Words for Kids: A Fun Look at Words and Language
Here's a picture of a "hairy cat" .... I mean caterpillar!
We see words in books and we speak words every day, but have you ever wondered where words came from? Our words have come from different places. Some of the words we use even have a funny and unusual history.
We have words that came about from ancient languages and people. Some words were introduced because they described a particular kind of sound or noise that was being made. Words like “Pop” and “Buzzing” make you think of certain types of sounds don’t they?
There are lots of interesting stories and fun facts about many of the words we know.
You may have heard that “hippopotamus” means “river horse”, but I’ll bet you did not know that the word “robot” once meant “slave”.
Both “kangaroo” and “turkey” are words that were incorrect when first used to name these animals, but we continue to use them anyway. Years ago when someone wanted to know the name of this Australian animal with a pouch, he asked an Aborigine. The native replied “Kangaroo”.
That is how the word kangaroo came into existence as the animal’s name. However, the native was just saying, “I don’t know” in his own language! No one realized this. They thought “kangaroo” was the real name. If you want to surprise someone just use the words “I don’t know” instead of kangaroo.
The American turkey was named by early settlers. One of the settlers thought it was the same type of bird that lived in Turkey. The birds are very different, but the name of the turkey stuck like glue.
Words depend on the language that is being spoken. English speaking countries use the letters “C” and “H” on taps so that we will know whether the water is Cold or Hot. In Italy, France and Spain the “C” on a tap means “HOT” so beware! In these countries, the words for hot all begin with a C.
• Spanish-caliente
• French-chaud
• Italian-caldo
Did you know that many countries like the name “John” for boys? In Ireland, it is “Sean”; in Morocco, the word for John is “Yahya”; in Holland, it is “Jan” and in Austria, the name “Hansel” is the same as the English “John”.
To clear away the table is one definition for the word “dessert”.
The word “orangutan” originally meant “man of the forest".
Pineapple is a word that comes to us from Middle English times. Once the word “pineapple” simply meant “pine cone”. You have to admit that a pineapple and a pine cone do look very much alike. A lot of people thought so too and that is how pineapple began to be used as the name for the fruit.
The word caterpillar came from 2 words that were joined together. These words mean “hairy cat”. I am not sure how any caterpillar looks like a hairy cat, but now you know the real story.
This is an original news article © The Kids Window
| Products available to buy at the Kids Window |
|
|
|
| 
