Language & Words
Etymology, lost words, linguistic curiosities, and fascinating phrases from around the world.
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‘Deadline’ originally referred to a physical line in prison camps.
During the American Civil War, prison camps had a literal 'dead line' - a boundary that prisoners could...
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The word ‘sincere’ may come from Latin words meaning ‘without wax.’
One etymology suggests it comes from 'sine cera,' referring to Roman sculptors who worked 'without wax,' meaning they...
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The word ‘mortgage’ comes from French words meaning ‘death pledge.’
Combining 'mort' (death) and 'gage' (pledge), the term reflected the serious nature of the financial commitment. The pledge...
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‘Ye’ in ‘Ye Olde Shoppe’ was never actually pronounced ‘ye.’
The 'y' in these signs was actually a representation of the Old English letter 'thorn' (þ), which made...
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‘Palladium’ originally meant any sacred object that protected a city.
Named after the statue of Pallas Athena that protected Troy, it became a general term for protective objects...
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The word ‘handicap’ originated from a game called ‘hand in cap.’
This trading game involved putting forfeit money in a cap when trading items of unequal value. The term...
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The word ‘salary’ comes from the Latin word for salt.
Ancient Romans were sometimes paid in salt (salarium), which was a valuable preservative and commodity. This practice gave...
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‘Climax’ comes from the Greek word for ladder.
The original meaning referred to a rhetorical device of arranging ideas in ascending order of intensity. The metaphorical...
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The word ‘nightmare’ originally referred to a female spirit that visited sleepers.
The 'mare' in 'nightmare' comes from Old English 'mære,' a type of evil female spirit believed to sit...