I am a linguistics student and presently working a self-assigned course in English etymology. I'm interested in words that seem to have no known origin, worlds which seem to reveal ancient and unwritten languages unrelated to those in which they appear, and the origins of words with bizarre connections. What I want here are those words which follow the last bit.
A famously debated word of such ilk is baphomet, the name of the supposed Templar idol-god. Theories abound; a corrupt form of Muhammed, from Greek meaning baptism in knowledge, and so on. Another one which I haven't seen discussed anywhere is the little spoken-of Mormon "planet where God lives" called "Kolob." The name suspiciously resembles the Hebrew and Arabic words for dog. "Oh hi we to Sirius..." Get those pyramid hats.
Anyone have any strange word origins? I know you all like place names here, so this should be fun.
[Edit] Oh, and I might add lots of old occult type names, like the gazillion Gnostic gods and demons, are worth a look if you like this topic. Seems many of these run along a religious theme.
A famously debated word of such ilk is baphomet, the name of the supposed Templar idol-god. Theories abound; a corrupt form of Muhammed, from Greek meaning baptism in knowledge, and so on. Another one which I haven't seen discussed anywhere is the little spoken-of Mormon "planet where God lives" called "Kolob." The name suspiciously resembles the Hebrew and Arabic words for dog. "Oh hi we to Sirius..." Get those pyramid hats.
Anyone have any strange word origins? I know you all like place names here, so this should be fun.
[Edit] Oh, and I might add lots of old occult type names, like the gazillion Gnostic gods and demons, are worth a look if you like this topic. Seems many of these run along a religious theme.