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Related Words Trivia

Related Words Trivia Quizzes

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The words in each quiz share some common theme, such as being about the same subject or having similar origins.
26 Related Words quizzes and 285 Related Words trivia questions.
1.
  Love, Etymologically   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
I was researching the etymology of the tennis term "love" the other day and was struck by the histories of the names of some popular sports. What do you know about the origins of some of their names?
Average, 10 Qns, adams627, May 31 13
Average
adams627
6159 plays
2.
Animal Etymology
  Animal Etymology   top quiz  
Photo Quiz
 10 Qns
Have you got a bee in your bonnet about the cat's pyjamas? Or are you a sitting duck on a kettle of fish? When and where did these phrases come from?
Easier, 10 Qns, AcrylicInk, Nov 04 19
Easier
AcrylicInk gold member
Nov 04 19
677 plays
3.
  Killing Words   great trivia quiz  
Match Quiz
 10 Qns
Words that end in "cide" usually mean "to kill" something. For this quiz, match the "cide" word with who or what is being killed.
Easier, 10 Qns, Trivia_Fan54, Nov 30 22
Easier
Trivia_Fan54 gold member
Nov 30 22
405 plays
4.
  Where Did You Get That Name?   top quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
There are a large number of words commonly used in the English language that are derived from an individual or a brand-name of a product. This quiz examines some common, and some more surprising, examples of this etymology!
Easier, 10 Qns, MikeMaster99, Jul 27 12
Easier
MikeMaster99 gold member
2143 plays
5.
  The Etymology of Weather editor best quiz   popular trivia quiz  
Match Quiz
 10 Qns
Many weather words used in English have fascinating origins, which you will be able to explore through this matching quiz.
Average, 10 Qns, LadyNym, Jun 07 22
Average
LadyNym gold member
Jun 07 22
267 plays
6.
  Green Invasion   top quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
A number of terms derived from (or giving rise to) words meaning 'green' are in common use. How many of them can you recognize?
Average, 10 Qns, looney_tunes, May 22 14
Average
looney_tunes editor
1860 plays
7.
  Write the Right Wright    
Match Quiz
 10 Qns
'Wright' is a common European surname and forms part of many others. Can you match these names from the past with present-day occupations?
Easier, 10 Qns, psnz, Jun 23 20
Easier
psnz gold member
Jun 23 20
522 plays
8.
  Etymology of the Funtrivia Categories editor best quiz   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 20 Qns
A journey through the word roots of all 20 FunTrivia Category names.
Tough, 20 Qns, kscleaves, Jul 09 12
Tough
kscleaves
2584 plays
9.
  More Tea, Vicar?   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
A not overly serious look at how those in Holy Orders have left their mark upon the English Language.
Average, 10 Qns, glendathecat, Mar 26 19
Average
glendathecat
Mar 26 19
1672 plays
10.
  Word Origins From Mythology    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Some mythical characters have worked their way into everyday language
Average, 10 Qns, robert362, Apr 29 19
Average
robert362
Apr 29 19
3861 plays
trivia question Quick Question
What is the green pigment, formed by as a byproduct of heme breakdown, that gives bile its color?

From Quiz "Green Invasion"




