Origin of the word "Gizmo" (was Origin of the word "Tantrum")

[Jonathan Lighter]

There's no evidence whatever that "gizmo" was ever pronounced "jizmo."  So "chisme" is out for now.

  JL

"Douglas G. Wilson" <douglas at NB.NET> wrote:
  ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
Sender: American Dialect Society
Poster: "Douglas G. Wilson"
Subject: Re: Origin of the word "Gizmo" (was Origin of the word "Tantrum")
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>Any new suggested etymologies for "gizmo/ gismo" ? OED and HDAS are both
>at a loss.

Just an observation, of uncertain relevance.

Spanish "chisme" is defined by one dictionary (elmundo.es) as "Baratija,
trasto pequeño o cualquier objeto del que se desconoce el nombre" = (my
casual and dubious translation) "Trinket, small utensil or any object whose
name is unknown". This word in this sense appears in the Spanish Academy
dictionary since pre-1800. Apparently it is used in Spain and Mexico at least.

Quite a coincidence, anyway ... especially if "gizmo" was once pronounced
"jizmo".

-- Doug Wilson


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