Awkward

Awkward
Awk Ward
Aw Kward
Awkward.
It really does describe itself.

According to http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/awkward
it derives from Awk - meaning backhanded, and that good old reliable suffix -ward.
It can mean lacking skill, dexterity, grace in movement or social skills. Basically a Gumby.

And apparently it first came into wordness in the 14th century - a period of history famous for... not much.

* Tenochtitlan was founded in this period by people known for giving cities awkward names... perhaps they were looking for a word to describe the name of their city as most people were unable to pronounce it.   "Where do you live?" "Tenoch... Tenock... Tentocl... Awkward City"
* The Hundred Years War began... which was awkward enough, people found it difficult to get motivated to go to war when you know it's just going to go for another 99 years, I mean - I won't even be around to see it, might as well just sit home.
* It was the time when The Black Death killed off 30-60% of Europe's population, in which time the census needed to tally such figures would have been conducted awkwardly ("I'm not dead"), due to people dropping off in the middle of filling out their forms ("I feel happy!"), and the delays from the post office ("I think I'd like to go for a walk") and the Census Grand Master's own infection due to having had to visit every sick person himself in the end ("I feel fine."). It's no wonder the statistics were so vague in the end.
* There was also the Great Schism of the West, in which point there were 3 Popes. Awkward. Who got the pointy hat? Who got the Popemobile? Who got the Sheaphardess' Crook? Timeshare I suppose.

Awkward is a truly autological word - it describes itself. and in fact if you use the sentence "The word awkward is an awkward word" then you are on your first steps to madness :-D
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