More Than a Word
A single word can carry history, culture, sound, meaning, and memory all at once. That is part of what makes language worth studying.
Knowledge Base
Language
Words, writing, meaning, and the small details that shape how people communicate.
The Dot Has a Name
The small dot above a lowercase i or j has a name: it is called a tittle.
Every Letter in One Sentence
A short sentence containing all 26 letters of the English alphabet is called a pangram. A familiar example is: “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.”
How the Ampersand Got Its Name
The word ampersand developed from the phrase “and per se and.” The & symbol once appeared after Z in early alphabet lists and represented the word and.
A Play Gave Us “Robot”
The word robot came from Karel Čapek's 1920 play R.U.R. and is connected to the Czech word robota, meaning forced labor or work. The term entered English soon afterward and eventually expanded beyond humanlike machines to include many kinds of automated devices.
Candidates Once Dressed in White
The word candidate comes from the Latin candidatus, meaning “clothed in white.” In ancient Rome, men seeking public office wore togas whitened with chalk when presenting themselves to voters.