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Fun with Etymology Trivia Quiz

Where do these words come from?

A multiple-choice quiz by maggie99. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
maggie99

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
4,481

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
5 / 10

Plays
1631

Last 3 plays: Guest 68 (5/10), Guest 78 (7/10), Guest 31 (8/10).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

1. Italian 'carne' (meat) and Latin 'vale' (farewell) may be the roots of: Hint

Caravan

Butcher knife

Gravel

Carnival

NEXT>

2. Femto-, a prefix denoting ten to the negative fifteenth power, comes from Danish or Norwegian 'femten', which means: Hint

really little

fifteen

this is a fake number

ten to the negative fifteenth power

NEXT>

3. What group uses verbs, nouns, adjectives, and interjections rooted in the ethnic name of the group? Hint

Arabs

Inuits

The Smurfs

The Irish

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4. 'Gnat' is ultimately related to Old English 'gnagen', meaning what? Hint

to graze

to paint

to swarm

to gnaw

NEXT>

5. 'Algebra' comes from the Arabic 'al jabara', meaning: Hint

to torture adolescents

to sketch

to babble

to consolidate

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6. The Nahuatl words 'ahuacatl' (avocado) and 'molli' (sauce) combine to form: Hint

liquor

a wicked good appetizer

guacamole

a kind of paste

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7. 'Robot' comes from Czech 'robota', meaning: Hint

tin

energy

without thought

labor

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8. 'Cobalt' comes from German 'Kobalt', which is a dialectical variation of a word meaning: Hint

Goblin

Magnet

Blue

Danish

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9. 'Cochlea' is derived from Greek 'kochlos', meaning: Hint

spiral shell

cartilage

ear

sound

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10. Which does not mean ten? Hint

dix

dieci

nyet

zehn

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Most Recent Scores

Feb 25 2025 : Guest 68: 5/10
Feb 21 2025 : Guest 78: 7/10
Feb 20 2025 : Guest 31: 8/10
Feb 14 2025 : winston1: 8/10
Feb 06 2025 : Guest 124: 8/10

Score Distribution

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Italian 'carne' (meat) and Latin 'vale' (farewell) may be the roots of:

Answer: Carnival

A carnival is the big celebration held right before Lent, when one stops eating meat for a time.

2. Femto-, a prefix denoting ten to the negative fifteenth power, comes from Danish or Norwegian 'femten', which means:

Answer: fifteen

3. What group uses verbs, nouns, adjectives, and interjections rooted in the ethnic name of the group?

Answer: The Smurfs

You really smurfed that one!

4. 'Gnat' is ultimately related to Old English 'gnagen', meaning what?

Answer: to gnaw

5. 'Algebra' comes from the Arabic 'al jabara', meaning:

Answer: to consolidate

Al-jabr refers to bone setting and was first used before 1400 in the medical field. It was used mathematically after the Arabic mathematical work 'Rules of Reintegration and Reduction' was published.

6. The Nahuatl words 'ahuacatl' (avocado) and 'molli' (sauce) combine to form:

Answer: guacamole

Guacamole is thus literally "avocado sauce".
Ahuacatl also means testicle.

7. 'Robot' comes from Czech 'robota', meaning:

Answer: labor

Robot was first coined in the Czech play 'R.U.R.' (Rossum's Universal Robots) after its mechanical men.

8. 'Cobalt' comes from German 'Kobalt', which is a dialectical variation of a word meaning:

Answer: Goblin

Miners believed that goblins left cobalt in the mines when they stole silver because they experienced the ill effects of sulfur and arsenic.

9. 'Cochlea' is derived from Greek 'kochlos', meaning:

Answer: spiral shell

Compare conch shells.

10. Which does not mean ten?

Answer: nyet

Source: Author maggie99

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor agony before going online.
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