15 Pairs of Words That Surprisingly Come From the Same Source
Sometimes words we might not expect to have anything in common historically do go back to the same source. They’re called etymological doublets—here are 15 of them.
Sometimes words we might not expect to have anything in common historically do go back to the same source. They’re called etymological doublets—here are 15 of them.
Go beyond “Gesundheit!"
In honor of Clueless' 20th birthday (we know—we're totally buggin'!), we're exploring the origins of the movie's most memorable phrases.
As it turns out, it’s a relatively new designation.
The story of how department stores taught us about language and prestige.
With the summer in full swing, you might be running out of ways to describe the sweltering heat.
Celebrate Bastille Day by sprinkling a few of Voltaire's choicest bon mots into your conversations.
In 2014, Penn State researchers found that adults who successfully tackled a new language strengthened their neural pathways, benefiting overall brain function and slowing deterioration. We scoured some recent research for tips for mastering a second tong
A video from linguist David Crystal and his son Ben, shows what Shakespeare would have sounded like back in 1600—and why it matters.
In a pinch, you can get some vacation vibes just by opening the dictionary, where a variety of beautiful locations have given us everyday words.
Here are 13 fine, upstanding words that long ago switched from negative to positive meanings (or vice versa).
A digital map tracks metaphors from over 4 million pieces of lexical data.
There’s nothing in the world quite like hurling a good insult, but let’s face it: Modern-day zingers are super boring. The good news is, we have years of linguistic history to draw from!
How often can you use the word "idiot" without falling into the idiocy of word repetition? Fortunately, there are many old, mostly forgotten terms ready for a revival.