Discover the Surprising Connections Between These 9 Word Pairs

Did you know that seemingly unrelated words like "moon" and "baldness" share a surprising historical connection?

Sometimes, multiple words evolve from a single root, changing so dramatically over time in both sound and meaning that their shared origins become all the more intriguing to uncover.

1. "Beginning" and "End"

These two words actually stem from the same root. Consider pairs like "beginning" and "initiate" or "start" and "commence." Long ago, a root alternated between sounds like "kin" and "chin," with vowels shifting between "i" and "o." The root "kon" meant "boundary," which applies to both the start and the end of something.

From this root, words such as "since time immemorial" also derive.

2. "Moon" and "Bald"

Both words trace back to an ancient Indo-European root meaning "shining" or "bright." The Proto-Slavic term *louksnā referred to something luminous. From this root, words like "ray" and "shine" emerged. Similarly, the root behind "bald" literally translates to "shining," which makes sense since a lack of hair gives a glossy appearance.

3. "To Devour" and "Necklace"

The verb "to devour" originates from *gьrti, where the "g" softened to "zh." Initially, this word neutrally meant "to eat." From the same root came *gьrdlo, leading to words like "throat" and "gullet."

"Necklace" is derived from the word for "throat," as it adorns the neck area.

4. "Stench" and "Currant"

Consider pairs like "city" and "town" or "gold" and "glitter." Russian features full vowels ("-oro-") and reduced vowels ("-ra-") inherited from Church Slavonic. Some words with reduced vowels remain in formal language, while others replaced their full vowel counterparts. "Stench" comes from a reduced vowel form, while the original full vowel term meant "odor." This origin sheds light on the name of the currant berry, likely named for its strong scent, which our ancestors found unpleasant.

5. "To Wait" and "Weather"

"Weather" comes from the root "year," originally meaning "good weather," hence the existence of "bad weather." Over time, it came to refer to any atmospheric condition.

"To wait" is related through a dialect synonym "godit," both stemming from *gьdati, sharing the same root as "year." Thus, "weather" and "to wait" are linguistic relatives.

6. "Bee" and "Bull"

The insect was once called "bьčela." Over time, the reduced vowel disappeared, and the "b" sound hardened to "p." The word shares a root with "buzz," meaning "to hum or drone."

The onomatopoeic verb related to this root also gave the bull its name, as bulls make a "boo"-like sound.

7. "Lesson" and "Speech"

"Lesson" derives from *urekti, meaning "to say," with "u" as a prefix. The root "-rok-" alternates between "o/e" and "k/ch," connecting "lesson" to "say" and "speech."

"Speech" itself comes from the root *rekti, meaning "to speak," closely related to "lesson."

8. "Palm" and "Valley"

The archaic term "dlanь" (palm) is a reduced vowel form of "dolonь." Both come from the root related to "valley" or "low place." Literally, "palm" means "the lower side" of the hand, linking it to the concept of a valley or depression.

9. "Child" and "Slave"

In the 12th century, "robёnok" was used for "child," evolving from "robya," which comes from *orbę. The root *orbъ also gave rise to "slave," which originally meant "orphan." Over time, due to the hardships faced by orphans, the meaning shifted to "servant" and later to "slave."

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