In February, we are continuing with the Word for Wednesday theme of colours. The word colour entered English via Old French and comes from the Latin ‘color’, from the Old Latin ‘colos’ meaning ‘a covering’, from the PIE root ‘kel-’ meaning ‘to conceal’. The word has been used in reference to skin colour since the early-thirteenth century and in reference to pigments and dye since the fourteenth century. The spelling colour became the common English spelling from the fourteenth century, but a classical correction made color an alternative from the fifteenth...
February 5th 2019 is Chinese New Year, marking the beginning of the Year of the Pig. You can learn more about Chinese New Year traditions here. Here are 10 English words and phrases which originate from Chinese languages: Char This colloquial term for tea dates back to the late 16th century and is a version of the Mandarin dialect word 'chá'. Chin chin You may have heard this phrase said by someone who is about to sip a drink. The expression has been used to express good wishes before drinking since the late 18th century when it was an English pronunciation of the Chinese 'qing qing'. Chopsticks Used in English since the late 17th ...
Many of us can’t get through the day without our caffeine fix, but how many of know the origins behind our coffee words? Today we’re going to take a look at five different types of coffee beverage and how they got their names. To learn more about the origin of the word ‘coffee’ itself, click here. Espresso Espresso is made by forcing steam through finely ground coffee beans. The word comes from the Latin ‘exprimere’ meaning ‘press out, squeeze out’. The rest of the coffees explored in this blog post are made using espresso as a base. Macchiato A macchiato is an espresso with a small amount of milk added to it. In Italian, the...
Tea time… Since its discovery in China almost 5000 years ago, billions of people in almost every corner of the world have enjoyed a good old cuppa. For many, the cup of tea is a source of comfort and reassurance and often the ritual of making tea is just as important as that first slurp. Initially tea was also used for medicinal purposes and I suppose it still is. In times of stress or tiredness we often seek refuge in a nice warm cup of 'cha'. Tea arrived in England in the 17th century through the Dutch‘East India Company’, which still transports tea around the world today. The word ‘tea’ itself came into the English language in the late...
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