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Etymology Trivia

Etymology Trivia Quizzes

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This section features quizzes on the origins of words and phrases.
130 Etymology quizzes and 1,820 Etymology trivia questions.
Sub-Categories:
1.
  Words Too Have Family   best quiz  
Match Quiz
 10 Qns
Embark on a fascinating linguistic journey into the origins of words! Explore the rich tapestry of language, unearthing the stories and evolutions that shape our everyday vocabulary. Can you match the word to the language it came from?
Average, 10 Qns, LeoDaVinci, Jan 25 24
Average
LeoDaVinci editor
Jan 25 24
276 plays
2.
  Words Tell Stories   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
We rarely think about the origins of words that we use every day. By playing this quiz you will be able to learn more about the intriguing stories behind a few of these words.
Average, 10 Qns, LadyNym, Aug 27 23
Recommended for grades: 9,10,11,12
Average
LadyNym gold member
Aug 27 23
558 plays
3.
Revelations
  Revelations    
Photo Quiz
 10 Qns
Word Meanings
Often the meaning of a word is revealed by considering its similarity to another word that has come from the same root. Here are some examples for you to try.
Easier, 10 Qns, looney_tunes, Dec 17 22
Recommended for grades: 9,10,11
Easier
looney_tunes editor
Dec 17 22
513 plays
4.
  Searching for Words   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
For the final stage of the Amazing Race 2, The NaMaPoJo GoGo Quiz Pros have been exploring word etymology. So why not join us as we learn all about the ten miscellaneous words contained in this quiz?
Average, 10 Qns, poshprice, Oct 11 13
Average
poshprice
2178 plays
5.
  Sourc-ery   popular trivia quiz  
Match Quiz
 10 Qns
Pick the language from which each of these American/English words is derived.
Easier, 10 Qns, nyirene330, Aug 25 16
Easier
nyirene330
601 plays
6.
  Nerdy Words For Wordy Nerds   top quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
After a tough day of train spotting, sucking seer and biting the heads off of chickens, it might be nice to settle down, hang up your anorak and play with words.
Difficult, 10 Qns, uglybird, Sep 01 10
Difficult
uglybird
2803 plays
7.
  Ancient Word Origins   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Understanding the word origins may give us a better and deeper insight of the terms we use daily.
Average, 10 Qns, thejazzkickazz, Jun 12 16
Average
thejazzkickazz gold member
4087 plays
8.
  I Can't Find What I Need!   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This challenge is by WesleyCrusher. I'm borrowing from the smaller group of languages that contribute to English because I can't find what I need in the major groups. Please choose the language that represents the BOLD words.
Easier, 10 Qns, alexis722, Sep 26 12
Easier
alexis722
1411 plays
9.
  Where Everyday Phrases Come From   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
We use these in our everyday speech. See if you can identify their origins.
Tough, 10 Qns, simjazzbeer, Mar 01 17
Tough
simjazzbeer
2428 plays
10.
  Neologogenesis: Words That Don't Exist, But Could editor best quiz    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
The words which are the subject of this quiz don't appear in any dictionary, and have never appeared in print until now. But each nevertheless has a clear meaning, dictated by etymological and other word-formation principles.
Very Difficult, 10 Qns, xaosdog, Feb 02 22
Very Difficult
xaosdog
Feb 02 22
5858 plays
trivia question Quick Question
Another ancient city, Sparta of classical Greece, has a name which has become synonymous with which of the following terms?

From Quiz "Words from the Names of Cities and Towns"




