Mysteries of vernacular: Gorgeous - Jessica Oreck and Rachael Teel

Mysteries of vernacular: Gorgeous, beautiful, or very attractive. The source of the word gorgeous can be found in the Latin word, gurges, used by the Romans to describe a whirling, swirling whirlpool.

Thanks to the aquatic phenomenon's cylindrical shape and gurgling form, gurges also came to mean throat. By the time gurges reached England in the 14th century, it had been altered to gorge.

This, to the English, seemed like an appropriate way to describe a steep and rocky ravine, a metaphorical extension of the words referenced to the throat. The French, however, transformed gorge into gorgias and used it to describe one of the most fashionable trends of the Middle Ages, also known as a wimple.

This popular article of clothing revealed only the madame's visage, covering her shoulders, head, and, of course, her throat. A stylish and intricate gorgias was so telling of class and affluence that the word soon came to mean fond of dress and elegant.

This newly fashioned adjective voyaged into Middle English as gorgayse, where it was fully anglicized as gorgeous. Since then, it has been linked to all things of exceptionally graceful allure.