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- Feed Preview H to C – Spanish Etymology, Learning Spanish
Caro and Whore, Cher
Today’s is a good one! The Spanish caro (simply, “expensive”) has a fun provenance: from the ancient (pre-Latin) Proto-Indo-European root karo– that meant… whore. Yes, the ancient word ...
Camisa – Heaven
The Spanish for “shirt”, Camisa, is a distant cousin of the English Heaven. How? Both come from the same common ancestor, the Proto-Indo-European root *kem, meaning, “to cover.” This root...
Cabeza and Head
The Indo-European root kaput, meaning “head”, led to words for the head in almost every western language, with no change. The kaput turned into the almost-identical caput in Latin; and then t...
Correr – Horse
The Spanish correr, “to run” seems completely unrelated to the English horse. Looks can be deceiving. Correr comes from the Latin for the same, currere. Currere, in turn, comes from the Proto...
Cuerno and Cornucopia
We’ve previously discussed cuerno (Spanish for horn) and its related Spanish words–and here’s another: cornucopia, which literally means… the “horn of plenty.” We see the h-r-n map to...
Cannabis – Hemp
Today is time for what is perhaps my all-time favorite example of how sound patterns change over time. Here we go, no more delays: The Proto-Indo-European sound k- changed into the h- sound into ...
Corazón and Heart
So, this is one of my personal all-time favorite etymologies. Just sayin’. The Spanish for “heart,” corazón, and the English heart itself, both come from the same original root. Huh? How? ...
Ciento and Hundred
Today’s link is another gem: despite sounding completely different, “hundred” and ciento are actually the same word. Here’s how. The ancient Proto-Indo-European root *kmtom meant a hundre...
Cuerno and Horns
The Spanish for “horn”, cuerno (and its variations, like the ever-present cornudo), and the English horn are both originally the same word in the ancient languages. Huh? One of the most inter...
Hembra and Feminine
The Spanish hembra, for “female” (usually in regard to animals) sounds nothing like the English feminine. But it turns out that they are etymologically identical. Both come from the Latin for...