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Etymology Word of the Week

Director of Admissions Pat O'Rourke '90, a self-proclaimed "word nerd," brings you his Etymology Word of the Week. Every other week he presents an online Etymology lesson just for fun!

Etymology Word of the Week – As some of you know, in addition to working in the Admissions Office, I also teach Latin at Saint Ignatius and am something of a "word nerd."  Thus, each week, I’ll sneak a vocabulary word (sometimes derived from Latin, sometimes not) into the e-blast.  Here then is this week’s edition of the Etymology Word of the Week.  

Peddler - “one who travels about selling small wares which he carries with him; a person who sells things from door to door or in the street.”   From the Latin noun pedarius, pedarii meaning “one who goes on foot OR senator of lower standing (who lets others walk all over him)” which itself is formed from the Latin noun pes, pedis meaning “foot.” (All information is from www.wikipedia.org, www.etymonline.com and/or www.dictionary.com.)

RELATED WORDS/PHRASES – peddle, pedestal, pedestrian, expedition, pedicure, pedigree, biped, centipede, quadruped, and others 

SAMPLE SENTENCE - “My grandfather’s favorite Irish song is ‘The Pennywhistle Peddler.’”