11.
  Non-Indo-European Words in English   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Trivia fiends like me know all the German and Latin roots in American English, but what about those non-Indo-European loan words we use? I'll give you two or three words and you tell me in what language they originated.
Average, 10 Qns, shvdotr, Jan 02 10
Average
shvdotr gold member
860 plays
12.
  And Now, a Few Words From Our Guild   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Welcome to Guilder's World of Words, where you can find all kinds of words to suit all your vocabulary needs! We have some wonderful specials here at the World of Words. This week's specials are:
Tough, 10 Qns, ertrum, Nov 23 06
Tough
ertrum gold member
563 plays
13.
  Origins of Some English Words    
Multiple Choice
 20 Qns
Here are questions on the origins of some English words.
Average, 20 Qns, chessart, Apr 30 24
Average
chessart gold member
Apr 30 24
2034 plays
14.
  Word Origins from Around the World   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Words in common usage today derive from sources the world over. Do you know which words come from the source word with which I will provide you? Good luck - all is not as it appears!
Difficult, 10 Qns, alliefarrell, Feb 16 09
Difficult
alliefarrell
1761 plays
15.
  Where Everyday Phrases Come From, Part Two   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
If you enjoyed the first of my quizzes on this subject, try your hand at another collection of everyday phrases.
Tough, 10 Qns, simjazzbeer, Mar 02 10
Tough
simjazzbeer
534 plays
16.
  The Quirkiness of the English Language   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 15 Qns
The English language is a hotchpotch of foreign words. This quiz is about the origin of words in everyday English usage.
Tough, 15 Qns, sunfloweruk23, Feb 18 20
Tough
sunfloweruk23
Feb 18 20
1907 plays
17.
  Can You Rephrase That? - Part Deux   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Quite a few folks asked for a sequel to "Can You Rephrase That?", which was undertaken originally as an author's challenge. Here is the follow-up to the last quiz. Be sure to "think outside the box" and I hope you enjoy!
Tough, 10 Qns, logcrawler, Aug 18 10
Tough
logcrawler gold member
690 plays
18.
  Where'd it Come From?   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Many of the everyday words and phrases we use have interesting origins. Here are a few that may be of interest.
Average, 10 Qns, Richicago, Nov 27 20
Average
Richicago
Nov 27 20
2491 plays
19.
  Etymological Tidbits    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
By looking at faces you often recognize family features. Something similar is true about words. Try your luck.
Average, 10 Qns, flem-ish, Jun 10 22
Average
flem-ish
Jun 10 22
2964 plays
20.
  The Ultimate Word Origins Quiz   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Etymology is like linguistic archeology. You dig into words and you discover earlier forms, meanings, etc. Have a try with these - occasionally surprising - word origins.
Tough, 10 Qns, flem-ish, Feb 05 05
Tough
flem-ish
3236 plays
21.
  Really the Word Means That?    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Language is more interesting when we learn what words really mean. As you will soon see, everyday words have some rather weird and bizarre derivations.
Average, 10 Qns, Znarkasaurus, Sep 15 19
Average
Znarkasaurus
Sep 15 19
485 plays
22.
  An Etymological Smorgasbord   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Are you a word lover? Here are a diverse group of questions relating to word origins.
Difficult, 10 Qns, uglybird, Jul 21 22
Difficult
uglybird
Jul 21 22
1405 plays
23.
  Where Did That Word Come From?    
Multiple Choice
 15 Qns
Most English words come from Latin or 'Old English'. Here are some that don't. But where DID they come from?
Average, 15 Qns, Baloo55th, Nov 26 09
Average
Baloo55th
1847 plays
24.
  Hidden Meanings    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Words often hide meanings they no longer have. Just see how good a linguistic sleuth you are.
Tough, 10 Qns, flem-ish, Aug 27 03
Tough
flem-ish
1137 plays
25.
  Etymology - Words and Myths    
Multiple Choice
 15 Qns
Each question relates to an English word we use often in speech and writing - but all have a story behind them. What is the provenance or origin of each of the following words, concepts and phrases...?
Average, 15 Qns, alkmene, Dec 12 20
Average
alkmene
Dec 12 20
1354 plays
26.
  True Word Origins    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Have you ever wondered where some words originated? Here are ten possible sources for useful words in the English language...enjoy!
Tough, 10 Qns, thejazzkickazz, Jun 14 21
Tough
thejazzkickazz gold member
Jun 14 21
1604 plays
27.
  Can You Rephrase That? Nummer Vier (4)    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Since this quiz is "nummer vier" (4) in Dutch, appropriately the first question is about the Dutch. (Sources include, but are not limited to: "I've Got Goose Pimples"; "Reader's Digest" & "Why We Say It".)
Tough, 10 Qns, logcrawler, Sep 06 10
Tough
logcrawler gold member
321 plays
28.
  Can You Rephrase That? Numero Tres    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Third in a series of the origins of words and phrases in the English language. Now, let's see if you can get the first question "right on the nose."
Tough, 10 Qns, logcrawler, Aug 30 10
Tough
logcrawler gold member
519 plays
29.
  Can You Rephrase That?    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
In response to another author's challenge, I decided to research some common phrases and words that Americans and other English speakers use. Hope you enjoy the quiz!
Difficult, 10 Qns, logcrawler, Mar 30 10
Difficult
logcrawler gold member
992 plays
30.
  Origins of English words and phrases    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Interesting origins to common words and phrases.
Tough, 10 Qns, vendome, Jan 24 15
Tough
vendome
2254 plays
31.
  Word Families    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
