The Oaths of Strasbourg, a 9th-century military pact, are often called the "birth certificate" of the French language. Sworn in…
The question mark seems like a fundamental part of writing, but it wasn't always there. This ubiquitous symbol of curiosity…
The disappearance of 'thou' from common usage wasn't just a linguistic spring-cleaning; it was a quiet revolution. This shift from…
Ever wondered where the word 'syllabus' comes from? The answer is a fascinating journey involving ancient Roman scrolls, a 15th-century…
Did you know one of the most powerful words in the English language is just a single letter? From ancient…
For over a century, a unique pidgin language connected Indigenous peoples, Europeans, and Asians along the Pacific Northwest coast. Known…
Long before Silicon Valley, a different kind of code was being written—not in silicon, but in cardboard and thread. The…
We’ve all heard of "false friends"—words that look the same in different languages but mean different things. But what about…
Why do Japanese arigatō and Portuguese obrigado sound so similar? While it's tempting to invent a story of ancient contact,…
While many words degrade, some do the opposite in a process called amelioration. This post explores the linguistic glow-up of…
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