Where does this word come from?

  • Thread starter Lisa!
  • Start date
In summary, the conversation discusses the origins of words that are similar in different languages. The three main ways for this to occur are through genetic relationship, borrowing, and coincidence. The word "kudos" is brought up, with a possible Greek origin and connection to Time magazine. The conversation also mentions the use of borrowed words in Japanese, particularly through the katakana alphabet. The individual is thanked for their clear thinking and replies with a smile.
  • #1
Lisa!
Gold Member
649
98
So there are some words that are the same in different language and I want to know where these wods come from. Do they enter a culture and language from the other or they just happen to be the same in different languages?
Anyway Does anyone know where kudos comes from?

Thanks
 
Last edited:
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
Did you mean kudos?
 
  • #3
:blushing:
Ya!:grumpy:
 
  • #4
Lisa! said:
So there are some words that are the same in different language and I want to know where these wods come from. Do they enter a culture and language from the other or they just happen to be the same in different languages?
I think there are three main ways that different natural languages can come to have similar words: (1) genetic relationship, (2) borrowing, and (3) coincidence.

1. Genetic Relationship
Suppose that you have a large group of people that speak the same language; call this language Mother. If you leave this group alone and come back many years later, you might find that Mother has accumulated changes and is no longer really the same language -- it's evolved into a new language; call this one Child. Of course, Child will still be similar to Mother and their genetic relationship should leave regular clues, including word similarities.

Suppose again that you have a large group of people that speak the same language, Mother. If you separate this group into two groups (say, put some of them on a remote island) and come back many years later, you might find that, as before, neither group is speaking Mother anymore, but now the two languages of the two groups also differ from each other. So you have two new languages, Child 1 and Child 2. Both Child languages will of course be similar to each other for the same reasons that they are similar to Mother. The words of Child 1 and Child 2 that evolved from a common ancestor word in Mother are called cognates.

This basic process of separation and divergence has happened, for example, relatively recently with Latin (mother) and Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian, Romanian, and Catalan (children).

2. Borrowing
Borrowing is just when two language communities happen to come into contact with each other (possibly through written materials in addition to contact through speech) and steal words from each other. This happened a lot with English borrowing from Latin (and French). English is not a child of Latin. (English is a Germanic language.) I think other common examples of this are the names of goods and services being exported along with the goods and services themselves. I think tea and coffee and all of their variants are examples of this. Taking a look at the names of some of the foods in your kitchen should give you some more examples.

3. Coincidence
Coincidence isn't as interesting unless you want to get into the relationships between language, the human brain, and related phenomena (which wouldn't really make them 'coincidences' anymore anyway).

You can learn more about language change and relationships by searching for historical linguistics, diachronic linguistics, comparative method, and dialectology.
Anyway Does anyone know where kodus comes from?
What language is it from? Did you mean 'kudos'?

EDIT
You can look up etymologies at the Online Etymology Dictionary (also, many dictionaries include brief etymology information when available). Here's the entry for 'kudos'.
 
Last edited:
  • #5
Many identical or similar words in European languages owe their origins to Latin as so many countries were once part of the Roman Empire. Others exist because they predate even Rome and developed by various early ethnic groups who eventually dispersed throughout the world.
 
  • #7
Kudos is a singular Greek adjective. It was introduced into the English language by Time magazine in the 1930s. Henry Luce had studied ancient Greek and hired a bunch of editors with the same background, and they formed a very mannered English style in the magazine. Kudos was just one of their innovations. One of the New Yorker wits (Dorothy Parker?) commented on the Time prose style: "Backward ran sentences until reeled the mind."

Kudos of course means "Renown, general acclaim", and I repeat it is singular, not plural, just like chaos and pathos.
 
  • #8
Thanks anyone! :smile:
This word reminds me of a word in our own language that I thought it had arabic origin. The word has almost the same meaning as it has in English. I'll tell what's the definition in arabic by looking for it in a reliable dictionary!
 
  • #9
Are you thanking anyone in the world at random, or every one of those who actually replied to you (with possible exception of myself) ??
 
  • #10
Borrowing is just when two language communities happen to come into contact with each other (possibly through written materials in addition to contact through speech) and steal words from each other. This happened a lot with English borrowing from Latin (and French). English is not a child of Latin. (English is a Germanic language.) I think other common examples of this are the names of goods and services being exported along with the goods and services themselves. I think tea and coffee and all of their variants are examples of this.
It's interesting that Japanese has a whole alphabet devoted to borrowing words from other languages! I imagine that katakana probably existed previously for other reasons (e.g. onomatopoeia), but that's one of its main uses now.
 
  • #11
arildno said:
Are you thanking anyone in the world at random, or every one of those who actually replied to you (with possible exception of myself) ??
I'm thanking those who read this thread since others wouldn't possibly know I'm thanking them anyway...
 
  • #12
Lisa! said:
I'm thanking those who read this thread since others wouldn't possibly know I'm thanking them anyway...

You're welcome:smile:
 
  • #13
Lisa! said:
I'm thanking those who read this thread since others wouldn't possibly know I'm thanking them anyway...


Always nice to see clear thinking!:biggrin:
 
  • #14
selfAdjoint said:
Always nice to see clear thinking!:biggrin:
:blushing: :biggrin:
 

1. Where does the word "cliché" come from?

The word "cliché" comes from the French word "cliché" which means "stereotype". It was first used in the printing industry to refer to a printing plate with a fixed design. Eventually, it came to be used to describe an overused phrase or idea.

2. How do words evolve and change over time?

Words can evolve and change over time through a process called "linguistic drift". This refers to the gradual change in pronunciation, meaning, and usage of words as they are passed down through generations. Influences from other languages and cultural shifts can also contribute to the evolution of words.

3. What is the difference between a loanword and a cognate?

A loanword is a word that is borrowed from another language and used in its original form, while a cognate is a word that has a similar origin and meaning in two different languages. Loanwords often undergo some changes in pronunciation or spelling to fit the rules of the borrowing language, whereas cognates remain similar in form.

4. Do all languages have the same number of words?

No, all languages do not have the same number of words. The exact number of words in a language is difficult to determine, but some languages have significantly more words than others. For example, English is estimated to have over 170,000 words, while languages like Korean and Swahili have around 10,000 words.

5. How are new words created?

New words can be created through a variety of methods, including borrowing from other languages, combining existing words, and creating completely new words. Slang and colloquial language can also contribute to the creation of new words. In recent years, technology and pop culture have also played a significant role in introducing new words into languages.

Similar threads

  • General Discussion
Replies
3
Views
758
  • General Discussion
2
Replies
51
Views
4K
  • Art, Music, History, and Linguistics
Replies
4
Views
980
  • General Discussion
Replies
4
Views
601
Replies
2
Views
865
Replies
3
Views
232
Replies
3
Views
197
Replies
5
Views
825
  • General Discussion
2
Replies
40
Views
2K
Back
Top