The word clue originates from the Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur. In the myth, Theseus navigates the labyrinth using a ball of thread, or clew. Over time, clew evolved into a clue, symbolizing something that helps solve a problem or mystery.
1 - Clue
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The word nightmare has roots in Old English. Mare referred to a mythological demon that sat on people's chests while they slept, causing bad dreams. Combined with night, it became a nightmare, denoting a frightening dream.
2 - Nightmare
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Salary comes from the Latin word salarium, which means salt money. Roman soldiers were sometimes paid with salt, a valuable commodity. The term evolved to represent regular compensation for work.
3 - Salary
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Quarantine stems from the Italian quaranta giorni, meaning forty days. Ships suspected of carrying plague were isolated for 40 days before passengers could go ashore. This practice gave rise to the modern term for isolation to prevent disease spread.
4 - Quarantine
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The word malaria is derived from the Italian words mala aria, meaning bad air. Before the discovery of mosquitoes as the disease's carriers, people believed malaria was caused by the foul air in swamps and marshes.
5 - Malaria
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Sarcasm comes from the Greek word sarkazein, meaning to tear flesh like dogs. This term evolved to describe a form of wit that cuts or bites, similar to the original Greek sense of tearing or biting.
6 - Sarcasm
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The word whiskey originates from the Gaelic uisge beatha, meaning water of life. Over time, uisge became whiskey in English, retaining the meaning of a life-sustaining drink.
7 - Whiskey
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Panic is derived from the Greek god Pan, who was known for causing sudden, irrational fear. The term originally described the fright attributed to the presence or influence of Pan, evolving into the modern sense of sudden, overwhelming fear.