AMAZING WORDS AND WHERE THEY COME FROM Patrick Skipworth & Nicholas Stevenson
COMPANION
Pronunciation: kum-PAN-yun Origin: Latin (language of Ancient Rome) English meaning: a person or animal you spend a lot of time with Original meaning: with bread What makes a good friend? Someone who’s a lot of fun, who always listens, or maybe someone you can share any secret with? For some ancient Europeans, the best companion was a buddy you could share your lunch with.
GURU
Pronunciation: GOO-roo Origin: Sanskrit (an ancient Indian language) English meaning: spiritual teacher or expert Original meaning: heavy When ancient Indian people had a big question, they could go to a guru for answers. Gurus were respected leaders and keepers of serious knowledge. Sanskrit speakers used the word for “heavy� as the name for these teachers, showing their importance in society.
ROYALTY
Pronunciation: ROY-ul-tee Origin: French English meaning: family of a king or queen Original meaning: rule by a king or queen In 1066 CE England was invaded by knights from northern France. These were the Normans. Lots of things changed, especially the English language. Soon, French words were everywhere, particularly relating to fancy things the knights kept for themselves. Normans preferred French words such as pork, royal, and autumn to the English pig, queen, and fall, and many of their words are still used today.
AMAZING WORDS AND WHERE THEY COME FROM Author: Patrick Skipworth Illustrator: Nicholas Stevenson Ages: 6-11 years Price: U.S. $18.99 CAN $25.99 Format: Hardback Extent: 32 pages Trim size: 10.8 x 10.4 inches Pub date: 5th May 2020 ISBN: 978-1-9129201-8-1 BISAC codes: JNF069000 JUVENILE NONFICTION / Diversity & Multicultural JNF029040 JUVENILE NONFICTION / Language Arts / Vocabulary & Spelling JNF038000 JUVENILE NONFICTION / People & Places / General
Zir-oh Origin: Arabic English meaning: nothing, as well as the number which represents it Literal meaning: empty, deserted, nothing ‘emptiness’ We use the special number ‘zero’ every day. But it first arrived in Middle Ages from from Arabic, where it also means ‘empty’. Arab scholars took this useful number from India. There mathematicians would write ‘empty’ when they did a sum that equalled zero. Later on they started using the circle shape that we know today.
Description Did you know that English words come from all over the world and that their meanings have changed along their journey? Our word “zero” comes from the Arabic word for empty space. “Companion” is from the Latin for “with bread”. With simple descriptions and dazzling, evocative and witty illustrations, this is a fascinating introduction to the rich history and cultural diversity of our language. Words included: orchestra (Japanese); zero (Arabic); guru (Sanskrit); ukulele (Hawaiian); jaguar (Tupi); royalty (Norman French); companion (Latin); kookaburra (Australian Aboriginal); worm (Old English); mummy (Persian); caribou (Algonquin); safari (Swahili).
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Author information Patrick Skipworth studied Classics and Linguistics in London and the Netherlands, connecting the dots between ancient cultures, their histories, and their languages. Today, Patrick is a children’s book editor, but he likes to write his own books when he can. Some of his favourite topics are prehistoric bugs, super-intelligent robots and legends from far away places. His favourite word is “mosaic”. Patrick lives in London. Illustrator information Nicholas Stevenson’s personality and past are as colourful as his illustrations. Now living in London, he spent years in the Seychelles “dressing like Peter Pan most days”. Nicholas produces lively, engaging, mysterious and deeply painterly work for the publishing and music industries.
ISBN 978-1-912920-18-1
9 781912 920181
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Reveals the diverse origins of English words and their layered meanings Connects the English language to indigenous languages and cultures across the globe, from Hawaii to Australia, highlighting the interconnected nature of all people Ingenious, painterly artwork adds a delightful twist to the story behind each word Backmatter includes a world map of language families
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