Mark Forsyth enjoys words. So much so that he’s written a book about the origins of familiar terms. The Etymologicon, published today, is an ‘erudite guided tour of the secret labyrinth that lurks beneath the English language’, revealing the strange connections and origins of everyday words.
By way of example, Mark’s been dicking about with the names of Tube stations. The gallery above shows six familiar stops, each now sporting a name that reflects its origin. Some are obvious, some less so…but how many can you work out?
The Etymologicon: A Circular Stroll Through the Hidden Connections of the English Language by Mark Forsyth is published today by Icon Books. Buy here.
Like this? You might also enjoy our map of Anglo Saxon London, which contains tens of other etymologies.