Sirens
Where did the word Siren come from? It’s an
alluring tale of song, beauty and DEATH!
Note: In many languages ’siren’ translates into ‘mermaid’ and because of that siren often refers to mermaids in English as well.
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Posted on February 27, 2008 · Filed Under Lessons
Sweet, song to the Siren http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHMR_PoOYMY&feature =related
If you believe Noah had books on the Ark, then the book of Enoch would be that book, you can see a verse which verifies this in 1 Enoch Chapter 87, And according to the book of Jubilees, (another book found in the Dead Sea Scrolls) Enoch was the first among men that are born on earth who learnt writing and knowledge and wisdom. ( see Jubilees 4:17) So if we go into the story about the Angels who forsook their place in heaven, and had sexual relations with the daughters of men, those women were later assigned a task, as where their children. The women become sirens, and some of their children become the demons we see mentioned in the New Testament.
In Genesis it talks about the same event, only much more succinctly.
I am sorry to say that this will be my last post here, It has to do with my religious beliefs, my conscious has been making me feel like such a hypocrite, like an idolater, and an adulator (I am currently separated from my wife, see Matthew 5:27-32). I am going to get back to work on a project I started working on a few years back, you all can see it in progress here. From there you can reach my homepage, and read the scriptures of the day, where I try to get through the Bible in about a year (In English of course), which I plan to continue doing, God willing. We (i mean those who follow along) are finishing up the Old Testament from the Greek Septuagint, in chronological order, and will be in the New Testament soon. May God Bless you all with his grace, through his Son Jesus Christ. ciao ciao
… I’m confused as to how ‘body of a bird’ became ‘tail of a fish’
HA! HA!
As you probably know, it’s curently Lent, which ends on Easter Sunday. Traditionally, (and for a reason unknown to me) we celebrate a giant rabbit that hides eggs and goodies for little children. I was wondering if you could find the origin of the Easter Bunny in honor of the upcoming holiday. Also, could you find the link that ties this massive egg hiding rabbit to the resurection of Jesus Christ? I’m really curious to find out where we got this odd tradition.
Your newly devoted fan,
Chrisby280
Yesterday is a word of Germanic origin. In current German the adverb “gestern” = the English word “yesterday”. The word “Stern” is star. Yesterday is the day prior to (the appearance of) the stars. Often words that begin or end with “Y” in English; begin or end with “G” in German. Tag = Day; Garten = yard or garden, sechzig = sixty (60); hungrig = hungry, durstig = thirsty.
OK?
could you please tell me how yesterday came about, yester isn’t a word so i don’t understand
Hey Marina,
I was wondering if you could look into the word “Pandemonium.”
Hopefully it has an interesting history.
Again a nice lesson
I’d Like to request a word “Berserk” (or how thats typed down)
as in “going Berserk”
Thx,
Greets, Particle42
Marina,
were you updating? another error message …
Hi Marina
You’re a pretty mermaid but I like to watch you in afrench maid costume!
Now I know the “mer=sea” in mermaid but what about the “maid” part?
I found in http://www.dictionary.com that the word “maid” in French is “domestique”, “domestica” in italian, and “muchacha” in spanish!
Is it right that nowadays maids mostly are foreigners not domestics?!!
where did the title ma’am come from?
I was curious how the term fetish came to have two different meanings: one related to art and anthropology and the the other meaning related to psychology. Dear teacher do you think you could figure this out for me?
What is origin of the word “Viking” does it mean 6 kings ( the vi part meaning 6 as in roman numerals VI) or something else.
Thank you, Hot For Words
That sounds as fanciful as the V sign meaning a Roman Legionnaire ordering 5 more beers!
