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EducationUpdated October 15, 20260 plays

Where Did That Word Come From?

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Sample questions

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Question 1

Which common fruit gives us the word 'orange' for the color, rather than the other way around?

Answer

The orange

The word for the color orange came into English from the fruit. Before the fruit arrived in Europe, the color was simply described as yellow-red.

Question 2

The word 'sandwich' is named after the Earl of Sandwich, who allegedly requested his meat served this way to avoid doing what?

Answer

Leaving a card game

John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich, was a dedicated gambler. He famously requested meat between bread so he could eat without leaving the card table.

Question 3

The word 'salary' comes from the Latin 'salarium', which was an allowance given to Roman soldiers to buy what essential item?

Answer

Salt

In ancient Rome, salt was a highly valued commodity. Soldiers were provided with a specific allowance, or 'salarium', specifically to purchase salt for their rations.

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