Outline of the history of the English language and literature

by Anonymous

Polite, from Lat. polītus, polished.

Prevent (to), originally to go before (præ and venio). ‘Prevent us, O Lord, in all our goings.’

Silly, the adj. originally happy, blessed; whence it came to mean innocent, simple, foolish.

Sycophant (Gr.), originally a fig-shower; a person who informed the police regarding the smuggling of figs into Athens.

Tawdry was applied originally to goods bought at St Audrey’s fair (St Audrey = St Ethelreda).

Varlet once meant a serving-man. Valet is a doublet of varlet. (From vassaletus, an inferior vassal.)

Villain, a farm-servant, a peasant; from Lat. villanus, a servant on a villa or farm.

[5.] WORDS DERIVED FROM THE NAMES OF PERSONS.

Amazon, the name of a nation of warlike women, who were said to cut off their right breasts that they might use the bow. (From Gr. a, without, and mazos, the breast.)

Argosy, from Argo, the name of a famous ship in which the Greek warrior Jason sailed to seek the golden fleece, which was at Colchis, on the eastern shore of the Black Sea.