Without treading on Marina’s philological turf, I think it is safe to say that the word “viking” has absolutely nothing to do with the Roman numeral vi or the word king meaning ruler.
of course it comes from 6. etymonline.com says this:
“O.E. siex, from P.Gmc. *sekhs (cf. O.S. seks, O.N., O.Fris. sex, M.Du. sesse, Du. zes, O.H.G. sehs, Ger. sechs, Goth. saihs), from PIE *seks”
note that “six” comes from o.fris. “sex” (in german, “six” is “sechs”).
so, it’s a sex king. this relates to the “horn” or “horny” respectively — see buzzword’s posting above. he forgot to mention that the most potent viking became their king. hence “horny” and “sex king”.
err … the most potent dude became the king, the viking. that’s what I meant.
errr… the “vik” in “viking” means “fjord” or “inlet of the sea” in old norse. Vikingr was the original word - one who comes from a “vik” - i.e. people of the fjords.
It has nothing to do with “vi” or the number 6. Viking basically came to mean “pirate.”
So, why weren’t they called “Fjordingrs” (Actually the name of a breed of Norwegian horse)?
The OED points out that the word also existed in Anglo-Frisian, suggesting that the origin came from that area, in which case it was probably from the Old English “wic” or the Old Frisian “wik” in the sense of a “camp”, since the first thing that the Viking raiders would do when arriving on a foreign shore was to establish a beachhead or camp as a temporary base from which to mount further expeditions.
So Vikings are really nothing more than “Slappy Campers”
Scandinavian pirate, 1807, vikingr; modern spelling attested from 1840. The word is a historical revival; it was not used in M.E., but it was revived from O.N. vikingr, which usually is explained as prop. “one who came from the fjords,” from vik “creek, inlet” (cf. O.E. wic, M.H.G. wich “bay,” and second element in Reykjavik). But O.E. wicing and O.Fris. wizing are almost 300 years older, and probably derive from wic “village, camp” (temporary camps were a feature of the Viking raids), related to L. vicus “village, habitation” (see villa). The connection between the O.N. and O.E. words is still much debated. The period of Viking activity was roughly 8c. to 11c. In the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, the raiding armies generally were referred to as þa Deniscan “the Danes,” while those who settled in England were identified by their place of settlement. The Frankish chroniclers called the Vikings that attacked Nantes in 843 Vikverjar (probably, travelers by sea).
The Norse god Thor decided to become a mortal viking for a while and went down to earth. He met a beautiful girl with a lisp, but she was very attractive, and they spent the evening together. In the morning Thor decided to reveal his identity to the woman. “I’m Thor” he said. “YOU’RE thor!” she said, “Lithen buthter, I’m tho thor I can hardly thit down!”
Q. Where did the teacher send the Viking when he got sick in class?
A. To the school Norse!
A famous Viking explorer returned home from a voyage and found his name missing from the town register. His wife insisted on complaining to the local civic official who apologized profusely saying, “I must have taken Leif off my census.”
prosp, I liked the one about the Wienerkings and the Vile Rotters (?) er…the Rottweilerites!
Jeg vet hvor Du fik dine vits fra.
Bob
duh!
spoiler.
Can you do the word gullible? Is it even really a word, and where did come from?
Word request: ‘Copacetic’, or ‘copasetic’, depending on your prefered spelling. Perhaps it is not just an obscure word in a Grateful Dead song?
So many “sirens” in stories from history, and hollywood certainly gives us her share of stunning, enchanting women…
…but the most interesting story of a siren I can think of, is the one you are writing right now.
Great vid Marina… I wasn’t going to do anymore homework with the hope of getting detention, but I just can’t resist.
Here is a word…. Where does the word Horny come from?
During Viking conquests the Scandinavian libido became associated with the horned helmets worn by Vikings. Eventually any man lusting for a conquest of a sexual nature was described as a, “horny viking” As the Viking influence upon European culture vanished completely the phrase simply became, “horny”.
As for, “Where does the word Horny come from?” It comes from not getting laid.
buzzword…
LOL! You really have a way with words!
I will correct myself…
Where does the “WORD” horny come from. I am sure it came before people used to as a slang work as ” I am horny” meaning I want sex. Figured it would be a interesting word to learn the actual root and history.
