Five Common English Words We Don’t Know the Origins of: Including ‘Boy’ and ‘Dog’

The article is focused on the so-called 'proper words' of the English language, very common and widespread terms, like 'boy', 'girl', 'pig', 'bird', 'dog', which, despite their apparent simplicity, have no etymology (or, better, have a very obscure etymology) in the English lexicon. This is due to the fact that we cannot find anymore cognates, for them, i.e., possibly equivalent words, in languages related to English - not being able to develop any historical comparison through the comparative method, therefore, we cannot reconstruct the etymology and, ultimately, the origins of those words, which are called 'proper words' of the English language not because they are 'originally English' (we do not know that), but because, today, apparently belong only to the English lexicon. Those 'proper words' represent a fascinating puzzle of the English language. If we'll be able to discover more about them and their origins, we'll have more chances to better understand and reconstruct the 'forma mentis' of the ancient speakers of the English language, their strategies in giving names to the 'items' of their world, the cognitive aspects behind the related naming processes, their categories of mind, and, ultimately, we'll partly fullfill the dream of every Historical Linguist - to give back their own voice to our ancestors.