[friendociate]

Ever since I first noticed 'the roots of the words (in dictionaries) lead to other words in the dictionary (their etymologies ... with roots that lead to other words with roots that lead ... etc.), I've been interested in "how those words come from those other words."

That fascination--along with the loveliness of The Ultimate Etymology Professor--lead me to start this blog (where I can write etymologies & hyperlink the words in each to their own entries with their etymologies).

Like that word---the etymology (I'm calling it the 'wordroot') "etymology" - "Study- or Speaking of the True Sense or Original Meaning." - (also the root of Etymological Etymologically Folk-Etymology Etymologist Etymologer Etymologers Etymologicon Etymnologize Etymon )

I'm not 'an expert at all the words'; but I'd like to search for any words' etymologies you're curious about, or maybe hear about any words with etymologies that interest you.

(I think I'm going to start to add words to this forum instead of 'over on the blog' ... although I won't do any affiliate-links on the posts here (except in my signature & front-page links and other places they're allowed).)

[Fergal]

Thanks for this AMA @friendociate, nice idea.

Where does the word forum come from?

[friendociate]

@Fergal asks about "Forum." Forum comes from a wordroot that means Marketplace, Open Space, Public Place (Outdoors, Outside, Door, Doorway) ... because Forums were places of assembly-for-discussion in ancient Rome.

Any questions?

[Fergal]

Thanks for your helpful reply friendociate, I do like how the word forum has a history around ideas related to "marketplace ... open ... public ... discussion" all values that we hold strongly here at ForumCoin.

[arunima]

This would be a wonderful thread to keep visiting and learning something new. Thank you.
Where does the word ancient come from?

[friendociate]

The word "Ancient" comes from a wordroot that means "from Before" - just like Anciently "Ancient Of Days" (Daniel 7:9's title for "supreme being" (God ... Jehovah, I suppose)) "Ancient Regime."

In history, it refers to "the period before the fall of the Western Roman Empire" (as opposed to the medieval and modern periods; though England uses it for "any time before the Norman Conquest," and I generally use it for 'any time before my parents were born').

'Ancient' is also a word for a Flag-Bearer (short for Ancient Bearer) and it's a corruption of the word Ensign.

[astutimeliana723]

Where did the word Index come from?

[friendociate]

Where did the word Index come from?

You know when you're 'indexing' a page full of text, and you point at it with your finger to keep your place? That's why they call it the index-finger (that's just 'off the top of my head')

My source tells me its wordroot means "to Proclaim- or Pronounce Solemnly-Into, -In, -On or -Upon"---same as the root of "Indices (NOT 'Indexes,' I don't think), Indexical, Indexed, Indicia, Indexation, Indexations). And yes, its basic meaning IS "the Forefinger, the Pointing Finger (I suppose you can point with any of your digits, but people usually point with the forefinger)."

[mrki444]

From where did word 'Bing' come?