More Words That End In 'ary' Trivia Quiz

Answer: Subsidiary

As with so much of our language, this is a word with its roots in Latin. The original word was subsidium and meant 'a reserve', usually of troops. By the 1540s, it had acquired the meaning of being a supplement and has expanded to be used in a much wider sense.

A business which is part of a larger organisation can be classed as a subsidiary of the organisation, while something or someone who is subsidiary is under the control of someone else.

Answer: Obituary

Proving that euphemisms are not new, the origin of the word obituary comes from the Latin 'obitus' meaning 'going to meet', with, in this case, death being the final meeting. In Mediaeval Latin, 'obituarius' referred to a register of deaths. Obituary is now used to refer to a death announcement which includes some words about the person's achievements, which is why most of us never get to see our own. Occasionally, newspapers print obituaries prematurely, so a few lucky, or maybe unlucky, people have been able to see how they are perceived.

Answer: Sedimentary

Sedimentary rocks are compacted particles of material which are created near the surface of the earth. They include sandstone, shale and limestone. The layers which form them can usually be seen. The word derives from the Latin sedimentum, meaning settling, with sediment describing the solids seen at the bottom of some liquids, especially wine.

The word has been in use since the early sixteenth century.

Answer: Beneficiary

This word has its roots in the Latin word beneficium, referring to a favour or kindness. By the early seventeenth century if was being used to describe someone who had received a profit or advantage. Other words from the same source are beneficial, meaning advantageous, benefit, benefactor and benefaction. Beneficiary is most often used to refer to someone who receives their benefit via a bequest left in a will or from a trust fund set up to support them.

Answer: Imaginary

The use of the word in English is recorded in the latter part of the fourteenth century, probably via the French 'imaginaire', which itself derived from the Latin imaginarius. The Latin word could be used literally, as referring to an image, as well as meaning something imagined and not real. Interestingly, 'imaginary friends' were around as long ago as 1789.

Answer: Alimentary

The word is derived from the Latin alimentum, which means 'nourishment' and has been in use in English since the early seventeenth century. Most of us will be familiar with the use of the word to describe the passage of food through the human body via the alimentary canal.

This begins in the mouth, continuing through the oesophagus, stomach and intestines, before ending at the anus, where waste is excreted.

Answer: Sanctuary

All the words with the root of 'sanct', such as sanctum, sanctimony, sanctify and sanctuary itself have their roots in the Latin sanctuarium, referring to somewhere sacred. By the early years of the fourteenth century the word was used to refer to sacred places, devoted to worship. Sanctuary came to have a wider meaning as fugitives could take refuge in churches and remain out of the reach of the law (in most cases).

This meaning was in use by the fifteenth century.

Answer: Formicary

Formica is the Latin word for 'ant' with formicary, referring to an ants' nest, being a relatively recent word dating from the early nineteenth century. Other words with the same origin are formic, describing the acid derived from ants, in use from the 1790s and formica, the name of the genus.

The material Formica has nothing to do with it, though - it was created as a substitute for mica, and given the name as a result.

Answer: Sedentary

The derivation of sedentary is the Latin sedentarius, meaning 'staying in one place'. When used in English originally, in the late sixteenth century, it meant the same but by the 1660s had extended its meaning to include those who took little or no exercise. Those of us who work in a sedentary occupation are perceived as sitting down most of the time.

Answer: Adversary

Originating from Latin, an adversary is a (usually) hostile rival. When first used, in the fourteenth century, the word was often used for the devil, describing him as the enemy of all mankind. Anything which is adverse is going to cause problems.