Maliya
Do you ever wonder, "Where do words come from?" Well, where do they come from? Sure, every word has an origin of its own (such as French, Spanish, Latin, etc..) in which the word has been borrowed and sometimes modified into our own English language. But even then - where did it come from?
As strange as it may sound, I often sit and think about words, their pronunciations, and their meanings. Then, every time (without fail) the thought pops into my head: "Who in the heck came up with that word?" For instance, take the word "weird". By definition, this word is often used in place of the words "unique", "different", or "strange". You know what's really "weird"? The word "weird" is "weird"! Not only does it goofy (try saying it over and over - it does sound really "weird"), but it also breaks one of the major rules of the English language: " 'I' before 'E' except after 'C' ". "Weird" has no 'c' in it, but yet notice the spelling: "w-E-I-r-d". Of course, "weird" is not the only word that breaks this rule, but it is among one of the strangest. "Weird", huh? Also think about the word "onomatopoeia". This word actually means the formation of words by imitating sounds. Not only does it sound strange, but it even looks it! Where did that word come from?
When I think about words, I also wonder, "Well why is it called that instead of something else?" Take the word "chair", for example. When asked what a "chair" is, most people will respond by saying that it is something you sit in. In that case, what about "grass"? We can sit in it, can't we? So why can't "grass" be called "chair" if we can sit in both of them? See what I mean? The whole process of word naming is just really…well…"weird"!
Now that you may think I'm rather disturbed because I sit around thinking about words, just take some time to do it yourself. Ponder the thought, "Where did the names of words come from, and why?" It kind of makes you wonder if long ago there was some caveman who walked around pointing while rattling off gibberish, and everything that he pointed to became the sound that he made at that time. "Weird", I know, but how else do you suppose words came about?
