Yuletide, on the other hand, dates back to the ancient roots of our language. Tide in this context just means “time,” while ...

We often hear fascinating stories about how things originated: the universe, the wheel, even pizza. But when it comes to the words we toss around every single day without a second thought, it’s wild ...

Greek Christmas food finds its roots in many ancient myths with pomegranates, breads, honey sweets, and olive oil as its main ...

Science Diction is a bite-sized podcast about words—and the science stories behind them. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, and sign up for our newsletter. Note: This piece has been updated.

Philotimo is a Greek word that is without definition but impacts the world beyond imagination. The word philotimo comes from the Greek root words “filos,” meaning friend, and “timi,” meaning honor.

In modern English, myrrh survives almost entirely as a symbolic word. It appears in religious narratives, historical accounts ...

When Andrea Marcolongo’s book “La Lingua Geniale,” subtitled “9 ragioni per amare il greco” (“Nine Reasons to Love Greek”), came out in 2016, I bought it, in Italian, and took it with me to Greece. I ...

Think you’ve got a sharp language IQ? It’s time to prove it. This 27-question quiz will put your knowledge of word roots and etymology to the ultimate test. You’ll explore how languages like Latin, ...

We often hear fascinating stories about how things originated: the universe, the wheel, even pizza. But when it comes to the words we toss around every single day without a second thought, it’s wild ...

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