My guess would be that it has to do with male sexual excitement, which in a way would be akin to having a horn. Then it probably just became the word for being excited in general. Horns are phallic symbols, which is why stuff like rhinoceros horn powder was thought to have some ability to increase virility.
Buzzword was being facetious, I’m sure. Vikings, while reputed to be quite horny (given all the raping and pillaging), did not actually wear horned helmets. The horned helmets are mythological. Those vikings wealthy enough to own helmets wore the standard smooth Anglo-Saxon/Norman style helmet prevalent during that time period. Decorative horns would have been difficult to maintain and wasteful. Plus, there would have been very few animals with horns of the kind usually depicted on helmets, and any horns used in religious rites would have been carved from wood (which is why no examples have survived the 1,000+ years to the present day).
PRESTIDIGITATION- i guess is where PRESTO came from, or was it the other way around?
this can’t be an old word, because people who were magicians were probably seen as witches and not very popular, or misguided alchemist, changing water into wine. What do you think.
Etymology????
Awesome video Marina! My request is where the origin of the word “internet” came from. I can’t wait until the next video!
- Nick
Hi Marina
First of all, I must say that the whole video’s idea is great… sharing the knowledge is a blessed thing, so many many thanks
I would like to join the request of these words: Déjà vu and Aquifer. aswell as add two additional words: Relic and Arbitrary.
Thanks
Signed: Your Student, Pavel.
Can you please investigate in where the word “word” comes from? Is word the first word, or is word a word for words that someone came up with just to that it would be easier to speak about other words?
Also, on internet, “word” is used often, meaning “I totally agree”. Why?
In prison we often used the term, “My word is my bond.” conveying a pledge of truth. Which is all that protects you on the inside. When an inmate would say, “I am going to stick a shank in you back.” or “I wasn’t dry snitching.” he added emphasis by adding the, “My word…” phrase. Eventually the phrase was shortened and simply became, “Word.” The usage has since become popular on the outside. In prison I began to study the bible and was surprised to read John 1:1, “In the beginning was the word, and the word was with god, and the word was god.” Now, replace “word” with “truth”, pretty deep shit. So the word, “word” has been with us since the beginning. Walk in truth, brother, as I do with a cleansed soul here on death row at the Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville.
The preceding was farce, if I aggravated anyone… woohoo!
Another great lesson! Always enjoy these.
SIREINS…….THE ONLY SOUND IN MY HEAD RIGHT NOW IS……
GHOSTBUSTERS! WOW that SIREN was Uniquie …..aRRR….
good word…..UNIQUIE hope i spell it right…
http://www.dictionary.com - just a click away!
come on, prospero, you should know better by now ..
A blonde walks into the University of Heidelburg and brags, “I can tell you the capital of any country!” A professor asks, “What is the capital of Monaco?” The blonde says, “M!”
Sorry, the use of CAPITALS reminded of the joke.
no, I’m not gonna ask why it’s the university of heidelberg … no …
I’m sure it came from someone British, but I’d like to know where the phrase “booby trap” came from.
Thanks!
Hi Marina. My word for you to inform us on is ….”ordnance”.
Thank You.
Hey Marina,
what is the origin of your horoscope, the pisces? Or even horoscopes in general
Ciaooo
Your Student,
Andrew aka businesss0savyy
Good one….yes the horoscopes range from animals…to humans…..ect……it s my birthday monday…im a Piscies ….
I’m an Aries myself…April 10th
Here’s what i found for Aries:
Traditional
Aries Traits
Adventurous and energetic
Pioneering and courageous
Enthusiastic and confident
Dynamic and quick-witted
On the dark side…
Selfish and quick-tempered
Impulsive and impatient
Foolhardy and daredevil
The list of traits couldn’t be any closer to my actual personality
Here’s Pisces:
Traditional
Pisces Traits
Imaginative and sensitive
Compassionate and kind
Selfless and unworldly
Intuitive and sympathetic
On the dark side….