When learning a language, it matters that one recognizes related words. Sometimes appearances are deceptive. See which of the four words is "the unrelated outsider".
Tough, 10 Qns, flem-ish, Dec 16 14
Tough
flem-ish
925 plays
32.
  Phrases, Myths and Ancient History    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Myths have made their way into our language in so many ways. The following involve some common idioms which relate to myths and a little bit of history...
Tough, 10 Qns, alkmene, Apr 01 10
Tough
alkmene
1232 plays
33.
  Zaftig?    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Got zaftig? Here are some Z words that may or may not be derived from other languages. Please enjoy!
Average, 10 Qns, alexis722, Mar 30 15
Average
alexis722
342 plays
34.
  10 Questions: Word Origins Multiple Choice Quiz    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This is a quiz about some obscure origins of words in the English language. Enjoy!
Tough, 10 Qns, fuadj, Mar 02 15
Tough
fuadj
965 plays
35.
  Pseudograms - Fabricated Words    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Use your knowledge of prefixes and suffixes to determine the made-up word from the given definition!
Average, 10 Qns, logikzer0, Aug 28 16
Average
logikzer0 gold member
471 plays
36.
  Word and name origins   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Many words and names have pretty banal origins, hopefully here are some that will make you say 'Oh really?'. There is a slightly anatomical bias to many of the questions. British based.
Very Difficult, 10 Qns, satguru, Oct 14 22
Very Difficult
satguru gold member
Oct 14 22
1143 plays
37.
  X-raying Words    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
In a word there often is more than meets the eye. The better we see what is "under the skin" of words, the more efficiently we can handle them. So here is another quiz on "word-archeology".
Average, 10 Qns, flem-ish, Jul 28 19
Average
flem-ish
Jul 28 19
749 plays
38.
  Word Origins From History    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Here are some questions about word origins that derive from History.
Tough, 10 Qns, robert362, May 09 10
Tough
robert362
3791 plays
39.
  What's in a Name?    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Imagine if we were called by the meaning of our names rather than by the names themselves. Some of us might have a hard time living up to our appellations! Can you figure out the names that match these meanings?
Very Difficult, 10 Qns, Cymruambyth, Jan 26 10
Very Difficult
Cymruambyth gold member
635 plays
40.
  Word and Phrase Origins    
Multiple Choice
 15 Qns
Etymology is the study of word and phrase origins. Popular misconceptions about the origin of words and phrases abound. This quiz tries to clear up some of these errors. I hope you either do well, or enjoy learning something about our rich language.
Average, 15 Qns, Pookiepay, Feb 11 04
Average
Pookiepay
795 plays
41.
  Word Links    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
We often are blind to the historic links there are between words. This quiz points out some such 'unexpected' relations between words.
Average, 10 Qns, flem-ish, Nov 20 15
Average
flem-ish
1707 plays
42.
  What 's In A Word ?    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
There often is more in a word or name than meets the eye. Understanding the background and origin of a word helps us to know what we are talking about. Have a try.
Difficult, 10 Qns, flem-ish, Feb 20 23
Difficult
flem-ish
Feb 20 23
1079 plays
43.
  Word origins Quiz for Experts    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Find the modern English words from the description of their origins.
Average, 10 Qns, meshkenet, Dec 20 18
Average
meshkenet
Dec 20 18
704 plays
44.
  Word Histories    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Words keep changing. In strange ways they may get new forms and/or new meanings.See if you can identify the correct "links".
Average, 10 Qns, flem-ish, Sep 14 23
Average
flem-ish
Sep 14 23
988 plays
45.
  Son of Origins of Words and Phrases    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
More strange origins of familiar words and phrases.
Difficult, 10 Qns, vendome, May 24 14
Difficult
vendome
1991 plays
46.
  Interesting Word Origins    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
See if you cannot decipher the origins of these fascinating words of the English language...good luck!
Tough, 10 Qns, thejazzkickazz, Feb 13 03
Tough
thejazzkickazz gold member
799 plays
47.
  Surprising Links    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
How did MUSTARD get the name it has? Because originally it was made with MUST or young wine rather than with vinegar. Similar 'links' in this quiz.-You get hints about the length of the word , and its first and last letter.
Average, 10 Qns, chrissie_26, Jan 08 10
Average
chrissie_26
1452 plays
48.
  Words With A Story    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
There are so many words we use frequently without noticing there is some kind of story linked to them. See if you can link these with their supposed origin, meaning etc.
Tough, 10 Qns, flem-ish, Jun 18 12
Tough
flem-ish
1081 plays
49.
  Words ... words ... words    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
The origins of words are often hotly debated. In this quiz most of the word-origins are generally accepted by the current etymologists. Try an educated guess?
Difficult, 10 Qns, flem-ish, Jul 21 22
Difficult
flem-ish
Jul 21 22
1365 plays
50.
  Fun with Etymology    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Where do these words come from?
Tough, 10 Qns, maggie99, Mar 12 14
Tough
maggie99
1625 plays
51.
  Surprising Words and Word-Origins    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
If you take a second look at a word you often are in for a surprising link with another one. See if you can find the 'hidden origins' of some common and less common English words.
Tough, 10 Qns, flem-ish, Dec 10 05
Tough
flem-ish
885 plays

