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Interesting Etymologies: Radical, Dude!
Posted on February 9, 2016 by Maria Khodorkovsky in Blog.Oftentimes, the most ubiquitous and innocuous of everyday words have the richest stories to tell. This is the case with the word “radical.” In common usage today, it has a colloquial history that reaches back into the 14th century, and a ramified journey that dates back to ancient Rome. The origins of this word are grounded […]
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The Philogelos: Joke #99
Posted on February 8, 2016 by Blog Admin in Blog, Philogelos Jokes, Virtual.Text and cartoons by Linda Thompson The Philogelos, typically translated as “the joker” or “the one who loves laughter”, is an ancient Greek collection of approximately 265 jokes. Dating to the 4th or 5th century CE, it typically bears the title of the world’s oldest surviving collection of jokes. After reading Dan Crompton’s translation of […]
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Talking Constructed Languages with Arika Okrent
Posted on February 5, 2016 by Blog Admin in Blog.Interview conducted by Greg Nedved, Secretary of the National Museum of Language. Several CONLANGS have visible symbols such as flags, e.g., Esperanto, Volapük. What, if any, positive role can flags or symbols play in developing CONLANGS? Is there any value to creating flags or symbols for natural languages, e.g., English, German, French? They probably play […]
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National Museum of Language Announces New Board of Trustees Member
Posted on January 19, 2016 by Blog Admin in Blog.We are pleased to introduce you to our newest Board of Trustees member, Leslie Grahn. Leslie is the Coordinator of World Languages for the Howard County Public Schools in Maryland. She has twenty-seven years of language teaching experience at the middle and high school levels. She has been on the Board of Directors of the Maryland […]
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The Surprising Word Origins of Popular Professions
Posted on January 18, 2016 by Maria Khodorkovsky in Blog.Some of the most familiar words in the English language had dramatically different meanings when they first started their journeys. Here we share a few professions and their unexpected etymological roots. Doctor: from the Latin docere, meaning “to teach, to show”. Until the 1700s, being a doctor typically entailed providing religious advice or scholarly teachings. […]
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American Linguists Get the Last Word – of the Year
Posted on January 11, 2016 by Blog Admin in Blog.The Linguistic Society of America held its annual conference in Washington DC this week. It was the site of votes on the names of the year and words of the year. Linguists looked at the names and words that were in the news and decided which ones will be used and remembered beyond 2015. Article […]
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The Philogelos: Joke #188
Posted on January 4, 2016 by Blog Admin in Blog, Philogelos Jokes, Virtual.Text and cartoons by Linda Thompson The Philogelos, typically translated as “the joker” or “the one who loves laughter”, is an ancient Greek collection of approximately 265 jokes. Dating to the 4th or 5th century CE, it typically bears the title of the world’s oldest surviving collection of jokes. After reading Dan Crompton’s translation of […]
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Keep Your Language Skills Sharp in 2017
Posted on January 3, 2016 by Maria Khodorkovsky in Blog. Comments Off on Keep Your Language Skills Sharp in 2017 Continue Reading... -
Former Museum Trustee Receives LSA Award
Posted on December 7, 2015 by Blog Admin in Blog.Author and linguist Michael Erard, a former National Museum of Language trusteem was honored by the Linguistic Society of America for his work. Dr. Erard received the 2016 “Linguistics, Language, and the Public” Award, joining the ranks of Steven Pinker, Deborah Tannen, Geoff Nunberg, and Language Log. Congratulations, Michael!
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New Study Examines Digital Trends and the Modern Museum
Posted on November 30, 2015 by Blog Admin in Blog.Earlier this month, a new study conducted by Axiell confirmed an idea that we at the National Museum of Language have been promoting for some time: a digital footprint is key for today’s museums. The survey, which the IT systems supplier conducted in cooperation with Museums and the Web, examines the digital strategies, approaches, and attitudes […]
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