11.
  Veg-Etymology: Linguistic Roots Exposed   top quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Sink your teeth into this succulent assemblage of herbal verbiage as we burrow into the fertile soil of the linguistic origins of vegetable names. You will find that a few hints have been planted to assist you.
Average, 10 Qns, uglybird, Sep 30 15
Average
uglybird
1586 plays
12.
  Daffy Derivations   top quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
The English language contains an abundant supply of words that communicate impaired sanity or intellect. Can you connect some of these "dotty" words to their origins? I'll supply information regarding origin and usage, and you can guess the word.
Tough, 10 Qns, uglybird, Jun 12 22
Tough
uglybird
Jun 12 22
2180 plays
13.
  Goat Words   top quiz  
Multiple Choice
 20 Qns
A surprising number of English words and phrases are derived from words having to do with goats. How many do you know?
Tough, 20 Qns, crisw, Dec 15 08
Tough
crisw gold member
1977 plays
14.
  Words Derived from Falconry Terms   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
The ancient sport of falconry has added many words to our vocabulary. Can you recognize some of them?
Tough, 10 Qns, crisw, Mar 03 17
Tough
crisw gold member
1253 plays
15.
  Month Origins    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This quiz is on where the names of months came from.
Average, 10 Qns, napierslogs, Jul 06 06
Average
napierslogs
3037 plays
16.
  I Say Arcana, You Say What?    
Match Quiz
 10 Qns
There are a number of words associated with a deck of tarot cards which come to English from other languages. Can you identify the language from which each of the selected terms originates? Source is the Online Etymology Dictionary.
Difficult, 10 Qns, looney_tunes, Apr 23 16
Difficult
looney_tunes editor
215 plays
17.
  Interesting Origins of Food-Related Words   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 15 Qns
Everybody eats, but few people bother to think about how what they are ingesting got its name. This quiz takes a look at some delightful delectables, and how they were named.
Difficult, 15 Qns, jgiles, Mar 26 14
Difficult
jgiles
1415 plays
18.
  The Origin of Country Names    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Have you ever wondered how the names of countries in the world originated? Take this quiz, and find out what you know!
Average, 10 Qns, Trufflesss, Feb 29 20
Average
Trufflesss gold member
Feb 29 20
353 plays
19.
  "Alfresco" English: Words From The Out of Doors    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Foreign words ("foreign" originating from the Latin "foris", meaning "out of doors") are generally welcomed warmly into the English language. This quiz will test your knowledge of some of our adopted words.
Average, 10 Qns, uglybird, May 06 16
Average
uglybird
945 plays
20.
  'Body Language'   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Tests your knowledge of words etymologically derived from anatomical roots. xaosdog (xaosdog.com) attests that each word appearing in this quiz has been accepted as a legitimate English word by at least one major dictionary AND one minor dictionary.
Tough, 10 Qns, xaosdog, Dec 17 21
Tough
xaosdog
Dec 17 21
2894 plays
21.
  Demonyms and Nicknames Around the World    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Most people know that an Oklahoman is often called a "Sooner" or a native Londoner a "Cockney." There are a great many such "demonyms" or geographical nicknames...this quiz invites you to identify some of them...
Tough, 10 Qns, tartandisco, Oct 12 11
Tough
tartandisco
549 plays
22.
  Origins of Days and Months    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Answer is the day or month named after the figure described. Most are multiple choice. All names used are the English version.
Average, 10 Qns, steffybee3, Feb 26 20
Average
steffybee3
Feb 26 20
1235 plays
23.
  Insults and their Origins    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Most insults, taken literally, mean the same thing (a part of the body not suitable for mention in a quiz). However, some have more obscure derivations.
Difficult, 10 Qns, Islingtonian, Jun 14 21
Difficult
Islingtonian
Jun 14 21
2291 plays
24.
  Hand me a Kleenex    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Many words we use everyday are actually proper nouns that have become part of the vernacular. These are called eponyms. This quiz features "proprietary eponyms" meaning they all came from trademarked products. Some of these trademarks are now obsolete
Average, 10 Qns, hitachi, Nov 11 03
Average
hitachi
1499 plays
25.
  Origins Of First Names    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Many English names happen to be foreign names in disguise. This quiz deals with the meaning and origins of names that were borrowed from Hebrew, Latin, Greek, Scandinavian and a few other languages.
Difficult, 10 Qns, flem-ish, Apr 17 21
Difficult
flem-ish
Apr 17 21
1025 plays
26.
  Hand Me a Kleenex II    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Many words we use everyday are actually proper nouns that have become part of the vernacular. These are called eponyms. This quiz features "proprietary eponyms" meaning they all came from trademarked products. The trademarks of this quiz are current.
Average, 10 Qns, hitachi, Jun 22 19
Average
hitachi
Jun 22 19
847 plays

Related Words Trivia Questions

1. The name Canada comes from the Huron-Iroquois language. What does "Canada" actually mean?

From Quiz
The Origin of Country Names

Answer: Village, settlement

It is ironic that the word for the second largest country in the world means "village". The story goes that Jacques Cartier was speaking to some Indigenous youth who told him about the route to "kanata". They were referring to a village, but Cartier used it to refer to the entire area. Eventually it came to mean the whole country.

