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News & ArtsWednesday, October 7, 2009
Breaking News From Ballot Booth to Envelope
Posted by Brendan Kiley on Wed, Oct 7, 2009 at 9:21 AM
ballot
1549, from Italian pallotte, dim. of palla "ball," for small balls used as counters in secret voting (see balloon). Earliest references are to Venice.
booth
c.1145, from O. Dan boþ "temporary dwelling," from E. Norse boa "dwell," from P.Gmc. *botho (cf. Ger. Bude, M.Du. boode), from base *bhu- "to dwell" (cf. Lith. butas "house," O.Ir both "hut"), from PIE base *bheue- "to be, exist, grow" (see be). Cf. also (see bound (adj.2)).
envelope
1705, from Fr. enveloppe, a back-formation of envelopper "to envelop" (see envelop).
envelop
late 14c., "be involved in," from O.Fr. envoluper, from en- "in" + voloper "wrap up," of uncertain origin, perhaps Celtic.
This November, as voters head to the ballot booth that is their envelopes, they should know their world has gone from clear derivations (Italian, Proto Indo European) to murky ("perhaps Celtic") and from expansive (balloons, growth) to intimate ("wrap up").
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