Escapist and idealistic
Secretive and vague
Weak-willed and easily led
To the most pulchritudinous Marina,
Today was my first experience as one of your new pupils, so I’m a bit of a lost virgin here…but do however have an appetite for learning. Which leads me to my current problem…with my hunger for words, I have always strived to practice “safe-eating” and always use a condiment. Unfortunately, today I was surfing the net without my virus scanner enabled…when I came upon your site. I only lingered for a brief moment, and I don’t know if it was your engaging charm or my thirst for further edification…but as I turned away, I notice a strange sensation overtaking my body…I believe something was transmitted between us during our encounter. I immediately rush to my doctor who came back with my diagnosis….I now have a full blown case of “Lycanthropy”….but I’m clueless…what exactly is the origin of Lycanthropy? Is it curable? Marina, would you please consider having compassion on your new student? Don’t leave me Marina barking at the moon…please advise at your convenience.
As always,
Your friend,
John B.
“KANSAS”
The literary arts are dying.
So Marina, since the NCAA Tournament is coming up soon, can you tell me what’s the true meaning of the term “March Madness” is and where it came from?
i may have missed it but i dont think anyone mentioned the disney movie “the little mermaid”.
thats the first thing that came to mind even before i wastched the video bcus of the picture. lol
but yea she would be considered a siren right? not juts from her appereance but bcus of her voice. she lured that guy..idk his name…the one she married.
no wait…she was a “seiren”
Sirens are part woman part bird. Mermaids are part woman part fish. Sirens’ songs lead sailors to their deaths, and mermaids don’t do that. The Little Mermaid was, a mermaid.
That’s why I did the little mermaid outfit this time.. plus it’s cuter
I stand corrected, Marina.
I assumed you wore the mermaid outfit for cuteness purposes (and successfully so). While you would look extremely cute even as a half-bird creature, I don’t think a Marina-bird combo would do you justice. Witness Odysseus and the Sirens: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8d /John_William_Waterhouse_-_Ulysses_and_the_Sirens _%281891%29.jpg
Clearly, Marina the Mermaid destroys that competition, hands (or wings) down!
well the upper have of mermaids and sirens look the same too me
half* wow lol
hi marina.
what is the meaning of “cry me a river” - where does this come from? is there a fable which explains it?
regards
yes i’d like to hear this one too
As far as I can tell Sirens sing to mariners in old days to innevitably kill them… As a matter of fact on my myspace page in the “About Me” section I have a quote there about Sirens http://www.myspace.com/sharati_hottie
“The siren sings so sweetly that she lulls the mariners to sleep; then she climbs upon the ships and kills the sleeping mariners.”
BY: Leonardo DaVinci
Well, I know there were sirens in the NES game battle of olympus
Anyway, another word request:
I noticed that the word “eufemism” contains “fem”, which usually refers to females, as in feminism. So, I wonder, did eufemism come from women, too? Is there a link between understatements and women?
It’s “euphemism.”
Cool. Another prompt lesson by our trusty teacher and favorite prolific philologist. I noticed this lesson earlier today when I was playing catch up watching the video for ‘Ketchup’, and was waiting to take the lesson at the end of what turned out to be a long night, as I did indeed want to catch up on my own one-a-day lesson regime after missing a day or so here. It was well worth the wait, as I expected.
I think two things when I think of the word ’siren’. One, that I do not like the sound of loud sirens, the alarm kind, at all, and, two, that I do like the sound of the beautiful singing sirens, the female kind, quite a bit. The connection between the two is that I’ve worked a lot as a recording engineer, so my ears vastly prefer one to the other.
When I think of a siren, I do not think of the mythical kind, and I do not think of them as leading to doom. A beautiful woman that can really sing is quite magical to encounter, a type of enchantment like no other, especially to a music aficionado. And I have been fortunate enough to experience many such sirens in many aspects, from clients, to friends, to otherwise, with me almost always having to hear them sing a lot. Luckily, I was never charmed beyond my control or dashed into rocks. And it’s most always been a pleasant experience.
