The Writer's Thesaurus
By Dr Oliver Tearle
What connects the word ‘female’ with ‘male’, etymologically speaking? How did these corresponding terms come about? The origins of the word ‘female’ are worthy of further inspection, because, as ever on this blog, there are some surprising facts to uncover in the etymology and history of ‘female’. Continue reading “The Curious Origin of the Word ‘Female’”
By Dr Oliver Tearle
Let’s begin with a quick quiz question. To make it easier, it’ll be a multiple-choice quiz. Who came up with the notion of the ‘unconscious’: that is, the idea that human beings have an unconscious as distinct from a conscious mind? Was it: Continue reading “The Curious Origin of the Word ‘Unconscious’”
By Dr Oliver Tearle
The words ‘child’ and ‘children’ have had an interesting history. Although we can all easily define ‘child’ now – a young person who had not yet attained adulthood – this definition in itself raises some intriguing questions. Legally, a ‘child’ may be someone under sixteen years of age, or someone under eighteen years of age, depending on the country or context; or some other marker or boundary between ‘childhood’ and ‘adulthood’ may be given. Continue reading “The Curious Origin of the Words ‘Child’ and ‘Children’”