
Language



10 Awful Words and the People They're Named For
Did these word-inspiring folks really deserve to have their names dragged through the linguistic mud?
Watch a Baby Go from Babbling to Baby Talk to Words in ASL
Children acquiring sign languages go through the same linguistic stages that those acquiring spoken languages do.





14 Scots Words from the Works of Robert Burns
Polish up on this list of words and phrases from Robert Burns’s complete works. Highlighting the imagination of his Scots language, they are ripe for revival by Robbie revelers old and new.
Why Your Family Name Did Not Come From a Mistake at Ellis Island
Your Family Name Did Not Come From a Mistake at Ellis Island

Is Speaking a Language Different From Being Fluent in It?
Are you bilingual, trilingual, or multilingual? A polyglot or hyperpolyglot?
10 Words & Phrases Coined in Comic Strips
Cartoons, comics, and newspaper comic strips might seem like an unusual source of new words and phrases, but here are the stories behind 10 times when precisely that happened.
The Unusual Syntax of “Sexiest Man Alive”
In the wake of People magazine’s announcement of its choice for this year’s “Sexiest Man Alive,” our thoughts, naturally, turn to the unusual syntax of this phrase.
The Origins of 62 Last Names
'Smith' is an Old English name that was given to those who worked with metal. It's probably related to a word that meant "to strike." Where does your last name come from?


11 Versions of “Average Joe” From Other Countries
Whether it's Joe Schmo, Fred Nurk, or Vasya Pupkin, every country needs a way to talk about just “some guy.”