An Etymological Smorgasbord

15 Points Per Correct Answer - No time limit  

1. I'm the kind of person who is excited on learning that different words share the same origin. All but one of the following words comes from the Latin root "caput", which means "head". Which one doesn't? Capital Chattel Cattle Chateau

2. I'm amazed that some authors have the audacity to simply make up new words. Friedrich Nietzsche is credited with coining the German word that, translated into English, became "superman". However, other translations were possible, such as "overman". Who is generally given credit for establishing "superman" as an English term? George Bernard Shaw Hank Stram Oscar Wilde Winston Churchill

3. The word "coquette", which in English designates a flirtatious woman, derives from French for which animal? (Hint: There may be some gender confusion here.) A trumpeting swan A preening peacock A strutting cock A croaking frog

4. Some words with somewhat different meanings share common roots. Other words with more similar meanings may have different antecedents. Which of the following word pairs do not have a common derivation? Posit and postulate Coy and quiet Catch and chase Disc and dais

5. Sometimes words are coined, but in other instances words seem to evolve. Which of the following words may have contributed to the etymology of the word "penthouse". The Middle English word "pentace" designating a shed attached to another building All of them The Medieval Latin "appendere" meaning "to hang" The Old French "apendre" meaning "to belong"

6. Knowing the origin of a word often greatly increases my interest in it as well as my desire to use it. Which of these words comes from a Latin compound word meaning "detrimental to faith"? (Hint: There is a fragment of "faith" in one of these words.) Treacherous Perfidious Deceitful Punic

7. Learning the etymology of a word may change my perspective on a word's meaning (as it did in the case of the word "diatribe".) Which of the following most nearly captures one of the meanings of the Greek word from which the word "diatribe" originates? To pummel, using both hands To brutally attack To wear away by rubbing To cause suffering

8. Which of the following words does not share a common root? (Hint: One of these words should "appear" different.) Specter Expectorate Expect All have the same root

9. Wondering where the word "croquet" came from started me collecting the information for this quiz. To which of the following objects did the Old North French word from which the word "croquet" was derived refer? A hooked needle A shepherd's crook A hockey stick A bow of ribbon on a woman's hat

10. Sometimes I can make no sense out of the purported origin of a word. The word "taco" is said to have evolved from an American Spanish term. Which of the following was an original meaning for the term, according to the American Heritage Dictionary? A wad of bank notes A variety of Mayan bread A porcelain plate An Aztec ceremonial disc