Etymology Trivia Questions

1. This is a word derived from Yiddish, and is used of a female who has a nicely rounded and comely shape. Which is it?

From Quiz
Zaftig?

Answer: Zaftig (or zoftig)

No matter how you say it, it sounds like itself - a warm, comfortable word with a little zip! The word is applied usually only to females and indicates, not fatness, but a pleasant feminine roundness and appeal. Voluptuous is the best synonym I can think of. A large bosom and thighsomeness with a noticeably smaller waist are usually implied. Mae West was probably the quintessential 'zaftig' woman. Twiggy is a perfect example of a woman who was not zaftig.

2. Which made-up word could mean "the knowledge of one's mother," not to be confused with the state of marriage?

From Quiz Pseudograms - Fabricated Words

Answer: matrinomy

Matri- is the prefix for mother and -nomy is the suffix for a system of knowledge or rules of a specific field. The prefix patri- refers to father. MatriMONY is the state of marriage and is a real word.

3. What adjective, which has antonyms such as "healthy" and "harmless", is derived from the Greek term "toxikòn phármakon", which literally means "bow poison"?

From Quiz Searching for Words

Answer: Toxic

The word "toxic", which means "pertaining to, affected with, or caused by a toxin or poison", is derived from the Greek word "toxikòn", which is short for "toxikòn phármakon", which literally translates to "bow poison". According to a 2010 History Channel documentary, entitled "The Clash of the Gods: Hercules", there is thought to be an etymological link between the word "toxic" and the legend of Hercules. When Hercules slew the Hydra, he dipped his arrows in its blood, thus lining it with poison. This is one of the reasons put forward to explain the subsequent link between poison and the Greek word "toxon", which means "bow".

4. A phrase that originated during the Middle Ages, "Don't buy a pig in a poke", is a warning against what?

From Quiz Can You Rephrase That?

Answer: Making a purchase without examining it.

Sometimes, especially during medieval days of traveling fairs, certain dishonest folks would sell cats (which were plentiful and cheap) in a cloth bag or a brown paper sack, (the poke), instead of the baby piglet that they claimed was inside. They would then collect their money and quickly disappear into the crowd, leaving the hapless victim to open the bag only to discover that he had been duped. This is also where the phrase "letting the cat out of the bag" originated.

5. What language gives us coach, goulash, and paprika?

From Quiz Non-Indo-European Words in English

Answer: Hungarian

We know that goulash and paprika are Hungarian foods. Coach passes through German and French from the original Hungarian Kocs, a town in northwest Hungary where a certain type of carriage was made.

6. To make financial gain with little or no effort, outlay, or by trickery is often referred to as "money for old rope". Where does this phrase come from?

