chill out: a contemporary phrase that conjures up ideas of cooling down. It comes from the modern idea that people who are upset or angry will become more relaxed in a cooler environment. Example: "Jessica, chill out!" cloud: this comes from the Old English word, weolcen, which came from the German word, wolke, which meant cloud. It was probably combined with the Old English word for hill, which was clud. Because some hills resemble clouds (particularly cumulus), the words may have become interchangeable. hurricane: The word hurricane is derived from the Caribbean word, "Hurican." Hurican was the regional god associated with evil. The Caribbean region is said to have based this god on the Mayan god, Hurakan, who was in charge of wind and rain. According to Mayan mythology, Hurakan unleashed a flood on humans. Because the storms were so ferocious, they were often thought to be sent by this god. The word appears to have enterred the English language in the mid1500s. raining cats and dogs: there origin of this phrase has sort of disappeared over time. Some historians think this phrase comes from Norse mythology, where cats were often said to influence the weather and dogs were thought to be symbolic of wind. Other historians relate that this phrase comes from the days of yore, when sewer systems were, shall we say, less than modern and that, during a rain storm, storm drains and pipes often were filled with debris, including deceased animals. tornado: This word is thought to be a corruption of the Spanish word, tronada, which meant "thunderstorm." In the 1500s, it was used to describe a violent storm with large winds in the Atlantic. By the 1620s, it seems to have been used to describe a violent whirlwind of any sort. typhoon: The word typhoon has an interesting past and seems to have had a simultaneous origin. Both the Greek and Chinese cultures claim to have this word in their language. The word in the English language is believed to have derived from the Greek word typhein, which means "to smoke". This word appears to have entered the Greek language from Arabic countries, who used the word tufan to refer to hurricane-like storms. The earliest English version of the term – touffon – appears to have surfaced in the 1500s. Resources: http://www.takeourword.com/arc_logi.html http://www.sharkoil.bm/documents/atlantic_storm_info/hurricane_etymology http://www.etymonline.com/ |