Etymology- Where do words and terms come from? How and When they should be used in stories?

[W_L]

There are a lot of words and terms in English and other languages that have Etymological roots different than their literal meaning to describe objects. I was inspired to open up this discussion when I was toying around with a new story and an old term came up in my mind, a Wifebeater, which innocent enough is the name of an undershirt. However, I began to wonder,

1. Where did the name come from?

2. Why do we associate an action with a piece of clothing?

3. How should it be used in a story?

4. When is the term a good idea for general purposes of description? 

I looked around and found an interesting in-depth article on the topic, feel free to read on your own to learn the context and terms:

https://medium.com/frame-of-reference/how-the-wife-beater-got-its-name-7f9bc13c9ca

This topic though isn't merely about this one term with dark undercurrents, but also about how to write various terms with complex etymologies into a story and what kind of story you are forming. To me, the term is just a non-sequitur concept derived from American cultural history, but using it as a description versus its more PC term "A-Shirt" would change how the character works. I don't always write characters that align with my views, at times they're my complete opposite.

Using popular terms may connect more with audiences or alienate certain readerships, depending on how you adapt the story. Knowing where those terms come from, in my view, may help frame the characters who use certain words or language. A story's context is very important

For me, I was toying with a contemporary urban fantasy setting, but I did realize that it wouldn't fit with the tone of the character I was writing, it makes much more sense to use this term that would fit for someone growing up in the 90's and 00's rather than contemporaries. 

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Anyone else come across terms and words that have interesting etymologies and uses that can frame stories?

Edited August 11, 2022 by W_L

[Fae Briona]

There is "Blood is thicker than water" which now has almost the opposite of it's original meaning.  The full original saying was, "The blood of battle is thicker than the water of the womb."   So the current saying suggests that family ties trump other ties, while the original means that shared trauma binds people tighter than birth-ties.

[BigBen]

I'd add a sixth question:  "what is the effect you want your description to have on the reader?"

If "athletic shirt," "muscle shirt," and "sleeveless undershirt" don't convey the correct connotations, and "wife-beater" doesn't, either, then just how important is it to specify the type of undershirt this character wears?  Can you simply side-step the issue?

On the other hand, I remember reading a movie review, years ago, in which the reviewer considered Brando's choice of an athletic shirt for his portrayal of Stanley Kowalski in the movie.  The review said that when the play was first staged, the T-shirt was still considered underwear, but by the time the movie was filmed, only an athletic shirt conveyed the correct sense of the character.

Personally, I loathe the term "wife-beater," both because of its literal meaning, and because most guys who wear such shirts don't beat their wives.  Yet those very considerations might very well make "wife-beater" the perfect word, when describing the clothing of a particularly thuggish character.

Anyway, these are the sorts of considerations that run through my mind when considering word choices.

[W_L]

On 8/11/2022 at 6:50 PM, Fae Briona said:

There is "Blood is thicker than water" which now has almost the opposite of it's original meaning.  The full original saying was, "The blood of battle is thicker than the water of the womb."   So the current saying suggests that family ties trump other ties, while the original means that shared trauma binds people tighter than birth-ties.

I got another one for you:

"Money is the Root of All Evil"

However, the original etymology of the term via the Biblical text it was based on read:

Quote

"For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. Timothy 6:10"

It's actually the love of money that's evil and leads people toward avarice. Money itself is innately neither good or evil, nor a root for anything. It is a tool that some misuse to evil ends.