h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

When my in-laws went to Egypt some years ago, my mother-in-law took an old, black, folding umbrella. People were surprised, and some laughed. After all, you don't get much rain in Egypt. But my mother-in-law had the last laugh. The old umbrella made an excellent sun-shade, and the laughter turned to looks of envy!

I'm not too sure of my Latin here, but umbra means shade. The word umbrella once meant what the word parasol now means. The function described in the article came later. How old is your mother-in-law?

para : beyond
sol : sun

Umbrella literally means 'little shade' and parasol means 'ward off sun', not 'beyond sun'. Both originally had the same purpose, but umbrellas have become exclusively associated with protection from the rain, especially black ones like the one my mother-in-law took to Egypt. At the time she was in her mid-60s, although I'm not sure what that has to do with anything.