Do you understand the words that are coming out of your mouth?

Words, phrases and sayings all have roots in other languages that have come over into English and on to the (A)Merican language. Many words we use today may have common origins and meanings familiar to us and others may not. For instance I’ve noticed how the word Black evolves and bleaches to white in it’s origins. Here are some words that we use everyday and may not have thought of their etymological roots or where they come from and how they just may affect our psyche without us ever noticing. I thought about this when I saw the Chris Tucker character in the movie Rush Hour said to his Chinese collegue “do you understand the words that are coming our of my mouth?” So I ask do you understand the words that are coming out of your mouth?

Wife - Having roots in that of a veiled person, shame or female shame; pudenda “one being made to shame.” To the Germanic wibam (wombman) or simply woman. Originally having nothing to do with being in a state of marriage.

Witch - Later understood to be a woman having dealings with the devil. From the Germanic female soothsayer, wikken. One skilled with drugs or poisons (pharmacology). From the Gothic weihs meaning sacred. Ultimately a witch is a WISE woman.

Wit - As you can see the root of the word wit-ch. From the Germanic witz; a joke. Wid meaning to see, to see is to know.

Genius - One possessing superior intelligence. A person with distinguished mental prowess or an outstanding creative talent. The Romans believed the genius was the guiding or “tutelary”(guardian) spirit of a person, an inborn nature. From the Arabic Djinn or Genii, coming into English as “genie,” from the Kemetan (Egyptian) Guardian Angel.

God/god - Origins of the word are uncertain. Possibly from Proto-Germanic gudan. The immanent spirit in a burial ground. Or the pouring of libations. Also, believed to be from the heathen word for deity. Possibly from the Proto-Indo-European grau meaning “to call or invoke”(conjure?) Others believe the word God/god derives from the Buddha’s patriarchal name Guatama or Gotama, to the Danish Gud, German Gott, to English God. At any rate the word God/god is a relatively new EUROPEAN invention in terms of history.