English Words with Strange Beginnings
Have you ever wondered where the word "ketchup" comes from, or why we call bad dreams "nightmares"? Here are some English words whose histories might surprise you.
"Ketchup" probably comes from the Chinese word koechiap, meaning "fish sauce." It began in Asia as a sauce made from fish and plant juices, and was brought to England about 300 years ago. The British made different types of "catchup" or "catsup," including walnut, mushroom and cucumber flavors. Tomato ketchup, as we know it today, became popular in the early 1900s.
This word comes from the Gaelic phrase uisge beatha, which means "water of life." Even today, whiskey is thought to have some health benefits. Studies have shown that drinking small amounts of whiskey can improve digestion and heart health, and even help with a cold.
A mortgage is money that you borrow from a bank in order to buy a house. In Old French, the word mort meant "death," and the word gage meant "promise." So when you take out a mortgage, you're making a "death promise"!
A nightmare is a bad dream. The word "nightmare" comes from the Anglo-Saxon and Old Norse word mara, meaning "demon" or "evil spirit." They believed that nightmares were caused by demons who would sit on top of a sleeping person's chest.
"Treadmill" contains the words "tread," meaning "to walk," and "mill," a machine used to make flour. The treadmill was invented in England and used in prisons. In the 19th century, prisoners would run on treadmills as a form of punishment.
