Introduction
The creation of language, both written and spoken, is one of greatest inventions of human kind. Our language developed from simple sounds and pictures to the complex series of letter and sound combinations that we use today. The words we use today have evolved since the birth of their ancestors and often have taken on whole new meanings. This assignment will give you the opportunity to research different words of your choosing and find out how they came to be and also how they have changed over time. Students will use a variety of websites to research the origin of words, the usage of the word over time, and modern connections to the particular word.
Graphic: http://www.huntingenglish.com/2014/05/18/word/
Task
You will select a word from a provided list. You will research the origin of this particular word. Your research should include:
1) the definition(s) of the word (no more than 4 definitions, please!)
2) the origins of the word (in what language did it originate?)
3) idioms and phrases where the word has been used over time
4) various pronunciations of the word (if applicable)
When you have completed your research, you are to compose a 1 to 1.5 page research paper on the word itself. Make sure that you include the resources you used in a work cited page at the end of your paper.
Process
Step One: Here is the MOST DIFFICULT part of this assignment. Select ONE of the following words to reasearch! I suggest that you pick several and read their definitions. Pick the one that seems most interesting to you!
Apnea
Asthma
Borough
Chocolate
Choreography
Chorus
Colonel
Crocodile
Disaster
Dragon
Ear
February
Fugitive (noun or adjective)
Ghetto
Jeopardy
Judge (noun or verb)
Kiosk
Knead
Knight (noun, do not select verb)
Kosher
Lemur
Loophole
Lunatic
Magic (noun or adj., not verb)
Monster
Mortgage (noun)
Needle (noun or verb)
Nightmare
Orange
Orangemen
Quarantine
Receipt
Ridiculous
Square (noun, adverb, adj, and verb definitions, pick one to focus on)
Sullen
Thought
Trapezoid (noun)
Triangle
War
Wednesday
Weird
Wicked
Step Two: Go to each of the websites listed below and find all the information you can about your word. You want details. Copy the information to the Eytmology Graphic Organizer (EGO), a word document already loaded onto the desktop. These are your notes for your paper. Your Etymology Graphic Organizer (EGO) will have further directions to help guide your search.
Make sure you list the SOURCE for the information you copy. You CAN NOT use information if you do not include a source.
Websites:
http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/
http://www.merriam-webster.com/
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us
Related Articles:
http://mentalfloss.com/article/13076/11-weirdly-spelled-words%E2%80%94and-how-they-got-way
You may also try searching your term "word origin"
Step Three: Save your document to the desktop. Click on "File" and "Save As". Save the document as "EGO First Name". For example, Bob would save his Etymology Graphic Organizer as "EGO Bob". This will make it easier for staff to find for printing purposes. Be sure to save your work at the end of each session or you may lose your work.
Step Four: Using the information you have found on the websites provided, complete your Etymology Rough Draft (ERD), a word document already saved on your desktop. Your Etymology Rough Draft (ERD) will have further directions to help guide your rough draft.
Step Five: Save your document to the desktop. Click on "File" and "Save As". Save the document as "ERD First Name". For example, Bob would save his Etymology Rough Draft as "ERD Bob". This will make it easier for staff to find for printing purposes. Be sure to save your work at the end of each session or you may lose your work. Be sure to include your sources!
Step Six: Print your Etymology Rough Draft (ERD). Edit your ERD using the Peer Editing handout that will be provided by staff. Be sure that your essay makes sense to others with a peer editing session. Edits should be visible on your ERD! Once you are done with edits on your ERD, make edits to your ERD saved on the desktop and SAVE YOUR WORK!
Step Seven: Use the citation machine website to create your Works Cited page. Works Cited information must be in alphabetical order. Include only the sources that you actually used within your essay.
Step Eight:There is no "Step Eight"! :)