2. If someone is referred to as a "Weegie," from which European city are they most likely to be from?

From Quiz Demonyms and Nicknames Around the World

Answer: Glasgow, Scotland

"Weegie," short for Glaswegian, is the name given by the "refined" citizens of Edinburgh to their cousins on the other side of the country. There is no similarly succinct name given by Glaswegians to people from Edinburgh, at least not one that is printable in a respectable quiz! However as a young Edinburgh-born reporter at a Glasgow radio station in the 1970s, I learned that "ToffeenosedEdinburghGit" is ONE word in Glaswegian rather than THREE...

3. Animals: What path did the word "animal" follow to reach its current usage?

From Quiz Etymology of the Funtrivia Categories

Answer: Latin to French to English

The word "animal" first appeared in English between 1300 and 1350. It came to us from Latin (anima) through Old French (animale) to Middle English.

4. No tea to be found here but you've got to identify another popular beverage, one form of which derives its name from an Order of Italian Monks?

From Quiz More Tea, Vicar?

Answer: Coffee

The beverage you were looking for was indeed a cappuccino coffee. This was noted to be similar in colour to the cowls worn by the Capuchin order of Monks and the name stuck. Not content with this, the Order can also lay claim to the Capuchin monkey named for exactly the same reasons!

5. What girl's name is derived from a Greek word meaning 'young green shoot'?

From Quiz Green Invasion

Answer: Chloe

Chloe comes from the Greek 'khloe', which literally means 'young green shoot'. Like a number of other green-related terms, it is derived from the root 'ghlo', which has led to words meaning both 'green' and 'yellow'. Virginia comes from the Latin word for a young maiden; Esmeralda comes from the Spanish for emerald; Jade refers to the semiprecious stone.

6. This word meaning "deceived" comes from a common practice for calming falcons.

From Quiz Words Derived from Falconry Terms

Answer: Hoodwinked

Falcons are calmed by placing hoods over their heads, to block out upsetting sights and make the falcon think it is night. To slip a hood over a wild, agitated falcon was to "hoodwink" the bird,

7. "Nerd" is today taken to mean someone with an excessive interest in science or learning, but less of an interest in social skills. However, the word is first thought to have been used in a book by whom?

From Quiz Insults and their Origins

Answer: Dr Seuss

While there are alternative explanations, the good doctor's book "If I ran the Zoo" contains the lines "I'd ... bring back an it-kutch, a preep and a proo, a nerkle, a nerd and a seersucker too.". None of the other terms seem to have caught on in quite the same way.

8. For starters, from where do we get the word "coconut?"

From Quiz Interesting Origins of Food-Related Words

Answer: The name of a Portuguese bogey-man

In sixteenth century Portugal, it was common for parents to threaten their children with tales of the "Coco," who would come for them if they didn't behave. Although no one knew what it looked like, any Portuguese child could describe its face and head perfectly; the term "coco" derives from a Latin word meaning "skull." When Portuguese traders first made it as far as the Pacific islands, they saw their first palm trees. The men observed the large brown fruit in the palms, each nut with three black marks, and remarked upon their resemblance to the imagined head of that old childhood horror, the "Coco." The fruit was later introduced to Europe as the coconut. Samoan has two words for head, the formal "ao" and informal "ulu." In Tagalog, rock is "bato," (with an acute accent on the "a"). Finally, Thai cattle are known simply as Thai cattle. (Thanks to www.samoalive.com and www.tagalog-dictionary.com)

9. Which month is named after the first Emperor of Rome?

From Quiz Origins of Days and Months

Answer: August

Although Julius Caesar is commonly thought of as the first Roman Emperor, it was actually his chosen heir, Caesar Augustus who held that title, de facto. Born with the name Octavian, Augustus changed his name when he was declared Emperor of Rome in 27BC. The month of August is named for him as many of his major life events happened in this month.