One that comes to mind is that I was fortunate enough years back to work a tracking session which had Destiny’s Child singing the theme song for some sort of Disney TV cartoon whose title I forget. I think it would be fair to liken Beyonce Knowles, the lead singer of Destiny’s Child and now a pretty wellknown singer and actress, to a modern day siren. What is interesting is that while Beyonce is known for her amazing beauty and amazing singing voice, what most people don’t know is that she produces her own vocals (which means arranging the vocal melodies and judging her own vocal performance), and that she is amazingly good at that as well. Few are as skilled at it as her, IMHO, regardless of if she does have the advantage of producing herself instead of somebody else. I’m not into namedropping at all, but I couldn’t help but bring her up as an example of a siren, as I did indeed get to see such beauty with my eyes and hear such lovely singing with my ears, and I will always find it ironic that so many people will never quite understand that a woman known to be so successful for her looks and singing is also quite successful from being one of the more talented vocal producers around, as most singers do rely on somebody else to produce their vocals. That’s a skill she took to the bank, literally. Call her a professional siren, if you will…
Though I could go on and on with modern sirens I have come across, about the only other one I want to mention is an English friend of mine by the name of Nerina. I’m curious if there is a connection between the name Nerina and Marina, as I believe I have heard of something called a nereid which was a type of sea nymph, which I believe would be akin to a mermaid, as both would qualify as being sea maidens. Is there a connection between the root words ‘ner’ and ‘mar’? Do both mean the sea? This doesn’t count as a word request, just a curiosity of mine. I’m not even sure if Nerina is that common of a name, or if it’s origins are in England or India.
The word request I did have was the word ‘raconteur’, as I was recently trying to figure out what might qualify as my favorite word after randomly watching a video lesson for a word that turned out to be Marina’s favorite word (any students know what out trusty teacher’s fav word is? maybe the class clowns know :lol:). Raconteur is a totally awesome word that many may not know, and it denotes a storyteller or one who is skilled in the use of talk and oration. One can easily become a better raconteur by learning their lessons from HotForWords, as our teacher is not just another pretty face and you should make the most of expanding your perspicacity from being exposed to her brand of philology, especially if pretty faces (and other feminine attributes) are what got you interested in HFW in the first place. Learn from the lovely woman in the video so that you can up your game for the women you meet in real life. It’s pretty well been established that women can be quite charmed by words. There may even be a connotation between the word “raconteur” and the word “rake”, though I’m not sure. It is interesting though that most words associated with a man skilled with talking to or romancing women is most always negative… womanizer, gigolo, ladykiller, lethario. Even the names Don Juan and Casanova have some dark sides to them. Perhaps being a ‘Cyrano’ has some positive connections to it, but for the most part, the term “ladies’ man” is about the only non-negative term/word to describe such a man, which I feel is very unfair, as I’ve been around enough to know that no woman is attracted to such a man because it is a bad experience for them but because it is good, and most women don’t just give themselves over unless they are genuinely charmed or having fun with a man; It’s only natural. I guess it is just the Puritan nature of some English language to attach negative connotations to romance, love, and seduction. I guess it all ties into perceiving beautiful sirens as necessarily leading to doom.
Thanks for another interesting lesson, Marina, what with you using your beauty for good rather than dashing us to the rocks with it. I better stop raconteuring and call it a night. Peace, Errin : )
errinf, whoa that was a lot of content. You should have a blog. No complaints. If I didn’t want to read it I’d just scroll down. But I did, with interest. Compared to, “Where does the word boobs come from, I like the word boobs, because the o’s look like boobs.” Your stream of consciousness posts provide some interesting, entertaining tangents.
I’ll make a note to make more rambling late night posts. lol
I try to fit in what I can for a subject matter, and this all seemed to fit in with the siren theme, even my word request. I try to have my fun with Hot For Words, which usually means cramming in a bunch of banter into my comments.
And yes, anything is better than the ones lusting after Marina rather than trying to learn from Marina. Such guys could at least learn to balance both.
Are you a siren too, Marina?
Hi Marina, superb lesson… as always! Has anyone suggested ‘hankering’?
