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Arika Okrent
Joined: Nov 21, 2012
Linguist, author of In the Land of Invented Languages, living in Chicago, doing her part to fight off the cot-caught merger and keep "gym shoes" alive.
The Story of American Sign Language
Horrible Jargon We've Totally Gotten Used To
French Phrases Hidden in English Words
The Story of the Umlaut
We know the umlaut as that heavy metal pair of scary looking Gothic-Viking-Teutonic dots, but it is so much more. Here is the story of the umlaut.
Why Does Germany Have So Many Different Names?
Germany. Deutschland, Allemagne, Niemcy, Saksa, Vokietija...
Word Origins Hiding in Plain Sight
Sometimes the etymology of a word is right in front of us, and we don't even see it.
Why Do We Say 'Merry' Just for Christmas?
We say happy for every other occasion. Why merry just for Christmas?
Why Do Animals Make Different Sounds in Different Languages?
A rooster sounds like a rooster wherever it lives. A cow sounds like a cow in every country. So shouldn't we all use the same words for animal sounds no matter what our language?
Why Does 'Terrible' Mean Bad and 'Terrific' Mean Good?
They both used to mean terror-inducing. How did they end up meaning such different things?
Where Do the Days of the Week Get Their Names?
What does Sunday have to do with the sun? What's a Satur or Tues?
How Did Language Begin?
Here's what we know about the origin of language.
Fancier Words for the Shapes in Your World
Square, circle, triangle—how boring!
The Evolution of 'Dude'
Dudes have been around since the 1880s, but they've changed a lot since then.
What's the Real Origin of OK?
There are many stories of its origin, but here's the one that's lexicographer-approved.
These Words Aren't the Words You Think They Are
It's possible you never wondered about these tricky words from common expressions. That's because they aren't the words you think they are.