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From the Same Language Quizzes, Trivia and Puzzles
From the Same Language Quizzes, Trivia

From the Same Language Trivia

From the Same Language Trivia Quizzes

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Each of these quizzes offers a selection of words whose origins lie in the same language (or two).
13 quizzes and 130 trivia questions.
1.
  English Words with Irish Origins   top quiz  
Match Quiz
 10 Qns
English has borrowed from many languages over the centuries, not the least of which is Irish (a/k/a Gaelic). Here's a quiz of such words, not the obvious ones like banshee or shamrock, but ones perhaps you never knew came from the mother tongue of Éire.
Very Easy, 10 Qns, gracious1, Apr 04 19
Recommended for grades: 9,10,11
Very Easy
gracious1 gold member
Apr 04 19
1003 plays
2.
  Paella Is Not A Bone in Your Body   top quiz  
Match Quiz
 10 Qns
Rather than dealing with international foods, this quiz will concentrate on some relatively common words of Latin origin beginning with "pa" - just like the titular paella!
Very Easy, 10 Qns, LadyNym, Feb 23 19
Recommended for grades: 8,9,10
Very Easy
LadyNym gold member
Feb 23 19
831 plays
3.
  English Words of Welsh Origin   top quiz  
Match Quiz
 10 Qns
Many words came to our language from Wales, or are believed to be. Have a go with a random selection of ten words that may have come from the land of Y Ddraig Goch (the Red Dragon).
Very Easy, 10 Qns, gracious1, Apr 30 21
Very Easy
gracious1 gold member
Apr 30 21
930 plays
4.
  A Regular Army of Hippopotami   popular trivia quiz  
Match Quiz
 10 Qns
An army of English words was created with the root word "hippo", which means "horse" in Greek. Match the word with the meaning.
Easier, 10 Qns, tiye, Mar 31 18
Easier
tiye gold member
Mar 31 18
559 plays
5.
  It's All Geek to Me! editor best quiz   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Many English words are derived from Greek roots. "It's All Geek to Me" is my husband's punny way of teasing his geeky wife about her geeky major.
Average, 10 Qns, Sabrina0001, Jan 26 24
Average
Sabrina0001
Jan 26 24
2025 plays
6.
  Yada, Yada, Yiddish!   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Many everyday words come from the Yiddish language. See how many you know.
Easier, 10 Qns, Jordanar18, Mar 07 22
Easier
Jordanar18 gold member
Mar 07 22
1812 plays
7.
  Word Marathon   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
It's all Greek to you but in this case, not so much. Find the English words of Greek origin in the following sentences.
Easier, 10 Qns, tiye, Oct 06 23
Easier
tiye gold member
Oct 06 23
674 plays
8.
  Odd One Out    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
In this quiz three of four options concern words that are etymologically related via Latin or Greek. Find the one that is not.- Questions may include AE orthography.
Tough, 10 Qns, flem-ish, Jul 14 23
Tough
flem-ish
Jul 14 23
1747 plays
9.
  Pardon Me, Your Greek Roots Are Showing--Part 2    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
More Greek quizzing--this time we are looking at roots--are you ready to test your roots knowledge?
Average, 10 Qns, 57wordsmith, May 04 08
Average
57wordsmith
571 plays
10.
  From Latin to English    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
All of these English words came from Latin. How many do you know? For most questions, I'll give you an English word derived from Latin, and you give me the meaning, plus the Latin root and its meaning.
Average, 10 Qns, broadwaygal, Dec 14 23
Average
broadwaygal
Dec 14 23
837 plays
11.
  Latin Origins    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
In my Latin class, we spend a lot of time on what English words come from specific Latin words. I love this. So this is a quiz for all other etymology lovers out there. Enjoy!
Tough, 10 Qns, rgdsmile, Jul 25 21
Tough
rgdsmile
Jul 25 21
725 plays
12.
  Greek and Latin in English    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Greek and Latin have influenced the whole Western civilisation, especially in the fields of science and learning. See how well versed you are in that type of vocabulary.
Tough, 10 Qns, flem-ish, Sep 06 03
Tough
flem-ish
880 plays
13.
  The English Language Sources: Hebrew    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
English is one of the newest languages spoken today. Hebrew is the oldest still spoken tongue. But there are still some connections. Care to find a few?
Tough, 10 Qns, Arpeggionist, Feb 11 15
Tough
Arpeggionist
701 plays

From the Same Language Trivia Questions
1. In the Olympic Games, the sports that involve running, jumping and throwing belong in Track and Field. Which word in the preceding sentence is of Greek origin?

