Historical Linguistics

Latin: The DNA of Modern Science

Far from being a linguistic relic, Latin is the essential operating system for modern innovation. This post moves beyond its…

4 months ago

The African Tongue with Asian Roots

Journey to the great island of Madagascar, a biodiversity hotspot floating off the coast of Mozambique. You might assume its…

4 months ago

From Pidgin to Power: Nigeria’s Voice

Often dismissed as "broken English", Nigerian Pidgin is in fact a dynamic creole language spoken by over 75 million people.…

4 months ago

Slavic False Friends: Words That Deceive

Ever tried to use your knowledge of one Slavic language in another, only to be met with a confused stare?…

4 months ago

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…

4 months ago

The Two-Faced Word: Janus and ‘January’

The first month of the year is named after Janus, the two-faced Roman god of beginnings and transitions. More than…

4 months ago

‘Sinister’: The Left-Handed Insult

The word 'sinister' conjures images of evil, but its origins are far more mundane: it's simply the Latin word for…

4 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…

4 months ago

The Mathematical Wordhoard

We think of mathematics as a universal language, but its vocabulary tells a surprisingly human story of global exchange. From…

4 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…

4 months ago

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