|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
Today's Word, "urtext" reminded me of urticaria, and I realized I didn't know its etymolgy. From AHD:
urticaria
SYLLABICATION: ur·ti·car·i·a
PRONUNCIATION: ūrt-kār-
NOUN: See hives.
ETYMOLOGY: New Latin urticria, from Latin urtica, nettle.
OTHER FORMS: urti·cari·al ADJECTIVE
So where did "hives" come from? Alas, AHD doesn't help:
hives
PRONUNCIATION: hvz
PLURAL NOUN: (used with a sing. or pl. verb) A skin condition characterized by intensely itching welts and caused by an allergic reaction to internal or external agents, an infection, or a nervous condition. Also called nettle rash, urticaria.
ETYMOLOGY: Origin unknown.
As a feeble jest, if you knock over a bee-hive, you can
get a stinging rash.
And the etymology of bee-hive from AHD is disappointing:
hive
PRONUNCIATION: hv
NOUN: 1a. A structure for housing bees, especially honeybees. b. A colony of bees living in such a structure. 2. A place swarming with activity.
VERB: Inflected forms: hived, hiv·ing, hives
TRANSITIVE VERB: 1. To collect into a hive. 2. To store (honey) in a hive. 3. To store up; accumulate.
INTRANSITIVE VERB: 1. To enter and occupy a beehive. 2. To live with many others in close association.
PHRASAL VERB: hive off To set apart from a group: hived off the department into another division.
ETYMOLOGY: Middle English, from Old English hf.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400 |
re:As a feeble jest, if you knock over a bee-hive, you can get a stinging rash.
and if you walk through nettles, you'll also get a stinging rash.
'Dock'-- a common name for another common weed,(i don't know the proper name!) when crushed, will exude a watery sap the will relive the sting almost immediately, (Nettles in, Dock out!)
thistles too are bristled with fine barbs that sting the skin as they peirce it. I don't know any cure for there barbs! (but both my son and i have cut thistle blossoms for bouquets!)
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 1,475
veteran
|
|
veteran
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 1,475 |
hive (OE hýf) is from the PIE root *k'eu-p-. *k'eu- 'to bow, bend, curve' with different augmentations gives L cubo 'to lie', Gk kuphos 'hump, hunch', (< *k'eu-bh-) L cumbo 'to lie', Welsh cwm, English hump via Scandinavian (< *k'eum-b(h)-). The unaugmented *k'eu- yields L cavus 'hollow, concave, vaulted' and many more (there are over three pages in Pokorny).
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
Dear AS: I am totally ignorant about string theory.
You must be special. None of my URLs end with my handle.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
She's special, all right.
|
|
|
|
Forums16
Topics13,915
Posts230,263
Members9,208
| |
Most Online4,606
Sep 17th, 2025
|
|
|
|
