Onomastics

Decoding -yan: The History Behind Armenian Surnames

Explore the fascinating linguistics and history behind the iconic Armenian "-ian" and "-yan" surnames. This article breaks down the etymology…

6 days ago

From Zibibbu to Cassata: The Arabic Heart of Sicilian

Walk through the bustling markets of Palermo, perhaps the famous BallarĂ² or Vucciria, and close your eyes. The sounds washing…

1 week ago

Demonyms: Why Citizens of Liverpool are Scousers

Why are people from Liverpool called Scousers, while residents of Manchester are Mancunians? From Roman forts to Norwegian stews, this…

1 week ago

The Town That Fought Over Its Apostrophe

What happens when a local council tries to erase a single punctuation mark from a place name? In the English…

2 months ago

The Telegram That Named a Country

The name "Pakistan" is famously an acronym for the homelands of Punjab, Afghania, Kashmir, and Sindh. But a fascinating, debated…

2 months ago

The Butcher, the Baker, the Candlestick Maker

Ever wonder why so many English surnames sound like old jobs? This dive into linguistic history reveals how surnames like…

2 months ago

When Did We Agree on Place Names?

Ever wondered why Bombay became Mumbai, or why The Netherlands is no longer called Holland? The names on our maps…

3 months ago

The Lexicon of the Lab: Inside Scientific Latin

Ever wonder why scientists use a "dead" language to name living things? Scientific Latin is more than just a tradition;…

3 months ago

The Denali Name War: A Mountain’s Identity

For over a century, North America's tallest peak was at the center of a linguistic and cultural war. This is…

6 months ago

The Sailor Who Mistook a Word for an Island

Explore the strange case of "I-da-no", a phantom island that appeared on Japanese maps for decades. This wasn't a sailor's…

6 months ago

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