All In a Word
Need just the right word? Why German probably has it.Given the relative freedom of compounding and metaphorical extension, German speakers can manufacture a word for nearly anything they want.
Why we send 鈥榗ongratulations鈥� but not 鈥榗ongratulation鈥�Some grammarians put "congratulations"聽on the list of "pluralia tantum," words that occur only in plural, like聽belongings,聽leftovers, and聽trousers.
Taking a 鈥榮afari鈥� through Swahili-inspired words"Safari," one of Swahili鈥檚 best-known contribution to English, has Arabic roots 鈥� a result of close ties between Oman and the Tanzanian coast.
鈥業f鈥� brings us into the realm of possibilitiesThinking and talking about possibilities and imagined futures is essential to the way we humans navigate our lives.聽
鈥榃ildly鈥� encroaches on the territory of 鈥榳idely鈥�Does the price of oil fluctuate wildly or widely? These two words are often used interchangeably 鈥� can they actually be synonyms?
What Old English reveals about the cultureWords like Gafol-fisc聽(鈥渢ax fish鈥�) have disappeared from modern English, as we no longer pay taxes with bushels of fish.
鈥榃oolgathering鈥� and other not-so-idle pursuitsToday, "woolgathering"聽sounds harmless. But its negative connotations 鈥� like absent-mindedness 鈥� reflect past scorn for impoverished women.
Feeling reluctant to admit your 鈥榬eticence鈥�?"Reticent"聽has meant 鈥渞eluctant鈥� almost as long as it's meant 鈥渞eserved.鈥澛燣anguage mavens have agitated against this "new鈥� use dating from the 1800s.
How lawyers assumed the title of 鈥榚squire鈥�The U.S. Constitution prevents the government from issuing titles of nobility, but the not-quite-a-title聽esquire聽slipped through.
Why does English have so many words for 'lawyer'?The聽solicitor聽general reports to the attorney聽general, who heads the Department of Justice. The president鈥檚 lawyer is the White House counsel. Why?聽
How did 鈥楯uneteenth鈥� get its name?The vagueness of聽-teenth聽might be intentional, to symbolize the way liberty was experienced, piecemeal, on different days as the news spread.
Monkeys in sleeves and other delightful idiomsIn English, the cat is out of the bag. But our Dutch-speaking friends talk of monkeys coming out of sleeves.
Sorting out the changing meaning of 鈥榞rooming鈥�It鈥檚 鈥済rooming鈥� when we take care of our聽dogs, cats, and horses.聽A more sinister sense predominates, however.
Ukraine's 'Surzhyk' hybrid language came from 'flour mix'Once shunned by both the Ukrainian and Russian elite,聽Surzhyk has been adopted by Ukraine鈥檚 counterculture.
Going in circles by 'begging the question'What does the phrase 'begs the question' really mean, and why is its use 鈥� or misuse 鈥� so contentious?
When names for cockroaches reflect national rivalriesPoles might have聽francuzi聽(鈥淔renchies鈥�) in their cupboards, while Rhaeto-Romance speakers in Switzerland could have a聽sclaf聽(鈥淪lav鈥�) or two.聽
Ukraine and Russia's Cyrillic linksCurrent attitudes toward the use of the Cyrillic versus Latin script reflect religious differences and shifting political and economic ties.
鈥楽anctions鈥� and 鈥榝lywheels鈥� dominate the newsAthens applied sanctions to a rival city-state in 432 B.C., but the word聽acquired its current economic and political sense after World War I.
How "envy" is different than "jealousy"One has Latin roots, the other Greek. Both are used interchangeably and, perhaps, incorrectly. But is it worth nitpicking?
Schedulers stumble over what 鈥榥ext鈥� week meansThe word "next"聽is what linguists and philosophers call an "indexical" 鈥� a "linguistic expression whose reference can shift from context to context."
