Roots
Chemistry of words
Deepti

A careful survey reveals that every area of human knowledge has given words to language. Particularly so in the case of English, which is like a massive sponge that soaks in whatever it comes in contact with. Today’s words are originally from the field of chemistry.

Acidulous used as an adjective means ‘somewhat sour in taste or in manner’. It comes from the Latin acidulus or ‘slightly sour’ and originated from the Indo-European root ak or ‘sharp’, which is also the source of acrid, vinegar, acid, acute, edge and mediocre.

A tired or meaningless remark and a tiresome or boring person can both be called ‘bromide’, a word that can be traced to the word ‘bromine’, which comes from the Greek bromos or ‘stench’. In earlier times, potassium bromide was prescribed as a sedative. So any statement that was intended to be soothing was labelled ‘bromide’. Gradually, any superfluous remark like ‘Oh, you are back!’ came to be called ‘bromide’ and, later, the label stuck to anyone uttering inanities.

A highly critical or sarcastic person is called ‘caustic’. The word ‘caustic’ comes from the Greek kaustos or ‘combustible’. The adjective ‘caustic’ can be used for a smile or a remark as well. Anyone who has seen caustic soda in action can understand the corrosion caustic people can unleash.

‘Acerbic’, a related word, is often used for sour or bitter remarks. It originates from the Latin acerbus or ‘sour tasting’. If a person or a remark touches the extreme of being caustic or acerbic, it can be called ‘vitriolic’, which has come to be applied to anything ‘extremely caustic or bitterly scathing’. Originating from the Latin vitrum or ‘glass’, ‘vitriol’ was first the name given to sulphuric acid, a highly corrosive substance. It was named vitriol or oil of vitriol because of the glassy appearance of its salts. With common usage, the ‘glass’ aspect was eliminated and the corrosive aspect remained linked with the word.

‘Miscible’ refers to anything capable of being mixed together. It originates from the Latin miscere or ‘to mix’. So, if people form homogeneous groups, they can be complimented for being miscible.