(Here is the first in a series of etymological discussions intended for casual reading and enjoyment, not for intensive study. The words chosen for comment will not necessarily be drawn from the assigned word lists. However, the discussion will always be directly related to the content of the current chapter.)<\/i><\/p>\r\n
Though their roots are unrelated, via<\/b> and vita<\/b> are sometimes confused, on account of the fact that vita<\/b> became vie<\/i> in French. Neither word has given the English language a simple common noun: as we trudge along the road<\/i> of life<\/i>, we do so in plain Anglo-Saxon. However English uses via<\/i> as a convenient term that means \u201cby way of\u201d; and when Canadians take a railway voyage<\/i> (from Latin viaticum<\/b>, <\/b>\u201ctravel money\u201d), they go by VIA Rail\u2014if there are any trains left to ride.[footnote] English idiom has been strained in this sentence, since the word voyage<\/em> is now restricted mainly to sea travel; a trip by land is better described as a journey (from Latin diurnum<\/strong>, \u201ca day\u2019s travel\u201d).[\/footnote] The Roman road was a marvel of ancient engineering. The \u201clayered\u201d or \u201cpaved\u201d road, [via] strata<\/b>, gave us street<\/i>, one of the oldest Latin words in English. The \u201cbroken\u201d or \u201cbeaten\u201d road, [via] rupta<\/b>, came into English much later as route<\/i>. Lexicographers can\u2019t agree whether viable<\/i> is derived from vita<\/b> (\u201cable to maintain life\u201d) or from via<\/b> (\u201cable to be travelled\u201d)\u2014or possibly from both.<\/p>\r\n Arena<\/b> (classical Latin harena<\/b>) has had a curious semantic history. The original Latin word meant \u201csand\u201d; then it was specialized to mean \u201cthe sand of the amphitheatre\u201d; then it was applied to the scene of the contest, though not to the physical structure. When arena<\/i> came into English in 1627, it was used to describe the ancient amphitheatre itself; considerably later it was broadened to suggest a battlefield or any other sphere of public action. In today\u2019s Romance languages, the harena<\/b> derivative may still be a general word for \u201csand\u201d: this is true of Spanish arena<\/i> and Italian r\u00e9na<\/i>, but not of French ar\u00e8ne<\/i>. In the 20th century, the form ar\u00e9na<\/i> has been borrowed by Quebec French as a loan-word from English, to mean a \u201chockey rink.\u201d<\/p>\r\n Camera<\/b> was a technical term in classical Latin\u2014a Greek loan-word that meant \u201cvault\u201d or \u201carched roof.\u201d In later Latin it came to mean a \u201croom\u201d; and through French it gave us chamber<\/i>. Thus camera<\/i> and chamber <\/i>are perfect examples of English DOUBLETS<\/b> (\u00a78<\/a>). Our modern camera<\/i> was originally called a camera<\/i> obscura <\/i>(\u201cdark room\u201d), from the little chamber where the photographic exposure takes place. When a political body goes behind closed doors to meet \u201cinside the room,\u201d it is said to be in camera. <\/i> From the French adaptation of Spanish camarada<\/i> and camerado<\/i> (\u201croomful,\u201d \u201croommate\u201d), English acquired camaraderie<\/i> and comrade<\/i>. Thus we can say that the ETYMOLOGICAL MEANING<\/b> of comrade<\/i> is \u201croommate.\u201d Because of semantic change, the etymological meaning will often be very different from the modern dictionary meaning.<\/p>\r\n The Latin word area<\/b> also changed meaning with the passage of time. In antiquity it denoted a vacant space in or around a house, and in particular a \u201cthreshing-floor.\u201d That is the etymological meaning of E area<\/i>, which obviously has a much broader meaning today.<\/p>\r\n If you want an example of a simple Latin noun that has undergone some unlikely changes in form, how about cauda<\/b> (\u201ctail\u201d)? Its descendants include the English words coda, queue, cue, and coward<\/i>. As Ring Lardner said, you can look it up.