It’s September, soon to be October and, ever interested in words, I again note the oddity that the root of September means seventh, October means eighth, November ninth and December tenth. Do the math: September isn’t the seventh month, nor is October the eight.

What other words do we use daily that no longer mean what they meant?

Congratulations, that’s so awful.

London’s St Paul’s Cathedral was built out of the ashes of the 1666 Great Fire. It’s said (perhaps apocryphally) that this masterpiece was described as awful, artificial and amusing. In those days, amusing meant amazing, awful meant awe-inspiring and artificial meant artistic.

Tell me about your assassination…

Assassinate once meant to attack a prominent person. Newspapers articles about President Lincoln’s assassination also reported that William Seward, the Secretary of State, was assassinated that night. He was indeed assassinated, and grievously injured. But he survived.

How lovely you stink!

Roses are red, roses all stink… Stink used to mean to any odor at all. But the word came to mean an exceptionally unpleasant smell. Maybe that’s because smelly stuff makes a stronger impression!

Your dog?! How do you know?

I mentioned to a friend that my Sealyham terrier, Johnny Fabulous, had a gay tail. Boy, was she perplexed! To those unfamiliar with dog-show-ese, gay refers to a type of tail carriage.

No folds on my Web site

What’s above the fold on your Web site? Or does nothing fold on your site?  Above the fold is a long-time newspaper term, referring to the top half of the front page. It’s where the biggest story, the major headline is printed. Web users appropriated the phrase: Above the fold on a web page is the portion that shows before anyone scrolls or clicks. It’s the best spot for the big news about your business or message.

September was the seventh month, ‘way back in the Roman Empire. English speakers have used the word for centuries, despite its shift in meaning. No doubt we’re using words today that will continue with stable definitions through the centuries, and words that will completely change meanings within our lifetimes.

Part 1 of  Magically Morphing English is in the April 2009 archives of The Gold Mine.