Etymology

Etymology

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(/ˌɛtɪˈmɒlədʒi/ ET-im-OL-ə-jee)

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What is etymology?

Etymology

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"Etymology is the branch of linguistics which deals with determining the origin of words and the historical development of their form and meanings." - Oxford English Dictionary English has been created by combining many different languages over hundreds of years, but have you ever wondered where the words came from?

How can we visualise this concept?

A brief introduction...

Etymology

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Where does the word 'etymology' come from?

How does it benefit us today?

Here are some examples of entymology in the English language...

Etymology

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• Students are encouraged when they see connections in their mother tongue and target language

• Similar words become easier to remember

• It creates 'bridges' between language families (e.g. romance) making new languages easier to acquire

• Learning becomes more in- depth when we learn the history of the words

Etymology and language learning...

Etymology

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TED Ed Video

Etymology

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In this video we will see how etymology is put into practice and how language is developed...

Time for a quiz...

Etymology

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Etymology

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Etymology

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Etymology

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Etymology

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Etymology

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Can you think of any examples...?

To recap...

Etymology

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Etymology shows us the past, present and can help predict the future of language

It reveals the links between languages which can help the learning process

It is a dynamic subject as language is ever changing

Thank you for listening!

The word etymology is derived from the Ancient Greek word ἐτυμολογία (etymon), meaning 'true sense or sense of a truth', and the suffix -logia, denoting 'the study or logic of'.

Seeing connections between our mother tongue and target language not only inspires us but also helps the words stick in our mind!

A good way to think of etymology is to use the image of tree roots. As language develops, all the individual roots of a word come together to form a sturdy foundation. The tree is the current form of a language, standing tall thanks to the roots that came before it.

Salary (Origin: Latin) The word “salary” comes from the Latin "salarium", meaning “salt money.” In ancient times, salt was used for many important things and was often referred to as “white gold.” As far back as the Egyptian Empire, laborers were paid with salt that they could use to preserve their food. The Roman Empire continued using this form of payment and it took on the name “salary” for “that which was given to workers at the end of the working month”.

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