Languages of the World

The People Who Became Words: A Guide to Eponyms

From 'boycott' to 'sandwich', our language is full of words that were once people's names. This fascinating guide to eponyms…

3 months ago

The Sound of a Kiss: Etymology of ‘XOXO’

Ever wondered why 'X' means kiss? The answer is a fascinating journey back to the Middle Ages, where illiterate citizens…

3 months ago

Words Born From Blunders

Discover the secret history of everyday words like 'nickname' and 'apron', which were born from simple mistakes. This post explores…

3 months ago

Warden & Guardian: A Tale of Two Words

Have you ever wondered why 'warden' and 'guardian' mean almost the same thing? These 'etymological twins' tell a fascinating story…

3 months ago

Anatomy of a Curse: The History of the F-Word

Forget the myths about kings and archers; the true origin of the F-word is rooted deep in the Germanic forests.…

3 months ago

Ottoman Ciphers: Turkey’s Secret Script

Journey back in time to uncover Siyakat, the secret script of the Ottoman Empire. This deliberately complex and stylized writing…

3 months ago

The Comanche Code: A Linguistic Fortress

While the Navajo are rightly famous, the Comanche Code Talkers of WWII's European Theater created an equally unbreakable code. Based…

3 months ago

Aesopian Language: The Dissident’s Secret Code

Discover Aesopian language, the subtle art of embedding subversive messages in seemingly innocent writing. Born from the need to outsmart…

3 months ago

The Uncrackable Language: The Pirahã Debate

The Pirahã language of the Amazon defies nearly every rule of "universal grammar", sparking one of modern linguistics' fiercest debates.…

3 months ago

The Copiale Cipher: A Society’s Secret Rituals

For over 250 years, the Copiale Cipher baffled historians with its mix of abstract symbols and Roman letters. When linguists…

3 months ago

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