Etymology Quizzes: Explore Word Origins and Meanings

Question 1

Which of the following methods does NOT involve combining existing words to form a new word?

Accepted Answer

Inflection

Answer

Affixation

Answer

Compounding

Answer

Derivation

Question 2

Which of the following words has experienced a narrowing of its meaning over time?

Accepted Answer

Meat

Answer

House

Answer

Car

Answer

Computer

Question 3

In the word 'homicide', the suffix '-cide' originates from which Latin word?

Accepted Answer

Caedere

Answer

Scribere

Answer

Facere

Answer

Amo

Question 4

The prefix 'auto-' in the word 'automobile' is derived from which Greek word?

Accepted Answer

Auto

Answer

Bios

Answer

Logos

Answer

Theo

Question 5

The word 'nerd' has undergone a significant change in meaning over time. What was its original connotation?

Accepted Answer

A foolish or eccentric person

Answer

A studious or intelligent person

Answer

A person who is socially awkward

Answer

A person who is technologically skilled

Question 6

The word 'technology' is originated from which Greek word?

Accepted Answer

Techne

Answer

Logos

Answer

Sophia

Answer

Physis

Question 7

Which principle of etymology proposes that words can be traced back to a single, shared ancestral language?

Accepted Answer

Monogenesis

Answer

Polygenesis

Answer

Semantic shift

Answer

Folk etymology

Question 8

How do you call the word formation process where an existing word is shortened by removing some of its parts?

Accepted Answer

Clipping

Answer

Affixation

Answer

Compounding

Question 9

The word 'avocado' originates from the Aztec word 'ahuacatl'. What type of etymological process does this represent?

Accepted Answer

Borrowing

Answer

Cognate

Answer

Neologism

Answer

Onomatopoeia

Question 10

The prefix 'anti-' generally means:

Accepted Answer

Opposite of

Answer

Next to

Answer

For or on behalf of

Answer

Very or excessively

Question 11

The word 'laser' is an acronym. What does it stand for?

Accepted Answer

Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation

Answer

Low Amplitude Signal Emission by Radio

Answer

Linear Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radio

Answer

Low Amplitude Signal Emission by Radiation

Question 12

Classify the semantic change in 'nice' (originally 'foolish'):

Accepted Answer

Amelioration

Answer

Broadening

Answer

Narrowing

Answer

Pejoration

Question 13

What is the term for borrowing words from other languages?

Accepted Answer

Loanword

Answer

Etymology

Answer

Neologism

Answer

Cognates

Question 14

Which field studies the origins and history of place names?

Accepted Answer

Toponymy

Answer

Onomastics

Answer

Etymology

Answer

Lexicography

Question 15

Translate the Greek root 'pan' in 'pandemic'.

Accepted Answer

All

Answer

Many

Answer

Few

Answer

Some

Question 16

Identify the prefix that signifies "not".

Accepted Answer

un-

Answer

a-

Answer

re-

Answer

de-

Question 17

Identify the Greek words meaning "star" and "sailor" that combine to form the word "astronaut".

Accepted Answer

astro + nautes

Answer

kosmos + ploos

Answer

oura + thalassa

Answer

selene + naus

Question 18

Indicate the suffix that denotes an agent or performer of an action.

Accepted Answer

-er

Answer

-ment

Answer

-ity

Answer

-tion

Question 19

Determine the Greek roots meaning "all" and "people" that form the basis of the word "pandemic".

Accepted Answer

pan + demos

Answer

kosmos + laos

Answer

ethnos + oikia

Answer

polis + anthropos

Question 20

Which of the following is not a commonly recognized language source for English words?

Accepted Answer

Esperanto

Answer

Latin

Answer

Greek

Answer

Arabic

Question 21

The term 'etymology' originates from which language?

Accepted Answer

Greek

Answer

Latin

Answer

French

Answer

German

Question 22

Which of the following words has Latin origins?

Accepted Answer

Bellum

Answer

Mother

Answer

Father

Answer

Car

Question 23

The original meaning of the word 'computer' referred to:

Accepted Answer

A person performing calculations

Answer

A mechanical device for calculations

Answer

An electronic device for data storage and processing

Answer

A network of interconnected devices

Question 24

Which of the following is not a potential benefit of studying etymology?

Accepted Answer

Predicting the future of language

Answer

Expanding vocabulary

Answer

Improving spelling

Answer

Understanding cultural influences

Question 25

Define etymology: the study of

Accepted Answer

word origins and evolution

Answer

grammar and syntax

Answer

literature and history

Answer

language acquisition

Question 26

Studying etymology primarily aims to

Accepted Answer

grasp language's history and cultural influences

Answer

expand vocabulary and comprehension

Answer

detect writing errors

Answer

analyze sentence structures

Question 27

'Computer' originates from the Latin 'computare', meaning

Accepted Answer

calculate

Answer

count

Answer

write

Answer

store

Question 28

The root word of 'photograph' is

Accepted Answer

photo

Answer

graph

Answer

tele

Answer

script

Question 29

The Great Vowel Shift primarily resulted in

Accepted Answer

altered vowel pronunciations

Answer

new vowel additions

Answer

vowel removals

Answer

no significant impact

Question 30

What is the meaning of the Greek roots in the word 'etymology'?

