Etymologies

Word Etymology
country The word "country" has its origins in the Latin word "contra," which means "against" or "opposite." From "contra," the Late Latin term "contrata" evolved, meaning "land lying opposite" or "neighboring land." This term was adopted into Old French as "contrée," which referred to a region or expanse of land. The term then entered Middle English as "contre" during the 13th century, eventually becoming "country" in Modern English. Originally, it referred to the rural parts of a region, as opposed to towns or cities, but its meaning has since expanded to indicate a nation or state as well.
guage The term you're referring to, "guage," seems to be a common misspelling of the word "gauge." The correct spelling, "gauge," has an interesting etymology. It originates from the Old North French word "gaige," which means a pledge or a measure. This, in turn, came from the Frankish "*waddi" or "*wado," which is related to the concept of a pledge or a guarantee. Over time, the term evolved to be specifically associated with measuring instruments or standards, leading to its current usage in English.
mountain The word "mountain" comes from the Old French word "montaine," which itself derives from the Latin word "montana," the feminine form of "montanus," meaning "of a mountain." "Montanus" is related to "mons," the Latin word for "mountain." This Latin root is connected to the Proto-Indo-European root *men-, meaning "to project" or "to stand out," which is also the source of words related to prominence or projection. The transition from Latin to Old French and then into Middle English reflects the influence of the Norman Conquest on the English language, after which many French words were adopted into English.
mountain The word "mountain" comes from the Latin word "montana," which is the feminine form of "montanus," meaning "of a mountain" or "pertaining to mountains." This, in turn, is derived from "mons," which means "mountain" in Latin. The word was adopted into Old French as "montaine" and then into Middle English as "mountain." The term has been used in English since around the 13th century to describe a large natural elevation of the earth's surface.
guitar The word "guitar" has its origins in a complex history that traces back through several languages. It ultimately derives from the Greek word "kithara" (κιθάρα), which was an ancient stringed instrument. The kithara was a type of lyre used in ancient Greece and was considered a professional version of the lyre for musicians and poets. The word "kithara" made its way into Latin as "cithara," and from there it influenced various European languages. In the Arabic-speaking world, following Moorish influences in Spain, a similar stringed instrument was known as the "qītār" (قيتار), which was adapted from the same Greek term. The Spanish then further adapted this into the Spanish word "guitarra." This Spanish term arose around the time when the instrument began to develop into what we now recognize as the modern guitar. Finally, the English-language term "guitar" was borrowed from Spanish "guitarra" in the early 17th century, coming to refer to the six-stringed instrument popular today. These transformations reflect a historical blending of cultural influences and the evolution of language over centuries.
syllable The word "syllable" comes from the Middle English word *syllable*, which in turn was borrowed from the Old French word *sillabe*. This Old French term comes from the Latin word *syllaba*, meaning the same thing. The Latin was borrowed from the Ancient Greek word συλλαβή (*syllabē*), which is derived from συν- (*syn-*, "together") and λαμβάνειν (*lambanein*, "to take"). Therefore, the etymological roots of "syllable" convey the idea of “a taking together” of sounds.
company The word "company" comes from the Old French word "compaignie," which referred to a society, fellowship, or association of people. This, in turn, is derived from the Latin word "compania," which breaks down into "com-" meaning "with" or "together" and "panis" meaning "bread." In essence, it originally referred to a group of people who broke bread together, implying comradeship or fellowship. Over time, the term evolved to refer more broadly to a group of people associated for a common purpose, eventually also coming to denote a business enterprise.
trepidation The word "trepidation" originates from the Latin term "trepidatio," which means "a trembling" or "alarm." The Latin verb "trepidare" means "to tremble" or "to be agitated." This indicates a sense of nervousness or fear. The word passed into French as "trépidation" before entering the English language in the late 16th century. In English, "trepidation" maintains its original sense of fear or apprehension, often accompanied by a physical trembling or shaking.
happiness The word "happiness" has its roots in Middle English and is derived from the word "happy," which in turn comes from the Old English word "hap," meaning "chance" or "luck." The suffix "-ness" is a noun-forming suffix that denotes a state or condition. The word "hap" is related to the Old Norse word "happ," which also means "good luck" or "fortune." Thus, "happy" originally conveyed a sense of being favored by fortune or having good luck. Over time, the meaning evolved to denote a state of contentment or joy. So, "happiness" originally referred to the state of having good fortune or luck, but its meaning has since expanded to encompass a general sense of well-being and joy.
disparate The word "disparate" comes from the Latin word "disparatus," which is the past participle of "disparare," meaning "to separate" or "to divide." The verb "disparare" itself is derived from the prefix "dis-," meaning "apart" or "away," and "parare," meaning "to prepare" or "to set in order." The Latin word "dispar" means "unequal" or "different," which is related to "par," meaning "equal" or "a pair." The term "disparate" entered Middle French as "disparate" before being adopted into English in the late 16th century. In English, "disparate" is used as an adjective to describe things that are fundamentally distinct or different in kind or quality.
solipsism The word "solipsism" originates from the Latin words "solus," meaning "alone," and "ipse," meaning "self." The term was first used in the context of philosophy to describe the belief that only one's own mind is sure to exist, and the external world and other minds cannot be known and might not exist outside the mind. The concept emphasizes the idea that knowledge or awareness is confined strictly to the self, and anything outside of one's personal consciousness cannot be confirmed with absolute certainty. "Solipsism" as a philosophical term began to gain traction in the 17th and 18th centuries as part of discussions on doubt and skepticism.
succinct The word "succinct" comes from the Latin word "succinctus," which is the past participle of "succingere." The Latin verb "succingere" is composed of "sub-" meaning "under" or "up from below" and "cingere," meaning "to gird" or "to surround with a belt." Essentially, "succingere" means "to gird up" or "to tuck up" when preparing for activity or movement. This original sense of being "girded" or "tucked up" relates to being concise and to the point, as when one's garments are tucked up for ease of movement, so is speech or writing when it is shortened to the essentials. The figurative sense of being "brief" or "concise" evolved from this physical sense of being "girded up." The word passed into English from Latin through Middle French in the late 14th century.
ribald The word "ribald" comes from Middle English *ribaud*, which is borrowed from the Old French *ribaud*. This Old French term was used to describe a person of low moral character, often a rogue or a scamp. Going further back, the Old French *ribaud* is derived from the Vulgar Latin *rīpalducus*, which itself comes from the Latin word *rīpa*, meaning "riverbank" or "shore." The connection here is that a *rīpa* was often associated with nomadic or vagrant lifestyles, those who would frequent riverbanks. Over time, "ribald" evolved in English to describe something characterized by coarse or indecent language or humor, often with a sexual undertone.
multifarious The word "multifarious" comes from the Latin word "multifarius," which means "having many forms or parts." This is a combination of "multi-" meaning "many" and "-farius," which is related to "facere," meaning "to make or do." The English suffix "-ous" is added to form the adjective, giving the meaning of having many and various aspects or components. The word entered the English language in the early 17th century.
feral The word "feral" comes from the Latin word "fera," which means "wild animal," and is derived from "ferus," meaning "wild." The term was adopted into English in the early 17th century through the Late Latin "feralis," which also carried the sense of being wild or untamed. In its modern usage, "feral" typically describes animals that were once domesticated but have returned to a wild state, or it can more broadly refer to any untamed or uncultivated living thing.