loanwords

The Basque-Icelandic Pidgin: History’s Strangest Mix

In the 17th century, Basque whalers and Icelandic farmers developed one of history's most unlikely languages: a pidgin combining the…

5 days ago

Narkamaŭka vs. Taraškievica: A Tale of Two Spellings

Explore the fascinating linguistic divide in Belarus, where the choice between the official "Narkamaŭka" spelling and the classical "Taraškievica" is…

5 days ago

Karma, Guru, Avatar: The True Meanings of Sanskrit Loans

While we casually use words like 'Avatar' and 'Karma' in daily English, their journey from the ancient Vedas involves a…

5 days ago

The ‘Ə’ Factor: How Azerbaijani Differs from Turkish

While Turkish and Azerbaijani are mutually intelligible linguistic cousins, they are far from identical. This deep dive explores the defining…

5 days ago

Germanic Sound, Semitic Look: The Unique Yiddish Writing System

Yiddish presents a rare linguistic paradox: a Germanic language, close kin to English and German, written entirely in the ancient…

5 days ago

English Words Borrowed From Tamil: More Than Just Curry

While most people know the word "curry" hails from India, few realize that everyday English words like "mango", "catamaran", and…

5 days ago

From LEGO to Hygge: The Danish Words You Already Know

From the nursery to the design studio, Danish words like LEGO and Hygge have infiltrated the global consciousness, yet their…

5 days ago

From Army Camps to Poetry: The Surprising Origins of Urdu

Discover the fascinating linguistic evolution of Urdu, a language that began as a practical means of communication in Mughal army…

5 days ago

Running Amok: Surprising English Words of Malay Origin

Did you know that "ketchup" isn't an American invention, but a word borrowed from the Spice Islands? In this deep…

6 days ago

Maltese: The Sole Survivor of Siculo-Arabic

Explore the fascinating history of Maltese, the only Semitic language in the European Union and the sole survivor of the…

6 days ago

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