Posted in Etymology

Derivation of the Name "Ellis"

Posted by Void on 06/11/2009

The ancestry sites like to say that Ellis became a popular baby name after the Crusades1. Something about the prophet Elijah, a tribute to the Holy Land. Since people were named by who their father was, it became a surname. That might be the case. They also like to say Ellis is a Welsh name. […]

Majnoon or Jinn?

Posted by Void on 04/08/2008

Today I learned that the Arabic word for mental illness has the same etymology as the Arabic word for evil spirits. This has an unfortunate effect on how the mentally ill are perceived in the Middle East. Language is an odd thing. It enables you to express your innermost thoughts and feelings. BUT it almost […]

TFTD: "Uncompromising"

Posted by Void on 04/05/2008

Does the word “uncompromising” mean “having strong values” or does it mean “selfish, stubborn, and uncooperative?” Mostly I hear the word uncompromising in advertisements for large gas-guzzling SUVs. Stand your ground, you deserve as much gasoline as you can get! Ok, let me parse that word that is so proudly used in advertisements, and worse, […]

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