Or, pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis?
hello, i’m a new member to this site and i think your videos are awesome.
i was wondering if you could expose the origin of the phrase “smart cookie”?
that phrase has always baffled me.
Hi Marina, great lesson! I was curious as to the origin of the word boob-tube, like as in TV. How on earth did it get to being called a boob-tube?
Querida Marina,
Eres una Sirena? O solamente eres tan bella o mas bella que una sirena?
In Spanish siren and mermaid are the same = SIRENA
Besos a mi sirenita,
Tu alumno numero 1
(Pupilo no. 1)
Where are you from?
Where did the word…Threshold…come from?
new request: “monkey on your back”
This request may seem boring but, I’d like to know the origin of the word “Beauty”.
Dear Marina,
I never realized that the picture of the Starbuck’s logo was a Siren, that was suprising to learn that. However I would have to guess that instead of the Siren relating to death, I think the founders of Starbuck’s meant it to mean pleasing and craving, maybe even addictive.
Thank you for your video’s! They’re awesome!!!
Your student,
Romantic101
How did we get the word Orange? (as in color and fruit). Other languages say Naranja or Narange or Naranj… how did we get orange from that?
Thank you my Dear Teacher.
Hey got a question why do you say uncle when you admit defeat…Im actualy an exchange studant from mexico and saw this on movies tv even some little kids next door and nobary seems to know why
Is this where I can request a word? Well, I know this may sound weird but I’d like to know where the word ‘fuck’ came from. My father told me it was because the word used to mean something like nailing a peice of wood into something else, but I don’t think that’s right. Thanks for your time.
HA!
come on dude! where have you been?
home page, top at the left. ” Maxim Radio Second Appearance”
there is the answer for your request
….and that word is requested after every one of Marina’s videos.
Marina should have a, “What the fuck?” page listing salacious words, their definitions and origins.
Fuck means”Fornication under the king”- the king’s orders
-lol
Two adaptations of the Siren myth come to mind.
1. The Lorelei Rock on the East bank of the Rhein below Koblenz is the location of a beautiful mermaid whose singing distracts sailors and causes them to crash on the rocks. Every german school child knows the melody of the Lorelei poem that begins: “Ich weiss nicht was soll es bedeuten…..”
2. The russian author Lermontov has a siren-like character in his short story “Tamanh”. The story is about a Russian officer who is racing to get back to his unit in what is today Kazakhstan. He is delayed at the village of Tamanh and is enchanted by a young girl’s singing. It leads him into a perilous adventure.
thank-you you updating my information
What is the origin of the phrase, “Dressed to the nines.”
mankind,that is
Does the word or name “lorili” or “lorilie” have any significance or meaning in the history books of Makind?
Yo, lovely Marina. I’d like to know the history of the word “intelligentsia.” I know that it comes from the Russian, but do the Russians define it differently from the way it is now used in English-speaking countries? Hope you can help!
Bowl. Super Bowl, Big Bowl, Small Bowl.
What?
Can you tell me where the word “Aquifer” comes from???
Hey H4W, can you do a lesson on the origin of the word craic? It would make a great St Patrick’s Day special.
Hey Marina, how are you?
The current Starbucks coffee logo, I think, is a far more dangoerously fascinating woman than before. More captivating and mysterious, leaves more to the imagination! But, do Starbucks sell more coffee now than as before?
A Vampire would be another Siren, so to speak. A seductive, beautiful temptress most amazing woman who exploits, entraps and seduces men with her sexual appeal. Just one kiss (or bite) in the dead of nite from Miss Vamp and this (lucky!) man becomes forever hers, smitten, albeit for food and love iternal. Wow, an intelligent and sexy Vamp, sucking blood and blowing brain cells……utter bliss
Either way, Love is pain, but so worth it for the right set of fangs!
In Greek Mythology, a monster called Lamia, sorceress Vampire, represented as a serpent with the head and breasts of a woman. would prey upon humans and suck their blood.
Vampir may have originated from Russian ‘upyr’,
Kazan Tatar ‘uhyr’ meaning Witch…..