From Quiz Where Everyday Phrases Come From

Answer: Public execution by hanging

Back in the good old days of public hangings, the executioner had the right to keep the rope on which he had dispatched the condemned person. Executions, particularly those of the most notorious criminals, drew huge crowds of all ages, and vendors would set up stalls selling food and drink, as well as items said to be related to the crime - invariably fakes. A much sought-after souvenir was a portion of THE rope, offered by the hangman or his assistants. However; it is reckoned that, if all the pieces of rope sold as the genuine article were joined together, the length of drop given to the hanged man or woman would have been huge!

7. What is the meaning of the British place name 'Nottingham'?

From Quiz Word and name origins

Answer: Estate of Snot's people

Despite beginning with an 'S', more by convenience than politeness the name at some time became abbreviated to Nottingham without the initial 'S'. 'Ingham' is a common Old English suffix for 'estate', and the prefix is whose estate it is. How the poor guy ended up with a name like 'Snot' is anyone's guess but I'm sure you can imagine.

8. The origin of this word is unclear, but it is probably an anagram of "magic". Its first meaning is listed as "a piece of a magician's apparatus".

From Quiz Word origins

Answer: Gimmick

This word originates from American English.

9. What English word do we get from the Arabic word 'sharab'?

From Quiz Word Origins from Around the World

Answer: syrup

From the Arabic 'sharab', the word for a highly sweetened beverage, we get the English 'syrup'. Latin borrowed from the Arabic and used 'siropus', which became the Middle English 'sirop'; the spelling 'syrup' was first used in the 14th century. 'Sheriff' is a compound word; it conjoins the Old English 'scir' (shire) and the Old English 'gerefa' [reeve] and squashes them together to make 'sheriff'. 'Sahara' is from the Arabic 'sahra', meaning 'desert'. 'Carafe' is also from the Arabic, from the word 'garrafa', meaning 'drinking vessel'.

10. The word 'chocolate' comes from which language?

From Quiz The Quirkiness of the English Language

Answer: Aztec

Chocolate derives from Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs. This language belongs to a group of Indian languages related to those spoken by the Comanche, Shoshone and other tribes of the western United States.

11. The Romans used the phrase 'sine cere' to refer to an honest mason who produced good-quality, made-to-last statues (a must-have in any affluent Roman household). This word has come into English as 'sincere', but what is its literal meaning?

From Quiz Etymology - Words and Myths

Answer: without wax

In spite of the excellent state of Roman roads, statues would from time to time become cracked and chipped in transit. Disreputable stonemasons would hastily repair damaged statues with wax and send them on to customers. As soon as the goods were exposed to heat or jostled about a bit, the chicanery would become apparent. Hence, a dependable statue-maker who repaired the damage properly came to be known as being 'without wax', or sincere.

12. The modern term "constable" for a policeman developed from a Latin term "comes stabuli". What was the original meaning of that Latin term?

From Quiz Word Histories

Answer: headofficer of the stable

Comes is the modern word "count", originally a high ranking officer at the palace.

13. What medieval European fashion-centre did "milliners" get their name from originally?

From Quiz Hidden Meanings

Answer: Milan in Italy

Milliners first were producers of ribbons and fancy cloth. Later the word got the more limited meaning of hatmakers. Milan in Lombardy was a banking-centre, but also a centre of fashion as it is still today.

14. The origin of the word "serendipity" is the original name of a country which is now called?

From Quiz Word Origins

Answer: Sri Lanka

The word derives from a Persian legend of the "Three Princes of Serendip", now Sri Lanka, and was coined by the author Horace Walpole in 1754. Horace had read about the story as a boy and was enthralled by the tales of miraculous coincidences experienced by the princes in their travels. He thought it wise to come up with the word to reflect the spirit that characterised the Princes' adventures.

15. Though the English word stomach derives from a Greek word stoma, that Greek word stoma itself does not mean stomach but:______________

From Quiz Word Origins

Answer: mouth

The stomach was seen as the mouth of the digestive system. By the way stomatitis is not stomach infection, but mouth infection. Words relating to the digestion of food are gastronomy; gastritis etc.

16. Which term comes to us from the Anglo-Saxon root 'cnawan'?

From Quiz Ancient Word Origins

Answer: knowledge

'Gignosko' is the Greek term for knowledge.

17. 'Only the most spelicolous of Americans could have avoided the hype surrounding Lee's latest film.' If 'spelicolous' were a word, what would it mean?

