The dirty etymology of everyday words

 

1. Orchid
   from the Greek orchis, which literally translates as “testicle”
2. Porcelain
   porcellana, which literally translates as a “cowrie shell” and the Italian cowrie shell in turn takes its name from porcella, because the shell’s shape is reminiscent of a small, female pig’s vulva
3. Vanilla
   from the Latin vagina, “sheath”
4. Seminar
   from the Latin seminarius, meaning “of seed” and the Latin semen is “seed”
5. Fundamental
   from the Late Latin fundamentalis, meaning “of the foundation,” and fundament, which has meant “anus” or “buttocks” since the 13th century
6. Avocado
   from the region’s pre-conquest Nahuatl ahuakati, meaning “testicle”
7. Pencil
   from the Latin penicillus, which means “paintbrush” or “pencil” but literally translates as “little tail,” the diminutive of the Latin penis, “tail”
8. Amazon
   the Greek spoke of the Amazones, a Scythian race of female warriors a- mazos, “without breasts”