Word Facts for Jan. 15-21, 2011

Word origin for the weekend of Jan. 15-16, 2011: manga - The Japanese word "manga," mostly used to refer to a modern comic-book style of illustration, has roots in a phrase that means "a rambling or aimless picture" - in other words, a scribble. The noted nineteenth-century artist Hokusai used it to refer to his doodles, and the word took an approving term. A "manga" turned into moving form is called an anime, a Japanese version of the word "animated."

Word origin for Jan. 17, 2011: Ubuntu - "Ubuntu" is a word common to several Bantu languages of southern and eastern Africa, conveying a concept that embraces the interconnectedness of all people, and that encourages peace and good treatment of others. The computer operating system of the same name is made by a company owned by South African entrepreneur Mark Shuttleworth, who borrowed the well-known term for his software.

Word origin for Jan. 18, 2011: jukebox musical - Singalong movies and shows were popular in days gone by, then drifted away, then were revived with the cult film The Rocky Horror Picture Show, then drifted away again. In the last few years, revivals of shows such as South Pacific and newer hits such as Mamma Mia (a tribute to the Swedish band ABBA), and Love (which does the same for the Beatles), have led show-business journalists to write about "jukebox musicals," which feature popular hit tunes from the past.

Word origin for Jan. 19, 2011: e-mail - "E-mail" is a transparent abbreviation for electronic mail, coined by computer journalists in about 1982, in the early days of the personal computing revolution. The "e"-for-"electronic" prefix turns up in "e-commerce" as well... that is, commerce conducted electronically. That term dates to 1993.

Word origin for Jan. 20, 2011: rune - The Anglo-Saxon people who gave us the Old English components of our language delighted in riddles, mysteries, and puzzles... to which they gave the overarching word rune, meaning "secret things." The word disappeared in Middle English, but then was reintroduced from Norse, now referring to the ancient Germanic inscriptions that abounded in northwestern Europe.

Word origin for Jan. 21, 2011: damsel - Must a "damsel" always be in distress? The word rarely turns up outside that context. Derived from the diminutive form of the Latin domina, meaning "the mistress of the house," the term was once used to refer exclusively to young noblewomen. By the 1700s, however, it referred to any young woman.