We know the definitions of words that end in -spire…but do we know what they literally mean? All these -spire endings come from the Latin spirare, which means “to breathe.” So let’s examine our English words!

Conspire – literally “breathe together”
Perspire – literally “through breath”
Aspire – literally “to breathe upon” (the notion being to pant after something)
Respire – literally “to breathe again”
Transpire – literally “across, beyond, or through the breath”
Expire – literally “out of breath”
Inspire – literally “to put breath into”

Then, hilariously, there’s spire…which isn’t from that Latin root at all, but is from Norse/Germanic, meaning “sharp point.” 😉

Word Nerds Merch!

Did you know that muscle comes from mouse?

You didn’t read that wrong.

Apparently back in Ancient Greece, someone thought that bulging muscles (think biceps) resembled mice. So mys was the root for both words, and that just carried right up on through the millennia and into Latin, and from there to many other languages.

I don’t know about you, but I thought the shared letters and sounds were pure coincidence. Turns out, the Latin musculus means “little mouse.” That’s where our English word came from, way back in the 1300s.

Now you know.

Word Nerds Merch!

Time for yet another look at a word so common we probably don’t even think about it. But pause for a second and consider these two: again and against. They look strikingly similar, don’t they? Coincidence?

Far from it.

Again actually traces its roots allllll the way back to Old English, when it could be either a preposition or an adverb and meant “toward; opposite, contrary to”…you know, what we think of as against.

In the 1100s, the variation with that -st ending appeared, but the two variations were used interchangeably. It wasn’t until the 1500s that they began to deviate and be differentiated in most English dialects, but not all. Scottish never did adopt the -st ending so continued to use again in the ways we would use against. Even so, again still retained its earlier meanings for quite a long time.

And that “once more” meaning we think of today? That didn’t join in until the 14th century, which is pretty late in life for the Old English word!

Word Nerds Merch!

Anyone else subscribe to Rebecca Yarros’s newsletter? I do, and I admit it–when she sends one out that says, “Are you ready, cadet?” when a new book is about to release, I get a massive grin on my face and scream, “YES!” (I do realize the Empyrean series is not for everyone…but I’m a fan!)

Cadet, however, didn’t always mean “a military student officer.” In fact, when cadet entered the English language in 1610, it meant “younger son.” The literal translation from the original Latin is “little head.” Why? Because the eldest son was deemed the “head” and so the younger or second son was the “little head.”

However, in England (and many other European countries), second sons were usually destined for a military career. And so, by 1650, cadet had taken on the meaning of “gentleman entering the military as a profession.” This is what gradually changed the meaning to the more general “student at a military academy” by 1775.

I daresay Basgiath wasn’t what any of them had in mind back then, but hey. Words evolve, as do the institutions. 😉

Word Nerds Merch!