Behind some of the most popular names is a tapestry of religion, diaspora, combat, and integration. Take an etymological tour of 10 of the most popular male and female given names in the English language. John: Derived as Juan, Jean, Hans, Ivan, Giovanni, as well as a host of other multicultural variations, this ubiquitous name is […]
What’s in a Name? 10 Popular First Names and their Origins Read More »
When Ralph Dumain took the Canadian Esperanto Association’s proficiency exam in 1976, the score was so high that judges practically had to create a new category for his certificate. This achievement parallels perfectly his affinity for the practice of autodidacticism, or self-education. Since 1999, Dumain has been running the Autodidact Project, a large collection of
Intellect as Equipment: Interview with Ralph Dumain Read More »
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
The Philogelos: Joke #154 Read More »
Do you know which country is named after the second-highest mountain in Africa? How about the nation renamed in the 20th century to better reflect the people living there? Read on to find out! Algeria: Derived from the country’s capital city of Algiers, this name comes from the Arabic al-Jazair, meaning “the islands.” This refers to
The Etymologies of 10 World Nations Read More »
How much do you know about the word origins of our furry, scaly, and winged friends? Read on to learn 10 etymologies from the animal kingdom. Camel: This beast of burden traces its linguistic heritage from the Latin camelus and Greek kamelos. The word has resonances with the Arabic jamala, which means “to bear” or
10 Etymologies from the Animal Kingdom Read More »
In anticipation of the inaugural meeting of the International Network of Language Museums, we spoke with Elaine Gold, Director of the Canadian Language Museum. For over 20 years, Dr. Gold has taught a variety of courses at the University of Toronto, including Historical Linguistics, Morphology, Sociolinguistics, Languages of Canada, and Canadian English. Here, she speaks with NML
Interview with Dr. Elaine Gold, Director of the Canadian Language Museum Read More »
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
The Philogelos: Joke #94 Read More »
These meteorological phenomena draw from languages across the world while paying homage to the Proto-Indo-European tree from which so many languages were born. Typhoon: Trailing behind it a multi-ethnic and multilingual history, this word finds resonance in the Greek typon, meaning “whirlwind” and the Persian, Arabic, and Hindi tufan, designating a major cyclone or storm.
The Etymology of Natural Phenomena Read More »
“I don’t need to worry about getting that report in on time; my boss is very laxadaisical about deadlines.” This fun and whimsical word suffers a beating most every time someone wishes to express how so-and-so maintains a cool, measured, or flippant attitude. Why do we have such a difficult time pronouncing a word we
Occlusive Discomfort: Why We Mispronounce “Lackadaisical” Read More »
Orin Hargraves began his career in lexicography in 1991 after answering an ad in a London newspaper. Since then, he has contributed language reference material to a variety of publications, including Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, Scholastic, HarperCollins, and Merriam-Webster. Here, Orin Hargraves speaks with NML Secretary Greg Nedved about the wonderful world of
A Lexicographer’s Lot: Interview with Orin Hargraves Read More »
