Blatant The word ‘blatant’ was first used in the sixteenth century by Edmund Spenser in The Faerie Queen to describe a monster, and by the seventeenth century it was generally used to mean ‘clamorous’ or ‘noisy in a vulgar way’. From the nineteenth century, the word started being used to mean ‘obvious’. Some sources suggest that Spenser may have used ‘blatant’ as a variation on the Scots word ‘blatand’ (meaning ‘bleating’). Caddie ‘Caddie’ is the Scottish form of the French word ‘cadet’. It took on its meaning as a ‘golfer’s assistant’ in the ninet...
Those brave enough to venture from their homes over the next few nights can expect to encounter ghouls, zombies, specters and a whole host of other things macabre. This week’s word for Wednesday is Halloween, where did the word originate from and why do we practice such a bizarre tradition. Let’s begin with how the word came about… The celebration of Halloween in the Christian calendar itself marks the eve of All Saints Day, also known as ‘All Hallows’ – recognition and feast dedicated to saints known and unknown. Halloween is a Scottish contraction of ‘All Hallow’s’ and ‘Evening’, evening was often shortened to &...
Come rain or come shine, you need a Mac. This week’s word for Wednesday is an interesting example of both strong brand identities and of diachronic language change. Mac. To most people over the age of 60, Mac refers to a type of rubberized waterproof raincoat first sold in 1824. The coat is named after its fabric invented by the Scotsman Charles Mackintosh. Mac is also used as slang for a Scottish person, such that irrespective of their first and second names, outside Scotland, a Scotsman might be nicknamed Mac. In contemporary use, the word Mac refers to the Apple Macintosh computer. This usage has superseded both of the uses above, even in the rainy Scottish climate wh...
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