Not sure how many people will be interested in this, but I've been using this Online Etymology Dictionary and thought it might be useful to someone. To quote the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictonary definition, etymology is "the study of the origin and history of words, or a study of this type relating to one particular word". It may help you to become more aware of the relationship between spelling and meaning and how particular parts of a word may carry a meaning which can be recognised in other words. In class, for example, we noticed that the word "mortgage" starts with the same four letters are "mortal", and so may therefore be related to death. The Online Etymology Dictionary confirms that this is the case:mortgage (n.)
1390, from O.Fr. morgage (13c.), mort gaige, lit. "dead pledge" (replaced in modern Fr. by hypothèque), from mort "dead" + gage "pledge;" so called because the deal dies either when the debt is paid or when payment fails. O.Fr. mort is from V.L. *mortus "dead," from L. mortuus, pp. of mori "to die" (see mortal). The verb is first attested 1467.
Perhaps this is only of interest to sad word geeks like myself, but if it's helpful to just one person then that's fine by me.
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