Author Archives: Christina Carnevale

The word thousand is a noun and defined as a number equal to 10 times 100. First used before the 12th century, the word thousand derives from the Old English word thūsend, which is related to the German word Tausend. The original Roman numeral for thousand is “M”. The Hindu–Arabic numeral system was invented byContinue reading “Word of the Week: Thousand”

The word hundred is a noun and defined as a number equal to 10 times 10. First used before the 12 century, the word hundred is made up of the Old English word hund- and the Goth word -red or rathjo meaning account or number. The original Roman numeral for hundred is “C”. The Hindu–ArabicContinue reading “Word of the Week: Hundred”

The number ten is defined as a number that is one more than nine. The word ten was first used around the 12th century and derives from the Old English tēn, which has its roots in the Sanskrit word daśa and the Latin word decem. In Roman numerals the letter X represents the number 10.Continue reading “Word of the Week: Ten”

The number five is defined as a number that is one more than four. First used in the 14th century, the number five derives from the Old English word fīf. The number five has gained cultural significance due to the human hand having 5 digits.  In Roman numerals the number 5 is represented as aContinue reading “Word of the Week: Five”

The number one is a noun and defined as the first whole number above zero; however, the word one can also be used as an adjective or pronoun. The number one was first used around the 12th century, this word derives from the English word an, and the word an is derived from the Proto-Indo-EuropeanContinue reading “Word of the Week: One”

Zero is a noun and is defined as the arithmetical symbol 0 denoting the absence of all magnitude or quantity or the number between the set of all negative numbers and the set of all positive numbers. First used in 1598, the word zero derives from Italian zero, which traces back to Latin zephirum andContinue reading “Word of the Week: Zero”

Basilisk is a noun and defined as a legendary reptile with fatal breath and glance. The term basilisk derives from the Greek word basilískos meaning “little king” or “young ruler.” The Greek word basilískos can be further broken down into the words basileús and -ískos, which in English can be translated to “king” and “diminutive”,Continue reading “Word of the Week: Basilisk”

Hippogriff is a noun and defined as a legendary animal having the foreparts of a griffin and the body of a horse. The term hippogriff derives from the Ancient Greek word híppos meaning “horse” and the Latin word gryphus meaning “griffin.” The first known use of the term hippogriff was in 1612 by Ludovico AriostoContinue reading “Word of the Week: Hippogriff”

Ghoul is a noun and defined as a legendary evil being that robs graves and feeds on corpses. The term ghoul derives from the Arabic word ghūl or “to seize.” In Arabic, the word ghoul also refers to a greedy or gluttonous individual.  It wasn’t until 1786 when the term ghoul was first referenced inContinue reading “Word of the Week: Ghoul”

The word Unicorn is a noun and defined as a mythical, usually white animal generally depicted with the body and head of a horse with long flowing mane and tail and a single often spiraled horn in the middle of the forehead. First used in the 13th century, the word Unicorn derives from the LatinContinue reading “Word of the Week: Unicorn”