Word Origins & Etymology Quiz

Question 1

The word 'democracy' comes from which language?

Accepted Answer

Greek

Answer

Latin

Answer

French

Answer

Arabic

Question 2

Which language gave English the word 'ballet'?

Accepted Answer

French

Answer

Italian

Answer

Spanish

Answer

German

Question 3

The Latin root 'aqua' means?

Accepted Answer

Water

Answer

Air

Answer

Earth

Answer

Fire

Question 4

What does the Greek root 'bio' mean?

Accepted Answer

Life

Answer

Two

Answer

Earth

Answer

Good

Question 5

The word 'algebra' comes from which language?

Accepted Answer

Arabic

Answer

Greek

Answer

Latin

Answer

Persian

Question 6

What does the Latin root 'bene' mean?

Accepted Answer

Good/well

Answer

Bad

Answer

Two

Answer

Large

Question 7

The word 'avatar' originally comes from which language?

Accepted Answer

Sanskrit

Answer

Japanese

Answer

Chinese

Answer

Persian

Question 8

What does the Greek prefix 'tele' mean?

Accepted Answer

Far/distant

Answer

Small

Answer

Many

Answer

Fast

Question 9

Which language contributed the words 'beef', 'pork', and 'mutton' to English?

Accepted Answer

French

Answer

Latin

Answer

Norse

Answer

German

Question 10

What does the Greek root 'graph' mean?

Accepted Answer

To write

Answer

To see

Answer

To measure

Answer

To speak

Question 11

The word 'robot' was coined from which language?

Accepted Answer

Czech

Answer

German

Answer

Russian

Answer

Polish

Question 12

What does the Latin root 'port' mean?

Accepted Answer

To carry

Answer

Door

Answer

Bridge

Answer

Sea

Question 13

The English word 'safari' came from which language via Swahili?

Accepted Answer

Arabic

Answer

Portuguese

Answer

French

Answer

Dutch

Question 14

What does the Greek root 'chron' mean?

Accepted Answer

Time

Answer

Colour

Answer

Mind

Answer

Hand

Question 15

The word 'shampoo' originally came from which language?

Accepted Answer

Hindi

Answer

Malay

Answer

Persian

Answer

Arabic

Question 16

What does the Latin root 'dict' mean?

Accepted Answer

To say/speak

Answer

To write

Answer

To lead

Answer

To see

Question 17

Which country's language gave English the word 'window'?

Accepted Answer

Old Norse

Answer

French

Answer

German

Answer

Latin

Question 18

What does the Greek root 'phon' mean?

Accepted Answer

Sound/voice

Answer

Light

Answer

Mind

Answer

Water

Question 19

The word 'chocolate' came to English through Spanish from which indigenous language?

Accepted Answer

Nahuatl

Answer

Quechua

Answer

Mayan

Answer

Arawak

Question 20

What does the Latin root 'scrib/script' mean?

Accepted Answer

To write

Answer

To count

Answer

To cut

Answer

To speak