0x029a

joined 2 years ago
[–] 0x029a@lemmy.today 6 points 2 years ago
[–] 0x029a@lemmy.today 29 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

You might mean "chifforobe," a type of wardrobe, which appears a number of times in "To Kill a Mockingbird" (spelled "chiffarobe.")

[–] 0x029a@lemmy.today 1 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

https://www.etymonline.com/word/news

late 14c., "new things," plural of new (n.) "new thing" (see new (adj.)); after French nouvelles, which was used in Bible translations to render Medieval Latin nova (neuter plural) "news," literally "new things."

The odd and doubtful construction probably accounts for the absurd folk-etymology (attested by 1640 but originally, and in 18c. usually, in jest-books) that claims it to be an abbreviation of north east south west, as though "information from all quarters of the compass."