Anyhoo, it’s dark out side, time to take Wolf for a walk, he’s been acting all kinda crazy recently……..
Great lesson and Vid as always.
Be well, your student
I was watching an old Bugs Bunny cartoon, and Yosemite Sam called Bugs a “long-eared galute”. The long-eared part must refer to Bug’s ample aural appendages, but could you please tell me just what a “galute” is? Pretty please…there’s an apple in it for ya hehe.
-Gar
Sorry, but the word is “galoot”.
Yes, Yosemite Sam was quite the wordsmith. He was wont to say, “say yer prayers, ya long eared galoot!” And then he would proceed to draw his pistols. He was not much of a shot, though. One would think that anyone engaged in the cowboy trade for as long as Yosemite Sam would have become a master pistoleer.
And who can forget when Bugs and Sam were playing cards, and Sam said, “O.k., cut the cards.” Bugs, in his own inimical way, draws out a hatchet and literally cuts the deck of cards in half. Get it? “Cut” the cards? Sam was clearly stating that the cards should be cut in the metaphorical sense of dividing the deck, rather than the literal sense of a blade cutting the cards. Bugs, seeing the opportunity for a good laugh, obtusely slices the deck in two. Yosemite Sam then, MENSA member that he is, retorts by saying, “not that way, ya darn galoot!”
We shall leave it to our trusty, and ever so lovely and talented, Marina to explain the etymology of one of dear Yosemite Sam’s favorite words.
hey Marina, though i do know know the origin of the term phobia, i doubt a lot of other people do. so could you please let people know where phobia came from
do the word bumboclaat or rasclaat, i hear them everyday but have no clue what it means lol
Another great video,
there is a typ of sirens in serial Red Dwarf, tehre name is Psirens:)
Thank u fro ur viedo
sry I cant write:)
Cops have sirens… but what’s a cop? It’s short for copper isn’t it? But are they copper? I thought they were carbon based…
Hi Marina,
Where did the phrase “by heart” come from; that’s what people sometimes say when they know something from memory.
Hello Marina,
I’m curious about the word origin of “Déjà vu”.
Thanks
1+
whats the origin of that word?
Hello my dear teacher
I would like to know the origins of the words “good”
and “evil” 
Love your show, I learn sooo much from you!
Love, Martin from Norway!
Hello Marina,
Love the show, what is the origin of the word textile?
I’d like to know the origin of the word suicide.
where does the word police comes from ?
Hey Hot For Words,
I was wondering if you could do a lesson on the word, “synesthesia.” Does it come from the same place as the words, “synthetic,” and/or, “amnesia?” Because it looks like syn-es-the-sia, like parts from both words put together.
Hi Marina,
Another great video!
For my homework, I will list the following as examples of sirens:
There’s a Marvel Comic superhero siren called Siryn.
Joan Collins played a siren in the original Batman series.
Sirens appeared in the movie O Brother Where Art Thou with George Clooney and the old movie Sinbad and the Seven Seas.
Sirens were in the movie, O Brother Where Art Thou. Sirens is also the song title of a song by the band Nightwish.
Nightwish’s song is called “The Siren” not “Sirens”
yeah! What is Victoria`s Secert? And why is it so important? I agree with mimzy1388
cop cars, ambulance, ships, ringtones maybe. That`s all I can think of for right now.
-Miley
what the origin of french kiss
good call Luigi
what is the origin of Victoria’s secret?! i mean what is victoria’s secret? and how is it relevant to the franchise today?
I guess the real question is: who was victoria?
I know her secret …
If you don’t know who Victoria is, how can you know her secret?
I’ll tell you her secret… she may look sweet and innocent on the outside, but underneath she is a dirty, dirty girl. Ha!
Unfortunately, the Victoria of Victoria’s Secret refers to Queen Victoria of Victorian England, and I’m not sure there’s enough alcohol in the world…..http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Queen_V ictoria_1887.jpg I don’t care how many jewel encrusted wonder-bras, lace panties, garters, and fishnet stockings and spiked heels you put on that….. I don’t WANT to know THAT secret….
nonono … wait … I was thinking of the abstract idea of her secret … some sort of platonic idea.
hm. unfortunately I don’t drink …
Don’t back out now, alx, you want to know Victoria’s Secret….
