Etymology

CRAFT TERM

Nov 7

Etymology is the study of the history of how words are written, and how their spelling and form has changed over time.

via Wikipedia

Example

In “etymology” by Airea D. Matthews, the poet reflects on her name and its origins.

I grew tired of saying
no it’s pronounced… now I’m tired of not
conjuring that ghost I honor say it with me: Airea
rhymes with sarah
sarah from the latin meaning a “woman of high rank”
which also means whenever I ask anyone to hold me
in their mouth I sound like what I almost am

Prompt

Write a poem about the origins of your name or another word that interests you.

Resource written by:

Featured

Anne Marie Wells

is an award-winning, Queer poet, playwright, memoirist and storyteller navigating the world with a chronic illness. She is a faculty member of the Community Literature Initiative through the Sims Library of Poetry. She was the 2020 recipient of the Milestone Award presented by Wyoming Writers Inc., and the Rising Star Award presented by the Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce. She was the 2021 recipient of the Peter K. Hixson Memorial Award in poetry and was nominated as a Wyoming Woman of Influence in the arts category for her work in amplifying the voices of the LGBTQ and disabled communities in Wyoming through her writing. Anne Marie uses she/her and they/them pronouns.

annemariewellswriter.com | @annemariewellswriter | Read More by Anne Marie ➡️