reappropriation

How Dr. Seuss Invented ‘Nerd’

Where did the word 'nerd' come from? The answer lies not in a dusty dictionary, but in the whimsical pages…

6 days ago

The Novel That Made Pidgin Literature

When Amos Tutuola published *The Palm-Wine Drinkard* in 1952, its "broken" English was celebrated abroad but scorned as a national…

6 days ago

How ‘Spinster’ Became an Insult

The word 'spinster' didn't always evoke images of a lonely old maid. It originally meant a woman who spun thread…

6 days ago

The Verlan of French Rap

Verlan, the French back-slang born in the suburbs, found its ultimate expression in hip-hop. More than just street talk, it…

4 months ago

Chavacano: The Spanish Creole of Asia

Journey to the Philippines to discover Chavacano, a unique Spanish-based creole that blends the vocabulary of colonizers with the grammatical…

4 months ago

Endangered Romance: Languages on the Brink

Not all of Rome's linguistic children are thriving like Spanish or French. We shine a light on endangered Romance languages…

4 months ago

The Role of Religion in Modern Spain

Spain's identity is deeply intertwined with its Catholic history, but the modern nation is increasingly secular. We explore how sacred…

4 months 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…

5 months ago

The Walloon Language of Belgium

Belgium's linguistic landscape is famously divided, but beyond French and Dutch lies Walloon, a distinct Romance language with deep historical…

5 months ago

10 Endangered Scripts to Watch in 2025

Long before a language falls silent, its unique writing system can fade into obscurity. This post explores ten beautiful and…

5 months ago

This website uses cookies.