Q I once heard a story that the word “bedlam” actually originated from the name “Bethlehem.” How can this be true? – C. I., Yonkers, New York.

A: “Bedlam” actually comes from the name of the Hospital of St. Mary of Bethlehem, originally founded in 1247 as a priory in London for the order of St. Mary of Bethlehem by a former city sheriff named Simon FitzMary. In succeeding centuries the priory came to serve as a hospital for the poor and ailing and later, while under control of the throne, as an asylum for the insane. Popular reference to the institution in speech contracted the name “Bethlehem” to “Bedlam.”

In 1547, Henry VIII relinquished control of the asylum back to the City of London. Due to a lack of outside inspections, abuses of patients by the staff were common, and Bedlam soon became infamous for its brutality. In his diary for 1657, the author John Evelyn noted that in Bedlam he “saw several miserable creatures in chains.” The word “bedlam” came to refer generically to any kind of asylum for the mentally ill, and with time the word was used metaphorically to refer to a scene of wild uproar or confusion.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, Bedlam actually opened its doors to public spectators, who paid fees to view the inmates as a means of amusement until the practice was humanely terminated by government authorities. The institution known as Bethlehem still exists to this day, now as a part of England’s National Health Service.

This column was prepared by the editors of Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition. Readers may send questions to Merriam-Webster’s Wordwatch, P.O. Box 281, 47 Federal St., Springfield, Mass. 01102.

Q I have always wondered about the word “ramshackle,” applied to rundown or ruined buildings. Where did this odd-sounding word come from? – K. P., Des Moines, Iowa.

A: A ramshackle building often looks as though it has been plundered of any scrap of value. This is a clue to the word’s origin. The word “ramshackle,” which we define as “appearing ready to collapse,” first appeared around 1830. It is a variant of “ramshackled,” an adjective with the same meaning that is about 200 years older.

“Ramshackled” itself is derived from “ransackle,” a verb meaning “to search through to commit robbery” – the same meaning as “ransack,” its forbear. Through sound changes and dialect variations, then, “ransack” gave rise to “ramshackle” over a period of about 450 years. The relationship can also be seen in “ramshack,” a Southern dialectal synonym of “ransack” that can be found in the works of William Faulkner.

This column was prepared by the editors of Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition. Readers may send questions to Merriam-Webster’s Wordwatch, P.O. Box 281, 47 Federal St., Springfield, Mass. 01102.