From Quiz Neologogenesis: Words That Don't Exist, But Could

Answer: cave-dwelling

From the Greek 'spilaion' (cave) and 'oikos' (house). 'Spilaion' is also the root of the word 'spelunking', while 'oikos' is also the root of such words as 'ecology' and 'ekistics'. English already has a word meaning roughly 'cave-dwelling,' namely 'hypogean' (or 'hypogeal'), from the Greek 'hypo' (under) and 'gaia' (earth), but 'hypogean' is a technical term applying to animals and plants which make their habitat in subterranean spaces, and applied to humans would imply some form of troglodyte rather than a hermit who has elected to make his house in a cave. Ang Lee is a Chinese film-maker who has enjoyed enormous success in the West.

18. Dry sherry is sometimes called 'sack'. What is the widely accepted origin of this term?

From Quiz What 's In A Word ?

Answer: It comes from the Spanish 'saca', meaning extraction.

Sherry is a fortified wine originally produced near the Spanish city of Jerez de la Frontera, from which the word sherry is derived. The process involves a number of steps, culminating on the extraction of a batch of sherry from the final barrel in the process. There is a brand of whisky that calls itself 'Cutty Sark'. Sark is an altogether different word and refers to Robert Burns's Tam o'Shanter poem and the 'cutty sark' (short shirt) a particular young witch was wearing as she danced with the Devil.

19. What was a pomegranate originally, for those who coined the word?

From Quiz Words ... words ... words

Answer: an apple full of seeds

The grenade was named after the pomegranate, not the other way round.

20. What is the link between the word drawing-room and 'drawing'?

From Quiz Word Links

Answer: The link is not with drawing but with withdrawing

A drawing room was the large and comfortable room where you 'withdrew' with your guests.

21. What stone was worn to ward off drunkenness?

From Quiz True Word Origins

Answer: Amethyst

'Methystos' means drunk ... 'methus' from Greek or 'methuskein' to intoxicate. 'Lithos amethusetos' hence means the anti-intoxicant stone.

22. Why do we link hares with the month of March as in March Hare?

From Quiz Words With A Story

Answer: it's their rutting season

Most hares that hibernate do so in the deepfreezer.

23. What word for somebody who works in a stable and cares for horses, derives from 'hosteller',a word for somebody who works in a 'hostelry' where guests and their horses are taken care of ?

From Quiz Surprising Words and Word-Origins

Answer: ostler

24. The words: gigantic, giant, giantism, etc, come from the Greek, referring to an enormous creature named Gigas. Who was his father in Greek myth?

From Quiz Interesting Word Origins

Answer: Tartarus

25. M(4)N What fine quality of textile was originally produced at MOSUL in Mesopotamia?

From Quiz Surprising Links

Answer: Muslin

This cotton fabric got its name from the place it originated from: Mosul-in gives us muslin.

26. The luxurious fabric known as damask is named after the capital of what present-day country in the Middle East?

From Quiz Words Tell Stories

Answer: Syria

One of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus, the capital of Syria, was for a long time a hub for the manufacture and trade of many different goods. This resulted in its name being used to denote various highly prized items, such as a richly-figured, woven fabric with a reversible pattern, which is believed to have originated in China in the early Middle Ages. Though damask was not produced primarily in Damascus, in the 12th century the Syrian capital - located on the Silk Road - was the main centre of trade where people from Western Europe were able to purchase the fabric. The name damask also denotes a muted, dusty rose colour, and an ancient, strongly scented rose hybrid. The name of the damson, a dark blue, oval variety of plum, is derived from the adjective "damascene". Steel blades ornamented with wavy patterns were called Damascus steel, though it is not clear whether the name stems from the resemblance of the patterns to damask fabric, or because the blades were actually made or sold in Damascus.

27. 'Sesquipedalian', meaning 'having many syllables', is derived from Latin words meaning what?

From Quiz Origins of Some English Words

Answer: foot and a half long

Derived from the Latin 'sesqui', meaning 'half as much again', and 'pes', meaning 'foot', so it literally means 'words a foot and a half long'.

28. There is a phrase that refers to someone who will 'out-herod Herod'. This is a reference to the ancient ruler who was known for what trait?

From Quiz Word Origins From History

Answer: Cruelty

A great legacy: to be known forever as a tyrant.

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