Word for Wednesday: Skeleton

blog home

Our Word for Wednesday theme for October is Halloween.

The word Halloween likely dates to the seventeenth century but was popularised in the Burns poem ‘Halloween’ which was written in 1785. It is a Scottish abbreviation of ‘Allhallow-even’ which means ‘Eve of the All Saints’.  ‘Hallow’ means ‘holy person’ or ‘saint’. 

So far we’ve looked at the words pumpkin and monster. Today’s word is skeleton

A skeleton is the hard structure of bones and cartilages that provides a frame for the body. Animated skeletons have been used to personify death since the Middle Ages. The popular interpretation of the Grim Reaper as a hooded skeleton with a scythe is attributed to the sixteenth-century painter Hans Holbein the Younger known, among other things, for his work for King Henry VII.

The word skeleton dates to the late-sixteenth century and comes from the Latin ‘sceleton’, from the Greek ‘skeleton soma’ meaning ‘dried body’ or ‘mummy’. 
 


20 Oct 2021
blog home

Try Spellzone for free

Recent Blogs

How to Recognise and Overcome Tricky Spelling Patterns With Clarity and Confidence
How to Teach Spelling with Minimal Stress: Simple Techniques for Busy Teachers
Spelling for Mindfulness: How Slowing Down Can Help You Focus and Learn
Spelling Slip-Ups: Everyday Words People Often Get Wrong (and Clever Ways to Get Them Right)
Jamie Oliver’s Dyslexia Revolution: Why Schools Must Do More Than Just Listen
Embedding Spelling Practice Across All Subjects in Primary Schools: Supporting Literacy Beyond English Lessons
How to Teach Spelling to Reluctant Learners: Engaging and Low-Stress Methods
Why English Spelling Is So Hard And What You Can Do About It
Spelling Tricks for Words That Don’t Sound How They’re Spelled
From Spelling to Pronunciation: Why English Words Don’t Always Sound How They Look
How Spelling Tests Can Be a Positive Learning Opportunity: Encouraging a Healthy Relationship with Assessments
Why Some Words Have Double Letters: Spelling Rules and Tips
Why Spelling Rules Matter: How Patterns Simplify Learning
Spellzone Earns High Praise in Independent Pedagogical Quality Report
Spelling Through Visualisation: Using Imagery to Remember Words
How Reading Improves Spelling: The Power of Context
Tricky English Spelling Patterns: How to Teach Common Letter Combinations
How to Create Effective Spelling Word Lists for Students: A Guide for Educators
Understanding Root Words: Unlocking the Meaning of Complex Words
Navigating the World of Hyphenated Words in English

"I love your course..... you explain so much that I didn't know, forgot, or wasn't taught."

Adult student, USA