T. Atkinson Jenkins
Language, vol. 9, no. 4, dec. 1933, p.5-7+9-94
The origin of the word cuckold comes from the cuckoo. Besides laying her eggs in another bird's nest, the female cuckoo will mate with other males besides her primary mate; the male generally reacts passively. This is the reason for the folk derivation of the word cuckold.
Showing posts with label etymology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label etymology. Show all posts
Sunday, January 18, 2009
From Latin to Anglo-French and Middle English: The Role of the Multilingual Gloss
W. Rothwell
The Modern Language Review vol. 88 no 3 (July 1993) pp. 581-599
The original Latin words did not morph directly into French; each Latinate word changed meaning slightly as it entered the French lexicon. "This complicated semantic pattern is the result of social, not phonological factors . . . (583)".Medieval glosses might provide more accurate definitions than literary works, although glosses have been ignored by scholars.
Thirteenth century Anglo-French glosses attest that the English "enter" came from the French "entrer," but with the added meaning of to enter into a book.
French is not simply "the Latin spoken in Gaul."
The Modern Language Review vol. 88 no 3 (July 1993) pp. 581-599
The original Latin words did not morph directly into French; each Latinate word changed meaning slightly as it entered the French lexicon. "This complicated semantic pattern is the result of social, not phonological factors . . . (583)".Medieval glosses might provide more accurate definitions than literary works, although glosses have been ignored by scholars.
Thirteenth century Anglo-French glosses attest that the English "enter" came from the French "entrer," but with the added meaning of to enter into a book.
French is not simply "the Latin spoken in Gaul."
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