Etymology

Words fascinate me, since they have the incredible power of transmitting a unique concept or feeling from one person's mind to another, even over the expanse of millennia. Words also have their own unique identities and origins, capturing historical moments just as tree rings or layers of rock record geologic time. Occasionally I stumble on etymologies that are particularly interesting (at least to me), many of which become apparent when comparing English to Spanish.

For example, we have the expression in English of "beyond the pale," meaning something outrageous or outside the scope of acceptable conduct. The "pale" was a stake driven into the ground to mark the outskirts of a community, so going past it means to take yourself outside the community, literally and figuratively. It so happens that Spanish has the similar word of "palo," which means a stick or post.

Charles Martel was a Frankish leader who rescued most of Europe from invasion and conquest by defeating a Moorish army at the Battle of Tours in 732. His nickname was "The Hammer." It so happens that the word in Spanish for hammer is "el martillo," which is ironic considering that the Moors indeed conquered Spain -- Charles kept the Moors cooped up there and out of France.

English has the archaic word of "coney" to mean a rabbit, and the Spanish word for rabbit is "el conejo."

Then there's the "crane," which means not only a piece of construction equipment but also a type of bird. For years I have noticed that the Spanish word for a construction crane is "la grúa" while the word for the bird crane is "la grulla," which sounds almost identical. I just found out this is no accident. The bird has a long neck and uses it to reach down and forage, which inspired both English and Spanish speakers to describe the construction equipment in a similar manner. For those of you who speak Spanish, here's an interesting article on this etymology.

EDIT: I stumbled on another fascinating factoid. In Spanish one of the terms for a sponsor or patron is "el mecenas." I was just reading a history of ancient Rome and ran across the name of Gaius Maecenas, a famous patron of the arts. No wonder Spanish adopted this term; the Romans colonized Spain long before the Moors did. Who needs drugs? I'm high on knowledge.