Words and Word Roots That Have Different Meanings From Those in The Original Languages
This is a list of scientific words and word roots which have different meanings from in the original languages.
word or root | scientific meaning | original language | original word | original meaning | notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
andro-, -ander | stamen | Greek | ἀνδρ-, ἀνηρ | man | in flowers of flowering plants |
gynaec-, -gyne | carpel | Greek | γυναικ-, γυνη | woman | |
capno- | carbon dioxide | Greek | καπνός | smoke | |
electro- | electricity | Greek | ἤλεκτρον | amber | via static electricity from rubbing amber |
-itis | inflammation | Greek | -ῖτις | pertaining to | |
thorax | chest (anatomy) | Greek | θώραξ | breastplate | |
toxo- | poison | Greek | τόξον | bow (weapon) | via "poisoned arrow". It means "bow" in Toxodon |
macro- | big | Greek | μακρός | long | |
In names of biological taxa | |||||
-ceras | ammonite | Greek | κέρας | horn | via resemblance to a ram's horn |
-crinus | crinoid | Greek | κρίνος | lily | extracted from name "crinoid" |
grapto- | graptolite | Greek | γραπτός | writing | via resemblance of fossil |
-gyrinus | labyrinthodont | Greek | γυρῖνος | tadpole | |
-lestes | predator | Greek | λῃστής | robber | |
-mimus | ornithomimid | Greek | μῖμος | mime | extracted from name Ornithomimus = "bird mimic" |
-mys | rodent | Greek | μῦς | mouse | including in Phoberomys |
-saurus | reptile, dinosaur | Greek | σαῦρος | lizard | |
-stega, -stege | stegocephalian | Greek | στέγη | roof | via their cranium roofs as fossils |
-suchus, -champsus |
crocodilian | Ancient Egyptian |
σοῦχος, χαμψαι (pl.) |
as quoted by ancient Greek authors as Egyptian words for "crocodile" |
|
therium | usually mammal | Greek | θηρίον | beast, animal | |
Names of bones | |||||
femur | thighbone | Latin | femur | thigh | Classical Latin genitive often "feminis" |
fibula | (a leg bone) | Latin | fibula | brooch | tibia & fibula looked like a brooch and its pin |
radius | (an arm bone) | Latin | radius | spoke | |
tibia | shinbone | Latin | tibia | flute | via animal tibias modified into flutes |
ulna | (an arm bone) | Latin | ulna | elbow, cubit measure |
Read more about this topic: International Scientific Vocabulary
Famous quotes containing the words words, word, roots, meanings, original and/or languages:
“And even my sense of identity was wrapped in a namelessness often hard to penetrate, as we have just seen I think. And so on for all the other things which made merry with my senses. Yes, even then, when already all was fading, waves and particles, there could be no things but nameless things, no names but thingless names. I say that now, but after all what do I know now about then, now when the icy words hail down upon me, the icy meanings, and the world dies too, foully named.”
—Samuel Beckett (19061989)
“Mr. Maguire: I just want to say one word to you. Just one word.
Benjamin: Yes, sir.
Mr. Maguire: Are you listening?
Benjamin: Yes, I am.
Mr. Maguire: Plastics.”
—Calder Willingham (19231995)
“You know, honey, us colored folks is branches without roots and that makes things come round in queer ways.”
—Zora Neale Hurston (18911960)
“Our mother gives us our earliest lessons in loveand its partner, hate. Our fatherour second otherMelaborates on them. Offering us an alternative to the mother-baby relationship . . . presenting a masculine model which can supplement and contrast with the feminine. And providing us with further and perhaps quite different meanings of lovable and loving and being loved.”
—Judith Viorst (20th century)
“The original of the picture you inclose, and which I return, was taken from life, and is, I think, a very true one; though my wife, and many others, do not. My impression is that their objection arises from the disordered condition of the hair.”
—Abraham Lincoln (18091865)
“I am always sorry when any language is lost, because languages are the pedigree of nations.”
—Samuel Johnson (17091784)