Etymology

The Moorish Legacy: Arab Influence on Spain

For over 700 years, the Moorish kingdom of Al-Andalus was a beacon of culture and science in Europe, leaving an…

2 weeks ago

How Do New Signs Get Created in ASL?

American Sign Language is a living, evolving system, not a static code. The process of creating new signs for modern…

3 weeks ago

The Birth of a Question Mark

The question mark seems like a fundamental part of writing, but it wasn't always there. This ubiquitous symbol of curiosity…

3 weeks ago

The Typo That Became a Word: The Story of ‘Syllabus’

Ever wondered where the word 'syllabus' comes from? The answer is a fascinating journey involving ancient Roman scrolls, a 15th-century…

3 weeks ago

The One-Letter Word: The Story of ‘O’

Did you know one of the most powerful words in the English language is just a single letter? From ancient…

3 weeks ago

Hidden Cousins: Cognates That Look Like Strangers

We’ve all heard of "false friends"—words that look the same in different languages but mean different things. But what about…

3 weeks ago

Echoes in the Dark: The Linguistics of Coincidence

Why do Japanese arigatō and Portuguese obrigado sound so similar? While it's tempting to invent a story of ancient contact,…

3 weeks ago

From Insult to Honor: The Journey of Amelioration

While many words degrade, some do the opposite in a process called amelioration. This post explores the linguistic glow-up of…

3 weeks ago

The Lies on the Map: When Placenames Deceive

We trust our maps to tell us the truth, but what if they're lying? From Greenland's icy shores named to…

3 weeks ago

The Wanderwort: Words That Travel the World

Explore the fascinating world of "Wanderwörter", or wandering words—terms for tradeable goods like tea, sugar, and silk that crossed entire…

3 weeks ago

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