Frigid

In light of the oncoming winter weather, this week's word is frigid. Unlike most of our previous words, frigid has Latin origins. The word frigidus means to chill, to be cold, and stems off into various forms and tenses, all implying something frozen or otherwise low in temperature.

Old English, on the other hand, claims the origins of the word cold. How can one civilization create a phrase that is used to specify and describe another? Latin, through the years, has been the language of the learned, whereas middle or old English were commonplace languages spoken by many and transcribed by only scholars. Therefore, it is logical that the masses would use a word to describe the basic feeling of temperature, whereas scholarly types would think critically enough to adjust the use of a word beyond just physical feeling.

Additionally, frigid has evolved to explain attitude, and those who are shy or unresponsive have often been referred to as frigid. This connection is derived from Shakespeare, because the phrase "cold hearted" first appeared in the dialogue of his plays. The person whose behavior is frigid is said to have ice around their heart. Luckily, this is only an analogy!