<\/p>","rendered":" (Here is the first in a series of etymological discussions intended for casual reading and enjoyment, not for intensive study. The words chosen for comment will not necessarily be drawn from the assigned word lists. However, the discussion will always be directly related to the content of the current chapter.)<\/i><\/p>\n Though their roots are unrelated, via<\/b> and vita<\/b> are sometimes confused, on account of the fact that vita<\/b> became vie<\/i> in French. Neither word has given the English language a simple common noun: as we trudge along the road<\/i> of life<\/i>, we do so in plain Anglo-Saxon. However English uses via<\/i> as a convenient term that means \u201cby way of\u201d; and when Canadians take a railway voyage<\/i> (from Latin viaticum<\/b>, <\/b>\u201ctravel money\u201d), they go by VIA Rail\u2014if there are any trains left to ride.[1]<\/sup><\/a> The Roman road was a marvel of ancient engineering. The \u201clayered\u201d or \u201cpaved\u201d road, [via] strata<\/b>, gave us street<\/i>, one of the oldest Latin words in English. The \u201cbroken\u201d or \u201cbeaten\u201d road, [via] rupta<\/b>, came into English much later as route<\/i>. Lexicographers can\u2019t agree whether viable<\/i> is derived from vita<\/b> (\u201cable to maintain life\u201d) or from via<\/b> (\u201cable to be travelled\u201d)\u2014or possibly from both.<\/p>\n Arena<\/b> (classical Latin harena<\/b>) has had a curious semantic history. The original Latin word meant \u201csand\u201d; then it was specialized to mean \u201cthe sand of the amphitheatre\u201d; then it was applied to the scene of the contest, though not to the physical structure. When arena<\/i> came into English in 1627, it was used to describe the ancient amphitheatre itself; considerably later it was broadened to suggest a battlefield or any other sphere of public action. In today\u2019s Romance languages, the harena<\/b> derivative may still be a general word for \u201csand\u201d: this is true of Spanish arena<\/i> and Italian r\u00e9na<\/i>, but not of French ar\u00e8ne<\/i>. In the 20th century, the form ar\u00e9na<\/i> has been borrowed by Quebec French as a loan-word from English, to mean a \u201chockey rink.\u201d<\/p>\n Camera<\/b> was a technical term in classical Latin\u2014a Greek loan-word that meant \u201cvault\u201d or \u201carched roof.\u201d In later Latin it came to mean a \u201croom\u201d; and through French it gave us chamber<\/i>. Thus camera<\/i> and chamber <\/i>are perfect examples of English DOUBLETS<\/b> (\u00a78<\/a>). Our modern camera<\/i> was originally called a camera<\/i> obscura <\/i>(\u201cdark room\u201d), from the little chamber where the photographic exposure takes place. When a political body goes behind closed doors to meet \u201cinside the room,\u201d it is said to be in camera. <\/i> From the French adaptation of Spanish camarada<\/i> and camerado<\/i> (\u201croomful,\u201d \u201croommate\u201d), English acquired camaraderie<\/i> and comrade<\/i>. Thus we can say that the ETYMOLOGICAL MEANING<\/b> of comrade<\/i> is \u201croommate.\u201d Because of semantic change, the etymological meaning will often be very different from the modern dictionary meaning.<\/p>\n The Latin word area<\/b> also changed meaning with the passage of time. In antiquity it denoted a vacant space in or around a house, and in particular a \u201cthreshing-floor.\u201d That is the etymological meaning of E area<\/i>, which obviously has a much broader meaning today.<\/p>\n If you want an example of a simple Latin noun that has undergone some unlikely changes in form, how about cauda<\/b> (\u201ctail\u201d)? Its descendants include the English words coda, queue, cue, and coward<\/i>. As Ring Lardner said, you can look it up.<\/p>\n