722: saxon Nov 29, 2016

Although words are ultimately arbitrary, considering the vast history of spoken languages, it would be a strange thing to come upon a word that has no story. 'Saxon', relevant to the name of several modern German states and much of Anglo-germanic history, wasn't just made up out of nowhere. Via a slew of other languages, this word dates back to an Old English root, 'Seaxan, Seaxe" (plural); looking back even further, this word come from the base, 'sax' meaning ‘small ax,’ or, 'seax' for ‘knife’. Many other Indo-european languages have related words relating to 'cut', and many believe that here, it is a reflection of the tribe's notable prowess in war.