Language Origins

Typical spelling bees will allow you to ask for the definition, alternate pronunciations, the part of speech, example (in a sentence), and the word's language of origin. What is a language of origin anyway?

All English words have their own language of origin, which means the root word (in another, older language) that word is derived from. A majority of English words come from Latin and Greek. Even English words that come from other languages like French or German are sometimes originally Latin anyway; so in this case, they were Latin first, then became French or German and then they became English.

Studying language origins and words from other languages — such as Latin, Greek, and French — can be really useful. Some spelling bees give you words from other languages as well, and you don't want to be confused! For example, the French "au" is often pronounced like a long o. Another example is often times "w" will sound like "v" as in, "Bratwurst"

Latin
Latin has been the most influential language in English. Words related to science and medicine are often based on Latin words. To help spell Latin words, remember a few simple rules. First, the u sound, as in ooze or school, is almost always spelled with a u, and not two o’s, as in the word bugle. Second, the letter K is very rare in Latin, which means the K sound is almost always spelled with C, rather than K, or CK. Finally, the letter X in Latin words often is pronounced with the sound of gz, as in exuberant. Some familiar Latin-origin words include:


 * refugee
 * dissect
 * opera
 * simile
 * interrupt
 * mediocre

Arabic
Arabic words are more recent additions to English. They are either “loan words” or Arabic words that are used because no English equivalent exists, or the words entered the language as part of other languages. In Arabic spelling, the long e sound (bee) is often spelled with an i, as in safari. Double consonants are common in Arabic words, especially in the middle of the word as in cotton, mummy, or henna. Remembering that these are Arabic words makes it easier to remember the spelling. Some familiar Arabic-origin words include:


 * monsoon
 * gazelle
 * lilac
 * sugar
 * algebra
 * mosque

French
In 1066 AD the French invaded England. The rest, as they say, is history. Seriously – since the conquest of 1066 many, many French words have entered English. There are some spelling conventions that can be helpful in learning French-origin words. A common sound in French as the azh sound, as in garage, mirage, and collage. Notice that the azh sound is spelled –age. A k sound at the end of a French word is usually spelled –que, as in boutique or physique. In French, the sh sound is almost always spelled ch, as in crochet. Some familiar French words include:


 * denture
 * beige
 * suave
 * foyer
 * rouge
 * elite

German
English and German have the same grandparents in the language family tree. As a result, there are some sounds and spellings that will look familiar. There are, however, some spelling differences that competitive spellers keep in mind. For example, the letter z is more common in German than in English and it is not always pronounced as z. In the words pretzel and seltzer, for example, z sounds like s. The sh sound in German words is usually spelled sch, and, probably the most confusing, the letter w is pronounced v in German. Some familiar German words include:


 * waltz
 * noodle
 * bagel
 * streusel
 * glitz
 * cobalt

Greek
Greek is an ancient language and was used by the earliest scientists and philosophers. As a result, there are many Greek words still used in English. The sound of “f” is often spelled “ph” in Greek, as in photo and metaphor. The short “I” sound is often spelled with “y” in Greek, as in “syntax” or “cryptic.” Some familiar Greek words include:


 * homonym
 * sphere
 * metamorphosis
 * analysis
 * thermal
 * rhinoceros

Conclusion
While studying, find the origin languages, and if you want to, write it down beside the word. Also be sure to have some familiarity with the sounds letters make in certain languages.