companion

So, I've always loved fun etymology (word origin) facts. For example, 'Goodbye' originated from 'God be with ye'. Over time, it became 'God b'wy', and then 'goodbye'. Randomly decided to ask ChatGPT to give me more similar facts, so here we go!

1. Adiós (Spanish) → To God

From Spanish:

> a Dios = "to God"

Like saying, "I commend you to God."

2. Alarm → To arms!

From Italian:

> all'arme! = "to arms!"

A military warning cry.

Your morning alarm is historically a battlefield shout.

3. Candidate → Person in white

From Latin:

> candidus = shining white

Roman political hopefuls wore white togas:

> candidatus = white-robed applicant

Also related:

* *candid* = honest/open, metaphorically "clear/white"

(Next one up, my fave!)

4. Companion* → One who shares bread

From Latin:

> com = together

> panis = bread

So:

> companion = bread-sharing person

Someone you eat with.

Related:

* *company* shares the same root.

5. Lord → Loaf-ward

From Old English:

> hlāf-weard

> loaf + guardian

Originally:

> keeper of the bread

The lord was the bread-provider.

6. Muscle → Little mouse

From Latin:

> musculus = little mouse

Apparently flexing muscles under skin looked like mice scurrying around.

Very Roman observation.

7. Quarantine → Forty days

From Venetian/Italian:

> quaranta = forty

Ships were isolated:

> quarantina giorni = forty days

Especially during plague outbreaks.

8. Deadline → literal prison line

Originally from the American Civil War.

A "dead line" marked prison boundaries:

cross it and guards could shoot.

Now it means:

> submit report by Friday.