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Etymological Tidbits Trivia Quiz

By looking at faces you often recognize family features. Something similar is true about words. Try your luck.

A multiple-choice quiz by flem-ish. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
flem-ish

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
95,085

Updated
Jun 10 22

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
2964

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Which is the only word in this group that is not related to the Latin root for "city" or "citizen"? Hint

civic

citadel

civil

civet

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Question 2 of 10

2. What is the literal meaning of 'saluting' a person? Hint

you wish him good health

you wish him a nice trip

you wish him a pleasant stay in your home

you recognize his superiority

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Question 3 of 10

3. The word Amish is a derivation of the Latin "amici", which means "friends".

True

False

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Question 4 of 10

4. Which of these words literally means "root"? Hint

scorzonera

kohlrabi

radish

carrot

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Question 5 of 10

5. Authorative etymologists have explained 'surly' (e.g. in 'surly behaviour') as deriving from "sir-ly" and originally meaning lordly, haughty.

True

False

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Question 6 of 10

6. Which of these words suggests "a lover next to the official or first one"? Hint

an innamorato

an amaretto

a paramour

an amoretto

7. The ending -gress in a number of words derives from "gredi" which means "to walk". Which of the following words should therefore refer to people
who either come together (e.g. for talks) or who "walk together"? Hint

regress

transgress

congress

digress

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Question 8 of 10

8. A horologia (compare French horloge) was an instrument that told you what time it was. People who look closely at the time or hour of your birth may be able to draw your ___________.

Answer: (From hora + skopein. Nine letters)

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Question 9 of 10

9. All these words are related to the Latin word for star (astrum). Which of them means that the stars are out of order? Hint

disaster

astrolabe

asterisk

asteroid

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Question 10 of 10

10. What 'little group of houses' is smaller than a village, but still can be seen as a place where people have their 'little home'?

Answer: (Compare with diminutives as piglet; eyelet..)

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Which is the only word in this group that is not related to the Latin root for "city" or "citizen"?

Answer: civet

Civis is related to civitas, Latin for city.
Cities often had fortifications. A city-fortification was called a citadel. It was a small city in its own right.
As a citizen you had civic duties. A certain civilised or civil behaviour could be expected of those living in more urbanised areas.
A civet is a cat-like mammal.

2. What is the literal meaning of 'saluting' a person?

Answer: you wish him good health

Compare Spanish "Salud" which derives from Latin "salus" (= well-being).
The word is related to "salvator" or "saviour".
Another derivation is salutation.

3. The word Amish is a derivation of the Latin "amici", which means "friends".

Answer: False

No, it derives from the name of a seventeenth-century Swiss Mennonite, Jacob Amman.

4. Which of these words literally means "root"?

Answer: radish

Kohl is German for cabbage. Rabi is related to Dutch raap which is a turnip.
Radish is from radix, which is also the root of radical, eradicate.
Scorzonera was a plant of which it was thought it was a good antidotum against a certain type of snakes, of which the Latin name was curtio which in Romanic became scurtione.

5. Authorative etymologists have explained 'surly' (e.g. in 'surly behaviour') as deriving from "sir-ly" and originally meaning lordly, haughty.

Answer: True

The sirloin however should be ...sUrloin! The part above the loins.

6. Which of these words suggests "a lover next to the official or first one"?

Answer: a paramour

Paramour derives from para + amour. Para may mean protection as in French parasol, parapluie. In paramour, however, it is related to paramedical, paramilitary, in which it means "next to", "in an assistant role to".

An innamorato or innamorata (female) is a person who is in love.
An amoretto is either a short love affair or a cherub representing love. In French a short, passing love affair is une amourette.
Amaretto is an almond liqueur with a bitter-sweet taste.

7. The ending -gress in a number of words derives from "gredi" which means "to walk". Which of the following words should therefore refer to people who either come together (e.g. for talks) or who "walk together"?

Answer: congress

'Progress' is when you advance towards the future; when you regress you return to the past.
'Digressing' is walking away from the subject.
'Transgress' means that you walk across certain borderlines. You kind of "trespass" (which etymologically means the same: trans - pass = to walk to the other side).
Con- from Latin cum means "with the others". It suggests "togetherness".

8. A horologia (compare French horloge) was an instrument that told you what time it was. People who look closely at the time or hour of your birth may be able to draw your ___________.

Answer: horoscope

Bishop is also related to 'skopein'. He was the 'epi-skopos'; the inspector or surveyor.

9. All these words are related to the Latin word for star (astrum). Which of them means that the stars are out of order?

Answer: disaster

An asteroid is literally a small star, but in astronomy it is any of the small planets revolving around the sun. Especially between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
An asterisk is a star-shaped symbol used in writing or printing.
An astrolabe is a medieval instrument for measuring the altitude of stars.
A disaster refers to catastrophes that were attributed by astrologers to accidents in the world of the stars.

10. What 'little group of houses' is smaller than a village, but still can be seen as a place where people have their 'little home'?

Answer: hamlet

Home is related to such German words as Heimweh; Heimat. In townnames the English -ham (Birming-ham) is the equivalent of German -heim as in e.g. Windesheim.

Source: Author flem-ish

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