Did You Know?
‘Quarantine’ originally meant a forty-day period.
From Italian 'quarantina' (forty days), it referred to the time ships had to wait before landing during plagues. The number forty was chosen based on ancient medical theories about disease progression.
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‘Vandalism’ comes from the name of a Germanic tribe.
The Vandals were a Germanic people who sacked Rome in 455 CE. Their name became synonymous with the...
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‘Enthusiasm’ originally meant possession by a god.
From Greek 'entheos' meaning 'possessed by a god,' enthusiasm initially described religious fervor. Over time, it evolved to...
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The phrase ‘upper case’ and ‘lower case’ comes from literal cases of letters in printing.
In traditional printing, capital letters were stored in the upper drawer or case, while small letters were stored...