Seek…. and ye shall find….something…. perhaps more than you bargained for… she is a “handsome” woman, after all….
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9c /Queen_Victoria_1887.jpg
better days …
http://www.btinternet.com/~sbishop100/qvdin.jpg
Well, whatever secret she had back then, it’s probably a bit dusty by now….
alx,
she looks like Morticia Addams (Carolyn Jones) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolyn_Jones from the Addam’s Family television show (U.S.) And she is listed on http://www.cultsirens.com/jones/jones.htm listed as a… siren. Damn, I’m… bored.
first?
The Siren a song of Nightwish, in the album Once, is a duet with Tarja Turunen and Marco Hietala,
(I posted the same comment in Youtube, but I am the same user)
In addition i remeber two movies with sirens
“Splash” with Tom Hanks and “Aquamarine” a movie for girls
FYI - splash and Aquamarine involved mermaids, not sirens. Sirens were actually part woman and part bird: “1. Classical Mythology. one of several sea nymphs, part woman and part bird, who lure mariners to destruction by their seductive singing.”
Sirens of the Ditch by Jason Isbell from the Drive-by Truckers.
There is also a song titled “Song of the Siren” by “This Mortal Coil” on their album/cd “It’ll End In Tears”.
Erik
I am a little bit confused because in many languages the translation for Mermaid is Sirena and through the time the people confused the meaning , like I did.
Another example:
[...]
deep silent complete
black velvet sea
the SIRENS are calling for me
saved my soul thinking “this song is a lie”
sand on the shore is so dry
[...]
From the song “Deep Silence Complete” by Nightwish
Can you tell me where the saying “kick the bucket” came from Marina when someone dies? TX JK aka Krollmeister
hitman,
In the U.S. there is the, “short bus” insult. What does the, “yellow house” refer to in Russia?
Dear HotforWords:
ORIGIN OF BLUEBLOOD?
I was having a discussion with a friend of mine on the origin of the term “blueblood.” It is my conention that this word comes from the physical ailments of the British aristocracy due to their generations of marrying only the upper-crust of society (’upper-crust’…hey, there’s one for another day).
Can you confirm if this is the case?
Chambo in Cleveland, OH
The story I’ve heard is quite the opposite; the death rate among the aristocracy during the great plagues of Europe was markedly less than that of the general populace. This has been attributed to the fact that the aristocracy used silver cutlery and plates of gold or silver so they were always getting microscopic doses of these noble metals with their meals which gave them a level of protection against microscopic pathogens. The presence of this silver in the blood also had the effect of changing the colour of the haemoglobin from bright scarlet to a darker more bluish tint.
Before the invention of antibiotics colloidal silver was apparently used in hospitals to fight infections.
There was a song - from the early 70s I guess - by a group called the Srawbs - quite a melancholy but hauntingly beautiful, that mentions sirens:
“Down By The Sea”
Maybe you think, a lot like me
Of those who live beside the sea
Who feel so free, so I surmise
With their comfortable homes, and wives
Who end up drinking tea together
In the afternoon of their lives.
They build their homes upon the seashore
The quicksand castles of their dreams
Yet take no notice of the North wind
Which tears their building at the seams.
In their dismay and blind confusion
The weeping widows clutch their shawls
While as the sea mist ever deepens
The sailors hear the sirens’ calls.
And in the maelstrom sea which follows
The lifeboat sinks without a trace
And yet there still remain survivors
To bear the shame of their disgrace.
Last night I lay in bed
And held myself
Trying to remember
How it once was with you
How your hands were softer.
Yesterday I found myself
Staring into space
Rather like the sailor
In my own home surroundings
I’m not sure I know me.
If you were me what would you do
Don’t tell me I don’t need you to
It won’t help me now.