10. Acid reflux? This was curing heartburn before we knew what it was.

From Quiz Hand Me a Kleenex II

Answer: Alka Seltzer

Alka-Seltzer® used to be in glass tubes, which were discontinued to reduce costs and eliminate breakage problems, in 1984...Speedy Alka-Seltzer® was originally known as Sparky, but the name was changed by a sales manager, Perry L. Shupert, to reflect that year's promotional theme, "Speedy Relief". The Speedy Alka-Seltzer® character was created at the Wade Ad Agency in 1951. Speedy Alka-Seltzer® is a registered trademark of Bayer Corp.--from alka-seltzer.com

11. Got a headache? Go to the medicine cabinet, I'm sure you have the remedy.

From Quiz Hand me a Kleenex

Answer: Aspirin

It was introduced to the market under the trademark Aspirin® in the year 1899, but is actually acetylsalicylic acid.--from aspirin.com.

12. Which month comes from a word which means 'to open'?

From Quiz Month Origins

Answer: April

April comes from the word aperire, which means to open. It is likely named this because it is the month in which the buds begin to open.

13. What zodiacal sign is associated with the goat? (A hint- the first 4 words of this quiz all share the same Latin root, so getting the first answer will help you with them!)

From Quiz Goat Words

Answer: Capricorn

Capricorn is the tenth sign of the zodiac, beginning at the Winter Solstice on or about Dec. 21 and lasting until Jan. 19th. The goat symbol for Capricorn is often shown with a fish tail. This may represent Pan, the Greek god most closely associated with goats, transforming into a sea creature.

14. From what language does the English name Algeria come?

From Quiz The Origin of Country Names

Answer: Arabic

The name of the country comes from the city of Algiers, which came from the Arabic word "al Jaza ir", meaning "the Islands". This is in reference to four islands off the coast that have since joined the mainland.

15. And who would a Glaswegian describe as a "Teuchter"?

From Quiz Demonyms and Nicknames Around the World

Answer: A Gaelic-speaking Highlander or Islander

The etymology of "Teuchter" (pronounced "choochter" with the first "ch" as in "church" and the second as in "loch") is obscure. Most people think it comes from the fact that spoken Gaelic, to a Lowlander, sounds like "heuchter-teuchter"...in other words a succession of nonsense syllables. However, another theory holds that it derives from the Gaelic word "deoch" ("drink"). This would be entirely appropriate given the legendary thirst of the many thousands of Highlanders and Islanders who make their homes in Glasgow. Almost all Scots, Highland or Lowland, will refer to an English person as a "Sassenach" (Gaelic for "Saxon"), although in past times it is how Highlanders also referred to Lowlanders. Glaswegians will sometimes call an Aberdonian a "Furry Boots," because in the almost impenetrable Aberdeen accent, that is how the word "whereabouts" (as in "whereabouts are you from") comes out. "Fit like" (literally "What like") is the usual greeting in Aberdeen. People from Dundee are called Dundonians.

16. What was a Priest Hole designed to contain?

From Quiz More Tea, Vicar?

Answer: A Priest

During the period in which Catholicism was outlawed in England, it was quite likely that any priests captured would be imprisoned or even put to death. Sympathisers built secret chambers into their houses where priests could hide and not be detected were the house to be searched. Many of these can still be seen today.

17. A possible derivation of this word for "old man" involved someone who carried falcons' perches into the field.

From Quiz Words Derived from Falconry Terms

Answer: Codger

One claim for the history of this word is that it's a variation of "cadger," the person who carried a falcon's perch- which was known as a "cadge"- into the field. As the story goes, this duty was reserved for retired falconers who could not perform more strenuous tasks. Another derivation, a bit more far-fetched, is that the cadger was unpaid and had to beg for tips- thus leading to the word "cadge" as a synonym for "beg."