From Quiz Word Marathon

Answer: Olympic

The Olympic Games took their name from the city of Olympia in Greece, where the Ancient Olympic Games were performed for the first time in 776 BC, in honor of Zeus, the king of the Olympian gods. The Marathon is one of the most popular races in the modern Olympics, since its introduction in the first Olympiad in Athens in 1896. The word game is from Old High German 'gaman' (merriment), run comes from German 'rinnen' (to flow) and sport comes from French 'deport' (pleasure, enjoyment).

2. Compare the words "Philadelphia" and "philately". If "-adelphia" means "of (a) brother" and "-ately" refers to "of stamps", what does the root "phil-" mean?

From Quiz It's All Geek to Me!

Answer: love

"Phil-" is derived from the Greek "philos", one of that language's three words for "love". It can be contrasted with "eros", which is erotic or romantic love, and "agape", which is sacrificial or Christian love. "Philos" can also mean "that which is loved", or in other words, "friend".

3. What word for a breakfast bread product comes from Yiddish?

From Quiz Yada, Yada, Yiddish!

Answer: Bagel

The bagel was invented in Krakow, Poland in the 16th century. It is popular around the world, especially in Jewish communities.

4. What does the word "olfactory" mean, and what Latin word is it derived from? What is the Latin word's meaning?

From Quiz From Latin to English

Answer: relating to smell - olfactorius - relating to smell

Olfactorius is a Latin adjective, with the usual -us, -a, -um endings. It means 'nose-gay'. It wasn't actually used in Ancient times. It inspired an English word, olfactorious, which olfactory came from. The word olfactorius comes from the fourth principal part of olfacere (to smell), which is olfactus. That word came from olere, to give off a smell, and facere, to make.

5. "Man" or "mankind" is the meaning. What is the root?

From Quiz Pardon Me, Your Greek Roots Are Showing--Part 2

Answer: -anthrop & anthrop & anthrop-

Think of "anthropology", the study of man or mankind, as one example of this root, with another example being "philanthropy", "love of mankind", and "misanthrope" being the opposite since it means the "hatred of mankind". Greek roots can be used singly or may combined with another when creating a word, as in the case of "philanthropy" as phil- = love and -anthrop = mankind.

6. There are many English words ending in "-fy", such as "simplify", "classify" and "justify". In these words what does the "-fy" come from?

From Quiz Latin Origins

Answer: Facio

"Faveo, favere, favi, faviturus" means "to favour". "Haereo, haerere, haesi, haesurus" means "to stick" and "Habeo, habere, habui, habitum" is "to have". "Facio, facere, feci, factus" means "to make, do". When you simplify something, you make it simpler. Likewise, to classify is to put in groups or classes and to justify is to make just. Other examples include "modify", "liquefy", "clarify", "purify" and rectify. I've found 31 in all, but there must be many more.

7. Let me start off by wishing you success. And speaking of success, which saying in the English stage world is derived from a Hebrew wish for luck?

From Quiz The English Language Sources: Hebrew

Answer: Break a leg

The phrase "Break a leg" is a translation of the German "Hals und Bein brechen." The German wish for luck is a very poor translation of the Hebrew "B'hatzlachah uv'rachah" which was widely spoken by Yiddish theater actors.

8. Every Friday, I walk ten blocks to my music lesson. Which word in the preceding sentence is of Greek origin?

From Quiz Word Marathon

Answer: Music

The word music comes from the Greek word 'mousike' which means 'art of the Muses', the nine mythological Muses who were patrons of the arts. They were daughters of Zeus and Mnemosene. Lesson comes from Latin 'legere' (to read), Friday from Old English 'Freya's day' and block comes from Middle Dutch 'bloc' meaning the trunk of a tree.

