Word of the week

Second - the word has many meanings as a verb, adjective and a noun, but we will focus on the relationship between second, adj. - next after the first and second, n. - a sixtieth of a minute. Second as the next after the first enters English language around 1300 and comes from old French second, which originated in Latin secundus, meaning following in order, sequi =  follow. Second with the meaning of a sixtieth of a minute appears in English about a hundred years later, originating in old French seconde, coming from Latin secunda - short from secunda pars minuta = second diminished part. This phrase denotes the second division of an hour, the first division being the division of an hour into sixty minutes (prime minute).

Word of the week

blackmail - extortion of money or other valuables by unfair pressure, threats or intimidation. The second half of the word mail comes from Scottish male meaning rent. Male has its origins in old Norse mall meaning agreement or contract. The word first appears in 16th - 17th century, when Scottish chieftains used to raid villages asking farmers and villagers for protection money, the people thus ended up paying an "extra rent". As an opposition to the normal rent - so called white money - the Scots started to call the extra rent "black mail". Hence the word blackmail.

Butterflies and bed bugs

Why are some English names of insects, such as bed bug, spelled as two words and some, butterfly for instance, as one? The answer is hidden in the article posted by World Wide Words, check it out! http://www.worldwidewords.org/topicalwords/tw-bug1.htm