Questions & Answers
Browse all 20 questions from the
Advanced Etymological Studies study set below.
Each question shows the correct answer — select a study format above to practice interactively.
1
The English word 'thug' derives from which historical group of organized criminals in India?
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A
Thuggee cult
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B
Maratha Raiders
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C
Pindari banditti
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D
Sikh insurgents
2
The term 'salary' is etymologically derived from the Latin 'salarium', which refers to an allowance for what commodity?
-
A
Grain
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B
Salt
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C
Olive oil
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D
Wine
3
Which language serves as the primary etymological root for the word 'algebra'?
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A
Persian
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B
Arabic
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C
Greek
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D
Sanskrit
4
The word 'sycophant' originates from a Greek compound meaning what literally?
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A
Fig-shower
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B
Wine-drinker
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C
Bread-beggar
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D
Temple-slave
5
'Ostracism' originates from the Greek word 'ostrakon', which referred specifically to what object?
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A
A bronze sword
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B
A pottery shard
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C
A marble column
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D
A wooden chest
6
The term 'avocado' is derived from the Nahuatl word 'ahuacatl', which also translates to what anatomical term?
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A
Heart
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B
Kidney
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C
Testicle
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D
Stomach
7
Which English word, meaning a person who hates mankind, is derived from the Greek 'misos' and 'anthropos'?
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A
Misanthrope
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B
Misogynist
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C
Misanthropist
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D
Misologist
8
The word 'candidate' comes from the Latin 'candidatus', meaning 'clothed in white', worn by men seeking office in which period?
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A
Imperial Rome
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B
Republican Rome
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C
Hellenistic Greece
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D
Byzantine Empire
9
The word 'dandelion' is a corruption of the French 'dent de lion', which translates to what?
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A
Gold leaf
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B
Lion's tooth
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C
Sun bloom
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D
Field king
10
Which etymological root defines the word 'quarantine', referencing the Venetian practice of isolating ships for how many days?
11
The term 'clue' originally referred to a 'clew', which is defined as what?
-
A
A secret sign
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B
A ball of thread or yarn
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C
A trail of breadcrumbs
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D
A navigational star
12
The word 'muscle' is derived from the Latin 'musculus', meaning what?
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A
Little mouse
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B
Strong band
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C
Inner power
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D
Flexible cord
13
'Narcissism' is derived from the Greek myth of Narcissus, who was cursed to fall in love with what?
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A
A nymph
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B
His own reflection
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C
A mountain echo
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D
A golden statue
14
The word 'robot' was first introduced in the play 'R.U.R.' by Karel ÄŒapek, derived from the Czech word 'robota', meaning what?
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A
Machine
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B
Metal
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C
Forced labor
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D
Automaton
15
The term 'groggy' originates from Admiral Edward Vernon, nicknamed 'Old Grog', who insisted on diluting the sailors' ration of what?
-
A
Water
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B
Ale
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C
Rum
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D
Wine
16
'Pecuniary', relating to money, is derived from the Latin 'pecus', meaning what?
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A
Gold
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B
Cattle
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C
Trade
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D
Weight
17
The word 'lunatic' is etymologically rooted in the belief that mental instability was influenced by what?
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A
The moon
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B
Bad humors
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C
Solar flares
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D
Malicious spirits
18
The word 'nice' has undergone semantic narrowing; in Middle English, it originally meant what?
-
A
Pleasant
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B
Foolish
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C
Kind
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D
Refined
19
'Zenith' entered the English language via Old Spanish, originating from the Arabic phrase 'samt ar-ra's', meaning what?
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A
Path of the sun
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B
Way over the head
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C
Highest point
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D
Center of heaven
20
The word 'tawdry' is an etymological corruption of 'St. Audrey's' lace, referring to cheap finery sold at which location?
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A
Ely
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B
London
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C
York
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D
Canterbury
