Which word fits the clue? Guess before the reveal, then discover its history. #words #vocabulary
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WORD CHALLENGE: Can you name this word?.
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THE CLUE: Start with the meaning. Meaning: A large outdoor fire that is lighted as a signal or in celebration.
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FILL IN THE BLANK: One more clue. We gathered around the ______ in the field to celebrate.
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THE WORD: “bonfire”. Say it: /ˈbɒn.ˌfaɪ.ə(ɹ)/ Meaning: A large outdoor fire that is lighted as a signal or in celebration.
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WHERE IT BEGAN: “bonfire”. Bonfire comes from Middle English bonefire, a compound of bone and fire. A fifteenth-century description distinguishes a bone fire, made of bones without wood, from a wood fire.
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THE CONNECTION: “bonfire”. The word broadened from a fire involving bones to a large outdoor fire, especially one associated with celebration. Its shortened spelling later made French bon, good, look tempting, but that explanation is a folk etymology.
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