9. Compare the names "Peloponnesus" and "Dodecanese". If "Pelopo-" refers to being named after the mythological person Pelops, and "dodeca-" means "twelve", what does the Greek word "nesos" mean?

From Quiz It's All Geek to Me!

Answer: island

Although the Peloponnesus is actually a peninsula connected to the mainland of Greece by the Isthmus of Corinth, the ancient Greeks realized that the land bridge was so small that the peninsula might as well be an island, since it mostly required a ship to get to it. And while there are considerably more than twelve islands in the Dodecanese (if all the tiny ones are included), the Greeks named them after the twelve larger islands, which include Rhodes, Kos, and Patmos.

10. What word for a computer problem comes from Yiddish?

From Quiz Yada, Yada, Yiddish!

Answer: Glitch

The term "glitch" can mean a small problem in any sense, but it has been transferred mostly to the computer world.

11. "Mollify", another "-fy" word, meaning "to calm in temper or feeling, to lessen in intensity, and to reduce the rigidity of", comes from which Latin adjective?

From Quiz Latin Origins

Answer: Mollis

"Malus -a -um" is an adjective meaning "bad". "Molo, molere, mului, molitum" is "to grind in a mill" and "mola, molae" is a "millstone". "Mollis -is -e" is the adjective "soft". There is also a deponent verb "to make soft" "mollio, mollire, mollitus sum". However, the English word "mollify" comes from the adjective because that is describing how it is made.

12. What part of the human anatomy does the word "pollex" refer to?

From Quiz Greek and Latin in English

Answer: thumb

Hallux is the big toe. Castor and Pollux are an altogether different "pair".

13. The teacher asked the students to find a synonym for the word 'beautiful'. Which word in the preceding sentence is of Greek origin?

From Quiz Word Marathon

Answer: Synonym

The word synonym comes from the Greek word 'synonymous' which is a composite word of 'syn'+'onoma' which means same name. In English, the word means to have a similar meaning, to imply the same idea. An antonym is a word that has an opposite meaning. Teacher is from Old English 'tæcan' (to show), word is from Old German 'wort' (speak) and beautiful is from the French 'beaute' which comes from the Latin 'bellus' (handsome, pretty).

14. Compare the words "astronomy" and "Deuteronomy". If "astro-" refers to the stars, and "deutero-" means "second", what is the meaning of the Greek word "nomos", from which the English ending "-nomy" is derived?

From Quiz It's All Geek to Me!

Answer: law

Deuteronomy, the fifth book of the Tanakh/Old Testament, recaps the laws given to Moses by God in the book of Exodus, and thus is the "second (giving of the) law". Astronomy is concerned with determining the laws that govern stars, and by extension, other celestial bodies like planets and moons; this can be contrasted with astrology, which is also concerned with stars, planets, etc., but does not seek to explain the "why" of their movements.

15. What comedic term comes from Yiddish, and was originally German?

From Quiz Yada, Yada, Yiddish!

Answer: Shtick

"Shtick" can also be spelled "shtik" or "schtick". It is a comedian's theme, act or gimmick.

16. What Latin word(s) does "dormitory" come from? What do they mean? What is the literal definition of "dormitory"?

From Quiz From Latin to English

Answer: place to sleep- dormitorius, -a, -um-- for sleeping

Dormitory does actually mean a place for sleeping. In modern American English it is also used to denote a place where students live while at college. Dormitorius is a first and second declension adjective. It is derived from the verb 'dormire', which means to sleep.

17. An easy one, "quantity". Which Latin word does this come from?

From Quiz Latin Origins

Answer: Quantus & quantum

"Quantus -a -um" means "how big" or "how much".

18. What deficiency is meant by "anopsia"?

From Quiz Greek and Latin in English

Answer: inability to see

An-opsia : literally, absence of sight.