Accepted Answer

Word and origin

Answer

True and story

Answer

Meaning and truth

Answer

Language and culture

Question 31

Which of the following is NOT a widely used method in etymology?

Accepted Answer

Statistical analysis

Answer

Comparative linguistics

Answer

Historical linguistics

Answer

Lexical analysis

Question 32

Among the following words, which one has its origin in Old English?

Accepted Answer

Fortnight

Answer

Magnanimous

Answer

Computer

Answer

Algebra

Question 33

The term 'psychology' has its root in which word?

Accepted Answer

Psycho

Answer

Logos

Answer

Anthropos

Answer

Sophia

Question 34

The Latin root word for 'write' is:

Accepted Answer

Scribo

Answer

Lego

Answer

Audio

Answer

Video

Question 35

Which factor does NOT influence how the meanings of words change over time?

Accepted Answer

Individual preferences

Answer

Advancements in technology

Answer

Cultural shifts

Answer

Political events

Question 36

Which word is a neologism, a newly coined term?

Accepted Answer

Computer

Answer

Magnify

Answer

Apple

Answer

Friend

Question 37

What term describes a word that has undergone a change in meaning over time?

Accepted Answer

Semantic shift

Answer

Homonym

Answer

Homophone

Answer

Neologism

Question 38

Which of the following prefixes does NOT mean 'not' or 'opposite'?

Accepted Answer

pro-

Answer

in-

Answer

un-

Answer

anti-

Question 39

The word 'etymology' originates from which Greek words?

Accepted Answer

etymon, logos

Answer

ethnos, logos

Answer

ethos, lex

Answer

logos, ethos

Question 40

The Great Vowel Shift significantly influenced the pronunciation of which language?

Accepted Answer

English

Answer

Latin

Answer

French

Answer

Spanish

Question 41

Which of the following is an example of a word with a Germanic root?

Accepted Answer

defend

Answer

armaments

Answer

liberty

Answer

sincere

Question 42

The suffix '-ment' typically indicates:

Accepted Answer

Action or process

Answer

State or quality

Answer

Origin or belonging

Answer

Size or degree

Question 43

Which of the following is NOT a reason for words to change their meanings over time?

Accepted Answer

Sudden replacement by a new word

Answer

Cultural shifts

Answer

Technological advancements

Answer

Linguistic evolution

Question 44

Which of the following is NOT considered a primary source for etymological research?

Accepted Answer

Encyclopedias

Answer

Historical texts

Answer

Folklore

Answer

Etymology dictionaries

Question 45

Identify the Greek root words that form the term 'etymology':

Accepted Answer

etymon + logos

Answer

ethos + logos

Answer

etymologie + logos

Answer

historia + logos

Question 46

What key area of study does etymology illuminate?

Accepted Answer

Cultural influences on language development

Answer

Advancements in technology

Answer

Ideological shifts in politics

Answer

Economic trends and patterns

Question 47

Define etymology.

Accepted Answer

The study of the origins and history of words

Answer

The study of grammar and sentence structure

Answer

The study of literature and its interpretation

Answer

The study of language development in children

Question 48

What term describes a word borrowed from another language?

Accepted Answer

Loanword

Answer

Cognate

Answer

Neologism

Answer

Root word

Question 49

What process describes how a word's meaning changes over time?

Accepted Answer

Semantic drift

Answer

Etymology

Answer

Morphology

Answer

Syntax

Question 50

What term refers to a word with multiple meanings?

Accepted Answer

Polysemy

Answer

Homonym

Answer

Homophone

Answer

Synonym

Question 51

Which prefix commonly means "not" or "opposite of"?

Accepted Answer

a-

Answer

ex-

Answer

pro-

Answer

sub-

Question 52

The term "etymology" is derived from which Greek words?

Accepted Answer

Etymon and logos

Answer

Logos and morpheme

Answer

Phono and semantics

Answer

Syntax and lexicon

Question 53

The word "computer" originally referred to which specific function?

Accepted Answer

Performing calculations

Answer

Translating languages

Answer

Storing data

Answer

Simulating human speech

Question 54

Which of the following is NOT a factor that contributes to the evolution of language?

Accepted Answer

Personal preferences

Answer

Social interactions

Answer

Technological advancements

Answer

Geographical isolation

Question 55

Based on its etymology, what is the literal meaning of the word "pandemic"?

Accepted Answer

Affecting all people

Answer

Affecting a specific population

Answer

Easily spread

Answer

Deadly

Question 56

The word "telephone" is composed of which two Greek words?

Accepted Answer

Tele + logos

Answer

Tele + pathos

Answer

Phone + demos

Answer

Phone + pathos

Question 57

Which of the following words is a cognate of the Spanish word "madre"?

Accepted Answer

Mother

Answer

Friend

Answer

Teacher

Answer

Sister