LINGUISTICS

This Medieval Manuscript Has Stumped Codebreakers for More Than a Century

Some scholars have dedicated decades of their lives to cracking the code.

The Word 'Huh' Might Be Universal

The word “huh” packs a lot of meaning into just one syllable.

When Did We Stop Using 'O'?

What was once literature's favorite exclamation is now as dead as the Romantic poets who used it.

16 Little Words and Phrases for Describing Small Amounts

When we’re looking to describe an amount that’s teensy-weensy, the words aren’t precise, but they are folksy and charming.

Why Do We Get Tip-of-the-Tongue Syndrome?

Did you know the phenomenon has a name?

How the Word ‘Father’ Unlocked the History of Language

It's no coincidence that the word used to describe dear old dad was so similar across distinct classical languages.

Reading These Words Sets Off Completely Different Brain Processes Than Speaking Them

Feast Your Eyes on This Beautiful Linguistic Family Tree

Take a look at how different languages are connected to one another with this wonderful illustration by Minna Sundberg.

Can "Y'all" Be Used to Refer to a Single Person?

For over a century, a controversy has been brewing over what might be called the Loch Ness Monster of dialect study: the elusive singular “y’all.” There are a few who claim to have seen it in the wild, and many who denounce such claims as nonsense. Does i

From Y'all To Youse: 8 English Ways to Make "You" Plural

Lots of languages have distinct plural forms for "you." Wouldn't it be useful if English had one too?

4 Good Reasons Why People Say “I Could Care Less”

It turns out, there are a number of things about English that conspire to make “I could care less” a less irrational phrase than it might seem.

How Do You Pronounce "Sochi"?

Before Sochi was selected as the host of the 2014 winter Olympics, not many people had heard of it, so it didn't have a widely known English pronunciation.

Pull up this list when you find yourself short of words.

15 Wonderful Words for Delightful Experiences

Some situations are just too perfect for words, but these bits of lovely lingo will shorten that list ever so slightly.

3 Facts About English’s Most Adorable Suffix

Is there any suffix more adorable than the lovely little –ling? It gives us yearlings and starlings, downy ducklings and goslings, affectionate darlings and siblings, and comforting tender dumplings. But –ling hasn’t always been so little and cute. It use

The Australian Town That Invented A Language

Light Warlpiri only has 350 native speakers, and none of them are older than 35 years old.

Why Did "The Ukraine" Become Just "Ukraine"?

Until a few decades ago, Ukraine was almost always referred to as the Ukraine. Then people started dropping the definite article, and now you almost never see it. What gives?

Why Are Potatoes Called Spuds?

Daven Hiskey runs the wildly popular interesting fact website Today I Found Out. To subscribe to his "Daily Knowledge" newsletter, click

The 35th Anniversary of the Jonestown Massacre

The Terrifying Origin of "Drinking the Kool-Aid" and the massacre that gave us the phrase. In the wake of the tragedy, the phrase became a popular term for blind obedience, as the Temple members had apparently accepted cups of fruity poison willingly.

How Happy Are Clams?

Wikimedia Commons"Happy as a clam" is one of those expressions that makes you wonder: Does this phrase come from an actual measurement of the happiness of

Why Do We Say “Pardon My French” When We Curse?

My dad always used to preface the dropping of an F-bomb or a tangent of creative profanity with a request that listeners “pardon his French.”

Why Is Abruptly Quitting Something Called "Going Cold Turkey"?

Around this time of year, we’re all loosening our belts and getting ready to gorge ourselves on hot, gravy-laden turkey. So we couldn’t help but wonder about things at the opposite end of the temperature spectrum: the “cold turkey” invoked when people up

Why Are There Different Names for the Same Country?

Reader Jonathan wrote in to ask, “Why do we call other countries by names that they do not use themselves? Where did these names come from and why do we use them?"

The Meaning of the Word "Moot" is Moot

The adjective "moot" means "open to debate." Yes, really. This is a dramatic difference from its common usage (at least in America), which basically means "not worth debating." A famous example comes from Rick Springfield's lyrics in "Jessie's Girl":

The Man Who Conlanged "Dothraki" for HBO's "Game of Thrones"

David J. Peterson is one of many conlangers: people who invent languages. His most recent work is the Dothraki tongue shown in HBO's "Game of Thrones"; the spoken language had to be invented for TV because it's rendered in English in the "Song of Ice an

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