Walking across campus the other day – while carrying a bag, purse, and a Venti Pike Roast with extra cream from Starbucks – I was practically blown over. Seriously. If there’s one thing you can count on in Kansas, it’s the wind.
As I swore under my breath about the wind, my now-messed up hair, and the frigid temperature of the wind, I wondered where the heck “wind” and “windy” came from anyway. I don’t mean like in the “you should have learned that in grade school science class” way, but rather – where does the word “windy” come from? In other words, what is the etymology (origins) of the word “windy”?
Well, I have the answer for you – and an awesome library tool called The Oxford English Dictionary (OED). The OED is the end-all, be-all, absolute best dictionary ever. It lists every English word recognized. Seriously, all of them. The dictionary contains 20 volumes (don’t worry you don’t have to dig through all the volumes - you can access it for free online through the K-State Libraries’ website).
It does so much more than just list definitions though. Here is a quote from the OED website about the dictionary:
As the OED is a historical dictionary, its entry structure is very different from that of a dictionary of current English, in which only present-day senses are covered, and in which the most common meanings or senses are described first. For each word in the OED, the various groupings of senses are dealt with in chronological order according to the quotation evidence, i.e. the senses with the earliest quotations appear first, and the senses which have developed more recently appear further down the entry. In a complex entry with many strands, the development over time can be seen in a structure with several 'branches'.
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About the OED"
Okay, so what does that mean? Well, it means that you can look up a word to not only see what its definition is, but you can also learn about its history and origin (or etymology) since its first use in print. What does that look like? Here is an excerpt from the OED online about windy:
Cool, right? You can see what the definition of the word “windy” is – plus learn that the earliest record of it being used in print dates from the year 1000!!! I like using the OED because I can learn where words came from and how they have been used in the past and present day.
But the OED can do so much more – I could write four more blog entries about it. Instead, I am going to recommend you go check it out yourself. You can access it online from our databases. First click on the letter "O" and select Oxford English Dictionary (OED) and click on it. Then you’re good to go.
So that’s it. Now you know where the word “windy” comes from and another cool resource available at K-State Libraries. Just be prepared when you start to use it that it might blow you away (Ha Ha).
-m.e. fritch
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