In previous years, I’ve seized on the annual holiday of Christmas as inspiration for a December article. For this year, though, I fancy a foray into the weather conditions associated with that holiday: that is, the cold. Christmas imagery is inseparable from low temperatures, what with all its snow, reindeer, and jolly gentlemen in fur-linedContinue reading “Cool Etymology: Chilled Jelly and Cold Gelato”
Tag Archives: English
A Voice for the Voiceless: English’s Lost Consonants
In September this year, Catherine Clarke, professor at the Institute of Historical Research, published A History of England in 25 Poems. This chronological hike through England’s history via verses that its people have left behind was released to great acclaim – and no wonder, when the book manages to be comfortable and accessible, yet alsoContinue reading “A Voice for the Voiceless: English’s Lost Consonants”
‘Why Q Needs U’ cover reveal!
Friends, linguists, beloved subscribers, lend me your eyes! My new book Why Q Needs U has a cover. Now, you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but you can judge a cover, and this one is looking good. This reveal also comes with a limited-time discount… A lot of thought and emails have goneContinue reading “‘Why Q Needs U’ cover reveal!”
A CHRISTMAS Full of Etymology
Reading time: 5 minutes It’s December now, the month when the calendar helpfully provides me with a topic for the monthly article. So, here’s a short and sweet linguistic post with a festive theme: nine Christmas-related words that I think have interesting etymologies, one for each of the nine letters of the word Christmas. IContinue reading “A CHRISTMAS Full of Etymology”
Oneteen, twoteen? The origins of ‘eleven’ and ‘twelve’
Reading time: 5 minutes November, at time of writing, is ticking out its final few hours, and with them, the eleventh month of 2024 is giving way to the twelfth. Aside from the awkward mismatch in the months’ etymology (November and December were originally the ninth and tenth months in the Roman calendar), the numbersContinue reading “Oneteen, twoteen? The origins of ‘eleven’ and ‘twelve’”
Verba Bohemica: The Oldest Latin Words in Czech
Reading time: 5-10 minutes For this month, I’d like to revisit two languages very close to my heart: Latin and Czech. Besides English, they’re the two languages I tend to spend the most time with. Specifically, this is a simple post about how the former has historically affected the latter. As a European language, it’sContinue reading “Verba Bohemica: The Oldest Latin Words in Czech”
Spending Pounds and Pensively Pondering: pend- in English
Reading time: 5-10 minutes Just a simple piece from me for this month, in which I’d like to shine a spotlight on a Latin root that’s been remarkably successful in English vocabulary. It all goes back to hanging things. In Latin, we find the very similar verbs pendere and pendēre. They’re close not only inContinue reading “Spending Pounds and Pensively Pondering: pend- in English”
Humble Thimbles and Thor’s Thunder
Reading time: 5-10 minutes For this month, I’d like to highlight a phonological phenomenon that should be part of the conceptual toolkit of all etymology fans. It’s something that’s happened in the history of English, and in languages that have gone on to influence English. Awareness of this change can therefore clarify and connect allContinue reading “Humble Thimbles and Thor’s Thunder”
The Fates of the Dual
The Story of Indo-European‘s (Mostly) Lost Number Reading time: 10 minutes Introduction One book, many books. One cat, many cats. One woman, many women. One sheep, many… well, also sheep. In Modern English, the grammatical options for nouns are limted to two. A given noun can be singular, referring to one individual thing, or plural,Continue reading “The Fates of the Dual”
Is This [Is] An English Question?
Reading time: 10 minutes For this November’s post, I’d like to shine a syntactic spotlight on an unusual feature of English word order. While you might not know it from my online offerings, I am first and foremost a syntactician: words are fascinating, but it’s how we arrange them together that interests me most. TheContinue reading “Is This [Is] An English Question?”
Danny L. Bate 