18. The word "klutz", meaning a clumsy person, may derive from the Yiddish "klots". What is a "klots"?

From Quiz Insults and their Origins

Answer: A wooden beam

I learnt to juggle from a book called "Juggling for the Complete Klutz". After 6 months of practising (but not mastering) keeping 5 balls in the air at once, my girlfriend told me that she had always hated juggling. How prophetic that title was.

19. What is a mallow, as in the word "marshmallow?"

From Quiz Interesting Origins of Food-Related Words

Answer: A plant with showy pink flowers, native to the British Isles

The mallow is a hardy plant, able to live in salt marshes. It was considered a weed until medieval herbalists concocted a medicine from the roots of the plant, and mallow syrup proved to be effective in suppressing coughs. Later, gum arabic was added to the syrup to make a confection, and it became so popular that a substitute was mass-produced using gelatin and sugar. The name stuck, but the real mallow is long gone today!

20. Which day/month is named for the Roman god of fertility and agriculture?

From Quiz Origins of Days and Months

Answer: Saturday

In ancient times, the Roman god Saturn had a feast in his honour. The feast, Saturnalia, was originally only one day, but extended to a week. The original day of Saturnalia is believed to be what is now known as 'Saturday'.

21. Move over Chore Boy, this scouring pad won the eponym battle.

From Quiz Hand Me a Kleenex II

Answer: Brillo Pad & Brillo

According to scripophily.net, "Credit for the commercial success of steel wool must goes Milton Loeb, a lawyer. He was approached by a costume jewellery maker who had come up with a mixture of soap and metal fibres to clean the then newly-fashionable aluminium pans. Loeb set up a company to manufacture the new product in the early part of [the 1900's], thought of the name "Brillo" and the rest is history."

22. Which month is named after Julius Caesar?

From Quiz Month Origins

Answer: July

July is named after Julius Caesar because this is the month in which he was born.

23. This word, meaning to playfully leap and hop, was inspired by the playfulness of goat kids.

From Quiz Goat Words

Answer: caper & capering

'Caprus' is the Latin root for 'goat'.

24. How about Cameroon? From what language did that name originate?

From Quiz The Origin of Country Names

Answer: Portuguese

The Portuguese named the land Rio dos Camarões because of the abundance of the ghost shrimp found in the river. The pronunciation of "camaroes" changed over the years due to colonization by various European countries, eventually becoming Cameroon. The word "camaroes" originally came from Latin, with cammarus" meaning "prawn" or "crawfish". The other three choices are all legitimate languages.

25. Where does a Bajan come from?

From Quiz Demonyms and Nicknames Around the World

Answer: Barbados

Pronounced to rhyme with "Cajun" the word "Bajan" in this context is a contraction of "Barbadian" and has nothing to do with "Baja," the Spanish word for "low." Barbados is an island in the Caribbean Lesser Antilles group, famous for its rum and as the birthplace of the distinguished cricketer Sir Garfield "Gary" Sobers, and more recently of the singer Rihanna. The origin of the name, meaning "bearded ones," is disputed but may refer to the hanging roots of the Bearded Fig Tree which is common on the island. The barbed trident on the Barbados national flag is something of a vexillological in-joke. The Hungarian town of Baja is best-known for its fish soup. Thousands of people converge on Baja every year for the annual Fish Soup Boiling Contest.

26. Celebrities: When the word "celebrity" first crossed the English Channel from France in 1380, its definition had very little resemblance to what it currently means. How was the word first used in English?

From Quiz Etymology of the Funtrivia Categories

Answer: A group ceremony or ritual

Celebrity comes to us from the Latin "celebritas," meaning a multitude, and then through France where it meant the same thing. When it first appeared in English people were more likely to gather for church services than for autographs. It first was used to describe a famous person in 1829.

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Last Updated Mar 23 2024 5:51 AM
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