Etymology
FALLING CADENCE
 The term cadence has been part of the English language since the late fourteenth century. It was borrowed from Middle French and ultimately originated from the Old Italian noun…
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Latest Etymology
The Grammarphobia Blog: How unnatural is âpreternaturalâ?
Q: Why is the word âpreternaturalâ so commonly used, especially in The New York Times? It seems to be more…
A Brief, Etymological History of Christmas Elves â Useless Etymology
In Old English, your average elf (or ĂŠlf or ylfe) belonged on the naughty list: They were malicious, imp-like creatures,…
Wanna look like a chumbolone?
Q: Have you encountered the term âchumboloneâ? Itâs new to me. I came across it on John Kassâs website. He…
How 12-year-old Gloria Lockerman taught us the word âdisestablishmentarianismâ â Useless Etymology
A 12-year-old girl named Gloria Lockerman is the reason you learned the word âantidisestablishmentarianismâ when you were a kid. Remember…
âDad wouldnât have a bar of itâ
The phrase "wouldn't have a bar of it" originated in Australian English in the early 20th century. It means to…
KIEV AND KYIV
 If you're anything like me, you may have grown up knowing the capital of Ukraine as Kiev, and found…
CEREDIG’S LAND
 The Crimean War left a lasting impact on the English language, with words like balaclava and thin red line…