not type the R Y U I O and P letters. You wouldn’t believe how long it took me to get that sentence out. Ha ha this is giving me an aneurysm.

 
2. Hopefully find some time to edit an old project.
 
3. Actually get back to editing my last WIP.  Not sure I’ll have time though.
 
That’s the plan. What do you want to do? Are you glad the weather is changing?