Anagrams, Anyone? Trivia Quiz

Answer: static attics

"Static" comes from the Greek root "sta-", meaning "to stand".

In classic Greek architecture, in the Attica region of the country, it was common to add a low story above the main story of buildings. These small second stories were embellished with decorative columns that became known as "attics", taking their name from the region where they were prevalent.

Answer: tiara riata

"Tiara" was a word in both Latin and Greek civilizations, meaning "headdress".
"Riata" is of Spanish origin, "la reata" meaning "rope".

Answer: nadir drain

"Nadir" appears to be rooted in the Arabic "nazir" which means, "opposite direction". The word existed in medieval Latin as well.

"Drain" came from a Germanic root that meant "to dry out".

Answer: braid rabid

"Braid" in its current meaning, was coined in the early 1500s to describe something plaited. Its earlier roots, which had the meaning of "trick" or "deceit", were from Old English and Norse languages.

"Rabid" is from the Latin "rabidus", meaning "raging, ungoverned, furious".

Answer: sitar stair

"Sitar" comes from Persian: "si" means "three", "tar" means "string".

"Stair" has connections to several different languages. Its Proto-Indo-European root is "steigh" , which had a range of meanings-"go, rise, stride, step, walk".

Answer: ribald bridal

The earliest origins of "ribald" are not clear, but prior to 1200 in France, "ribaut" meant "rogue", "scoundrel" or "lewd lover".

"Bridal" came from Old English "brydealo", which meant "wedding feast" -from "bryd ealu"-literally, "bride ale".

Answer: Inca Cain

The Incan civilization was a dominant culture in what are now Peru, Ecuador and northern Chile for several hundred years. They were conquered by the forces of Spanish explorers-and by the diseases the Spanish brought to their land, in the 1500s. Cain, of course, is best known for the murder of his younger brother Abel our of jealous anger after God accepted Abel's gift to Him, rather than the offering Cain provided.

Answer: satin stain

The origin of "satin" is disputed by various sources. One possible origin is from the Arabic "zaytuni", meaning "from the Chinese city of Zaitun". This city is no longer in existence, but it is thought that it refers to present-day Quanzhou. Another postulation is that it comes from the Latin "seta", meaning "silk".

"Stain" comes from the Latin "tingere"-"to dye". The word "tincture" comes from the same root.

Answer: rival viral

"Rival" has the same root as "rivulet", meaning, as you'd expect "stream". By the mid 1500s, the Latin term "rivalis" meant "competitor", "adversary" or "neighbor"-"one who uses the same river".

"Viral" is of course, the adjectival form of "virus", which meant in Latin "poison, slime". The Proto-Indo-European root may be "weis", which was used to describe the flowing away of an odorous liquid.

Incidentally, the new definition of "viral", as in "becoming rapidly popular by spreading across the internet" was first used in 1999.

Answer: arid raid

"Arid" has a straightforward past, from the Latin "aride" or "arere", both meaning "dry", "parched".

"Raid" comes from Old English "rad", meaning "riding" or "journey".