Hooligan, nonsense, jacuzzi - 13 famous words descended from surnames

As you know, our language is great and powerful, but many words are not native Russian and were borrowed from other languages. Of course, we rarely think about the origin of this or that word, but sometimes it can have a very interesting story. For example, did you know that some of the words that are constantly used and familiar to everyone are actually the names of people? These include a "cardigan", "attic", "jacuzzi", "bluetooth" and others. We have compiled even more amazing examples for you below.

James cardigan

A well-known wardrobe item was named after the name of this English general, whose soldiers were very cold during the Crimean War, and then he came up with the idea of putting on a warm jacket under his uniform.

Francois Mansart

From his last name came the word "attic", since it was this French architect who first began to use the attic with a pitched roof for residential purposes.

James Watman Sr.

The owner of a paper factory in England was able to get dense white paper without a cage, which immediately gained popularity and was named after the creator of whatman paper.

Robert Lovelace

That was the name of the main character, handsome and seducer, in the novel of the English writer Samuel Richardson.

Leopold von Sacher-Masoch

In the novels of this Austrian writer, there were repeatedly characters who enjoyed the humiliation or torment inflicted on him. Therefore, the neurologist Kraft-Ebing, working on one of his monographs, decided to introduce into psychiatry the term masochism, derived from the name of the writer.

Charles Boycott

This Englishman lived in the 19th century and worked as a manager. When the tenants rebelled and took a measure against him to completely terminate the relationship until he made concessions to them, the word "boycott" was known to contemporaries.

French Minister Etienne de Silhouette

Creating portraits cost a lot of money, and not everyone could afford it. Then the artists came up with the idea of creating cheap portraits in the form of a human shadow, which were named in honor of the Minister of France, who earned the fame of a very mean and narrow-minded politician. At that time, all cheap and low-prestige were called silhouettes.

Harald Blue-Tooth

The developers of the wireless method for transmitting bluetooth data decided to name their technology by the name of the Viking king. This man managed to unite Denmark with Norway, and he also loved blueberries, for which he was nicknamed the Blue-Toothed. Translated into English, the word "bluetooth" is obtained.

Patrick Hooligan

A family by the name of Hooligan lived not far from London; they became famous for hunting and robbery. Soon the surname became a household name, and in the 90s a popular song about Patrick Hooligan even appeared.

Candido Yakuzzi

When the Yakuzzi brothers moved from Italy to America, they first opened a company for the production of aircraft, and then - hydraulic pumps. Since one of their children constantly needed a massage, Candido invented a special hydromassage device for him. Subsequently, it was patented, and the jacuzzi began to be called - since that was the way the name was pronounced in the USA.

Christian Lauder

The German doctor opened a mineral water rehabilitation facility, and after the procedures recommended that his patients take quick steps in the nearest park. Since the method of Lauder was not cheap, only wealthy citizens could afford it. Ordinary commoners began to call the gentlemen who walk aimlessly idlers.

Gally Mathieu

According to one version about the origin of the word "nonsense", it appeared after the name of a French doctor who healed his patients with laughter and jokes.