About this Study Set
This study set covers Etymology through
20 practice questions.
A study of the historical origins of words through specific dates, figures, and numerical data. Every question includes the correct answer so you can learn as you go — pick any format above to get started.
Questions & Answers
Browse all 20 questions from the
Advanced Etymological Chronology study set below.
Each question shows the correct answer — select a study format above to practice interactively.
1
In what year was the first volume of the 'Oxford English Dictionary' (originally titled 'A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles') officially published?
-
A
1884
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B
1888
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C
1895
-
D
1901
2
The term 'robot' was introduced to the English language in 1920 via Karel Čapek's play 'R.U.R.'. In which specific year did Čapek's brother, Josef, first suggest the word based on the Old Church Slavonic 'robota'?
-
A
1917
-
B
1918
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C
1919
-
D
1920
3
How many volumes comprised the first complete edition of Samuel Johnson's 'A Dictionary of the English Language', published in 1755?
4
The word 'serendipity' was coined by Horace Walpole in a letter written on January 28 of which year?
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A
1748
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B
1754
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C
1762
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D
1770
5
Approximately how many words did Noah Webster include in the first edition of his 'An American Dictionary of the English Language', published in 1828?
-
A
50,000
-
B
70,000
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C
90,000
-
D
110,000
6
The word 'virus' entered Middle English from Latin in the 14th century. In what year did the specific biological sense, referring to a submicroscopic infectious agent, first appear in medical literature?
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A
1882
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B
1892
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C
1902
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D
1912
7
Who published 'Etymologicum Anglicanum' in 1743, posthumously completing a work started by Francis Junius?
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A
Edward Lye
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B
James Murray
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C
John Minsheu
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D
Henry Bradley
8
The English word 'avocado' is derived from the Nahuatl word 'āhuacatl'. In which year did the word first appear in written English records according to the OED?
-
A
1655
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B
1678
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C
1696
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D
1705
9
How many years passed between the commencement of the 'Oxford English Dictionary' project in 1857 and its final completion in 1928?
10
The term 'cybernetics' was coined by Norbert Wiener in his 1948 book of the same name. From which ancient Greek word does it etymologically derive?
-
A
kybernetes
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B
kyberno
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C
kybernetike
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D
kybernai
11
John Minsheu published 'Ductor in Linguas' (The Guide into the Tongues) in 1617. How many languages did this work cross-reference?
12
The word 'paparazzi' derives from the character Paparazzo in Federico Fellini's film 'La Dolce Vita', released in which year?
-
A
1958
-
B
1959
-
C
1960
-
D
1961
13
In 1604, Robert Cawdrey published the first monolingual English dictionary. What was the exact title of this work?
-
A
A Table Alphabeticall
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B
The English Expositor
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C
Glossographia
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D
The Dictionarie of the English Tongue
14
The word 'alphabet' originates from the first two letters of which script's writing system?
-
A
Phoenician
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B
Greek
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C
Etruscan
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D
Hebrew
15
The term 'gene' was coined in 1909 by Wilhelm Johannsen. From which Greek word, meaning 'birth', is it derived?
-
A
genos
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B
genesis
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C
gonos
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D
genia
16
According to the OED, the word 'internet' first appeared in a written publication in which year?
-
A
1972
-
B
1974
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C
1976
-
D
1978
17
Etymologically, the word 'quarantine' stems from the Venetian dialect term 'quarantena', meaning how many days?
18
In 1530, John Palsgrave published 'Lesclarcissement de la langue francoyse'. What was the primary purpose of this dictionary?
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A
Latin-English translation
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B
English-French teaching
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C
Greek-English comparative
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D
German-English grammar
19
The word 'gas' was coined by the Flemish chemist Jan Baptist van Helmont in the 17th century. In what approximate year did he record this neologism?
-
A
1624
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B
1634
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C
1644
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D
1654
20
How many distinct language roots did the lexicographer Isidore of Seville analyze in his 7th-century encyclopedia 'Etymologiae'?
