Language quiz

Question #1: Which of the following words share the same etymological origin?

All of them share the same etymological origin, from an old German word meaning ‘yard’.

Question #2: To which country does the adjective 'Lusitanian' refer to?

The adjective Lusitanian refers to Portugal. Strictly speaking, it refers to Lusitania, an ancient region of the Iberian Peninsula; a Roman province from 27 BC to the late 4th century AD

Question #3: Vodka is the diminutive of the Russian word for:

Vodka is made up of the Russian word 'voda' meaning 'water' and the diminutive suffix –ka: 'little water.' Needless to say, its composition is far from that!

Question #4: What does the word Eskimo mean?

The word Eskimo means 'stranger'. Eskimo is a loanword from an Athabaskan language of North America.

Question #5: From which language does the flower name 'tulip' come from?

The word tulip comes from the Turkish word 'tülbend', which means 'turban'. Tulips were exported to West Europe around 1560.

Question #6: What is the origin of the english word 'apple'?

The region around the Italian town Abella (close to Naples) was known for its delicious apples, which led to the designation of the fruit name apple. Now, many European languages have a name for apples which are linked to the town name of Abella, cf. German Apfel, Icelandic epli, Swedish äple, Irish ubull, Dutch appel, Breton aval, Latvian ābols, Czech jablko and many more.