Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Word Origin Time Tickets: Free Printable Worksheet for Year 6
- ForYear 6
- StageKey Stage 2
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Word Origin Time Tickets is a free printable history worksheet for Year 6 (ages 10 to 11). Children write the language on each ticket, then answer the questions. They trace everyday English words back to the languages they came from, and link each one to people who travelled, settled or traded. It needs only a pencil, and page 2 gives the grown up notes, help, a stretch idea and the answers.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Each ticket is a small trip back in time. Children fill in a table with four columns: today's word, the old word, what it meant, and the language. They use the clues to write the language on each ticket. Then they answer the numbered questions in the spaces. One asks why English picked up some Hindi words. Another asks for a word from the same Latin family as dentist.
- Today's word
- Old word
- What it meant
- Language
- Why did English pick up Hindi words like shampoo and pyjamas?
- Write one more word from the same Latin family as dentist.
How to read a word origin clue
Start with today's word
Say the word aloud. Think about where you hear it and what it means now. This gives you something to compare with the old word.
Look at the old word and what it meant
The old word is often spelt differently. Read what it meant, then ask how that meaning could lead to the word we use today.
Name the language
Use the clues to decide which language the old word belongs to. Then ask who spoke it, and how its words might have reached England.
Why English has words from so many places
English is a mixture. Over many centuries, people arrived in Britain, settled and brought their own languages with them. The Anglo Saxons, the Vikings and the Normans after 1066 all left words behind. Latin was used for learning and in the church for a very long time. Many of those words are still in everyday use, though we rarely stop to think where they came from.
Words also travel through trade and contact between countries. When people meet new foods, clothes or ideas, they often borrow the name for them. Hindi is one language that has given words to English. Tracing a word back is a way of reading history, because each borrowed word points to a meeting between people.
Word origin facts
- The study of where words come from is called etymology.
- The ancient Romans spoke Latin, and many English words can be traced back to it.
- The Vikings spoke Old Norse, and some of their words became part of English.
- Hindi is a language spoken in India. English has borrowed some words from it.
- A dictionary that shows word origins can tell you the language a word came from.
Skills and curriculum link
- Word origins
- Using clues
- Explaining history
- Careful reading
- Making links between words and people
Ideas that help with word origins
- Languages travel with peopleWhen people move, settle or trade, their words go with them. Some of those words end up in the language of the place they reach.
- Words change over timeSpelling and meaning can both shift over many years. An old word may look different from the word we use now.
- Words belong to familiesWords from the same family share a root and a link in meaning. Looking for that link helps you spot related words.
- Clues sit side by sideThe old word, its meaning and the language all work together. If one column feels hard, use the others to help.
Key words
- OriginWhere something comes from or how it began.
- LanguageThe words and sounds a group of people use to speak and write.
- EtymologyThe study of where words come from and how they have changed.
- RootThe oldest part of a word that other words in its family grow from.
- Borrowed wordA word that one language takes from another and uses as its own.
- SettleTo make a new home in a place and stay there.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
- Read the intro aloud. Then let your child fill in the table using the clues, before they start the questions.
- Work through the first ticket together. Talk about why they chose each language.
- Check against the answers on page 2. Ask, "What clue helped you decide?" The thinking matters as much as the answer.
- Come back to it another day. Repeating a familiar activity builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Say the four languages aloud first so the names feel familiar. Then take one old word and match it to its meaning together. Fill in one ticket as a pair before your child tries the next on their own.
To stretch confident children
Find other words from Old Norse, French or Hindi using a dictionary that shows word origins. Write your own ticket for each word. Include today's word, the old word, what it meant and the language.
Make it a game
Stamp or sticker each completed ticket. Cut the tickets out and swap them with a partner. Cover the language on each ticket and take turns to guess it from the other clues. Check your guesses together.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child writes a language just because the old word looks unusual.
Try thisLook at what the old word meant first. Ask which people might have used that word, then decide on the language.
Watch forA child mixes up today's word and the old word in the table.
Try thisRead the column headings aloud. Today's word is the one we use now. The old word is the one from the past.
Watch forFor the Latin family question, a child writes a word that only looks or sounds similar.
Try thisCheck the meaning as well as the spelling. A word from the same family should have a clear link in meaning.
Talk about it
- Which word on the sheet surprised you most, and why?
- How do you think a word can travel from one country to another?
- Why might people borrow a word instead of making up a new one?
- Which words do you use every day that might have come from far away?
- How could a word tell us something about people from long ago?
- Which language would you like to learn more about, and why?
Take it off the page
Family word hunt
Choose a word and ask family members to think of words that seem related. Write them on a sheet and talk about what they share.
Dictionary detectives
Look up five everyday words in a dictionary that shows word origins. Draw a small ticket for each one with the old word and its language.
Map of travelling words
Draw a simple map of the world. Add labels and arrows to show where a word came from and where it ended up.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first ticket, then let them lead. Ask how they chose each language. If they get stuck, read the clues aloud together. Praise careful thinking, not only correct answers.
Teachers
Use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing. Page 2 gives support and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups, and it links history with English vocabulary.
Home educators
Pair it with books about the Romans, Vikings or trade. Let children follow their own questions about words. The sheet can be printed again for brothers, sisters or revision a few weeks later.
Where this skill fits
Before this sheet, children may have met prefixes, suffixes and word families in English. They may also have learned how different groups of people came to Britain. This sheet links those ideas by showing how people's languages left marks on the words we use.
After this sheet, children can use a dictionary that shows word origins to investigate more words on their own. They can also compare how different groups of people shaped language and life in Britain, and explain their thinking in writing or in discussion.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Word Origin Time Tickets for?
It is written for Year 6 (ages 10 to 11), in Key Stage 2. Younger children may enjoy it with an adult helping. Older children can use the stretch idea on page 2 to go further.
- What will children practise?
Children practise tracing everyday English words back to the languages they came from. They link each word to people who travelled, settled or traded. They use clues, make links and explain their thinking.
- How do I use it?
Read the intro aloud. Let children complete the table using the clues, then move on to the numbered questions. Work through the first ticket together, check with page 2, and return another day to practise again.
- What if it feels too hard?
Say the four languages aloud and match the old word to its meaning together. Fill in one ticket as a pair, then let your child try the next alone. Come back to it later if needed.
- Is it free?
Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London. You can print it again whenever you need it.
- Can teachers use it in class?
Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing, and page 2 has support and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups.
- Do I need to print in colour?
No. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper. It is a screen free activity that needs only paper and a pencil, so it suits quiet time, rainy days and school holidays.
Preview the full PDF
Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.