HORDE
Wild Word Friday!
When you study languages and find an unusual looking or sounding word that is similar or the same in many languages, you’ve probably stumbled upon the verbal evidence of some widespread historic happening. HORDE is a just such a word. English: HORDE; German: HORDA; French: HORDA; Polish: HORDA. All come from the Tatar word for camp urdu, which is drawn from the Tatar word urmak, to pitch (a tent).
More than 700 years ago, the Mongol (Tatar) warriors swept through Asia and into Eastern Europe, conquering through warfare. Wikipedia tells us that the Mongol Empire “existed during the 13th and 14th centuries A.D., and eventually stretched from Eastern Europe to the Sea of Japan. It is commonly referred to as the largest contiguous land empire in the history of the world. At its greatest extent it spanned 6,000 miles and held sway over a population of 100 million.”
The Mongol warriors caused a great deal of agony, changed the course of history, and also added a few words to most European languages, including the word HORDE. Remember the old Chinese curse? “May you live in interesting times.” No thank you. I’ll take boring times, even if interesting times do tend to increase the vocabulary. Personally, I’d prefer to increase my vocabulary by reading a good book!
Right now I’m reading the novel, THE LIFEBOAT by Charlotte Rogan.
What are you reading?
Blessings!
Sue
(Information from Wikipedia and Webster’s New World Dictionary. Picture from Wikipedia.)
