It’s been a while since I did an Etymology rocks posting, so I figured I would share with you some interesting information on a something near and dear to my heart (no, not stroopwaffels)…

Sarcasm (Sarkastyczny for those of you who only speak Polish)
sar·casm     [sahr-kahz-uhm]
-noun

1. harsh or bitter derision or irony.
2. a sharply ironical taunt; sneering or cutting remark.

Now the definition is surely nothing new to you, but it’s the etymology which you may find interesting. The origin of the word stems from the Latin sarcasmus and the Greek sarkasmos, a derivative of sarkazein, to rend as in flesh, or to bite the lips in rage. This is what is interesting. The “sarco” prefix is a Greek combining form meaning “flesh” which is used in the formation of compound words.

Therefore, sarcasm is closely related to the word sarcophagus which you know pertains to a stone coffin usually found with inscriptions and frequently associated with Egyptian mummies. This term stems from the Greek sarcophagous which means carnivorous, or literally flesh-eating, and sarcasm seems to have a similar connotation as stated above.

Indeed the word sarcasm has more morbid origins than you may have known about, and I bet you and your flesh-biting sense of humor feel smarter already….

Source:

sarcasm. Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sarcasm (accessed: August 14, 2007).