Every word we use carries with it layers of history and culture that shape its meaning and usage today. Often, the words flowing effortlessly from our mouths have origins that are both fascinating and ...

This post may contain links from our sponsors and affiliates, and Flywheel Publishing may receive compensation for actions taken through them. Well, “comrade,” I bet you always thought that word comes ...

Linguist Gareth Roberts joins WIRED to answer the internet's burning questions about the etymologies of English words. How did the first languages first form? Was there once a single common language ...

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

Otherwords is available to stream on pbs.org and the free PBS App, available on iPhone, Apple TV, Android TV, Android smartphones, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire Tablet, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, and Vizio ...

Our modern English word "Noel" is derived from the Middle English word nowel and means "a shout of joy or Christmas song." ...

It wouldn't be spooky season without ghosts. The otherworldly white apparitions are a standby of Halloween celebrations. But they weren't always the stereotypical evil spirits we see in books and ...

Despite what a good story it would be if it was true, the word “golf” isn’t an acronym for the phrase “gentlemen only; ladies forbidden,” and not only because you don’t need to say “ladies forbidden” ...

Merriam-Webster’s 2025 word of the year is “slop.” The word was first used in the 1700s to mean soft mud. It evolved more ...