19. The second book of the Old Testament is named 'Exodus'. Which word in the preceding sentence is of Greek origin?

From Quiz Word Marathon

Answer: Exodus

The word came to the English language via Latin 'exodus', which came from the Greek word 'exodos' ('ex'-out and 'hodos'-way), which means going out. In the Greek language it also means a solemn procession, namely the funeral rites. Book is from Old English 'bok' which comes from Germanic 'bokiz' (beech), from the wooden tablets the runes were curved on. Old is from Old English 'ald' (aged, antique). Testament comes from Latin 'testamentum' (last will, witness).

20. Compare the words "telephone" and "television". If "-phone" is "sound", and "-vision" is "that which is seen", what does the root "tele-" mean?

From Quiz It's All Geek to Me!

Answer: distance

The Greek "telos" originally meant "end / goal". Because your end or goal is in front of you, either in time or (as in a race) in space, "tele-" was adopted in English to refer to something that functions over a distance.

21. What word for a type of head covering comes from Yiddish?

From Quiz Yada, Yada, Yiddish!

Answer: Yarmulke

A yarmulke is worn by Jewish men. Orthodox Jews wear one all the time, but conservative and reform Jews only wear one during times of prayer.

22. What does the word "duke" mean, and what Latin word is it derived from? What is the Latin word's meaning?

From Quiz From Latin to English

Answer: nobleman; dux, ducis-- leader

Dux, ducis is a third declension Latin noun that shares an ancestor with Latin verb ducere, to lead. Duke refers to a high-ranking nobleman. (Note also 'Il Duce'). It may have reached English from the Old French word duc.

23. Do you know the meaning of the root "-gon"?

From Quiz Pardon Me, Your Greek Roots Are Showing--Part 2

Answer: angle

Polygon means "many (poly) angle(d)". Think of other math terms with the root -gon such as "hexagon" or "octagon". Knowing "-gon" means angle what do you think "hexa-" and "octo-" might mean? An octopus has eight arms so "octo-" might mean "eight" so "octogon" could mean "eight angles"...

24. "Cascade" comes from the first principle part of which Latin verb?

From Quiz Latin Origins

Answer: cado & cadere

"Cado, cadere, cecidi, cesurus" means "to fall". A few other English words from this verb are "casual", "occasion" (last principle part) and "decident".

25. The Latin word for death - "mortum" - was the source of the English "mortal." But this word too had a Hebrew source. What was it?

From Quiz The English Language Sources: Hebrew

Answer: Mavet

The three wrong answers I made up on the spot for the purpose of this quiz.

26. When will things happen, if they have been relegated to the Greek calends?

From Quiz Greek and Latin in English

Answer: never

The Ides of a month should not be confused with the "calendas" as in the Latin expression: ad calendas Graecas. The Ides of March were "halfway" March: 15th. Same applies to May, July, and October. For the other months the Ides were on the thirteenth day of the month.

27. A commercial airplane flies at a height of approximately 30,000 to 36,000 feet. Which word in the preceding sentence is of Greek origin?

From Quiz Word Marathon

Answer: Airplane

The word airplane comes from the Greek word 'aeroplano' which means wandering in the air, ('aer'-air + 'planos'-wandering). Its first recorded appearance in the English language was in 1907, although the earlier version of 'aeroplane' existed in the late 19th century. Height is from Old English 'hiehpu' meaning highest point, heaven. Commercial is from Latin 'commercium' from 'com' (with) and 'merx' (merchandise). Approximately is from the Latin 'ad' (to) and 'proximus' (nearest). Foot (pl. feet) and the Greek word 'pous' come from the same Sanskrit root, 'pad-'.

28. Compare the words "calligraphy" and "orthography". If "calli-" means "beautiful" and "ortho-" means "right (as in correct)", what does the ending "-graphy" relate to?

From Quiz It's All Geek to Me!

Answer: writing

The Greek verb "grapho, graphein" (I write, to write) yields the English "-graphy". So calligraphy is literally "beautiful writing" and orthography is "correct writing", that is, spelling.

29. What word for a fish dish comes from Yiddish?

From Quiz Yada, Yada, Yiddish!

Answer: Lox

Lox is smoked salmon. It is also popularly served with bagels!

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