Every word we use carries with it layers of history and culture that shape its meaning and usage today. Often, the words flowing effortlessly from our mouths have origins that are both fascinating and ...

From the Old English verb slean, slay originally meant to kill or destroy (think slaying a dragon). In slang, slay means to dominate, look amazing or absolutely crush it—whether on a stage, on a ...

The word "deadline" has been used a lot in reference to tariffs. It got us thinking: what is the origin of the word? NPR's Scott Simon talks with Benjamin Dreyer, author of "Dreyer's English." The ...

First in a series of occasional short takes on unusual courses in local schools. For a few hours every other afternoon, Latin and Greek roots rain on Phil Rosenthal's etymology class at Park View High ...

Etymology is the study of the origins of words and how their usage has changed over time. It's every bit the serious academic discipline you might expect it to be — except when it's not. As it turns ...

It wouldn't be spooky season without ghosts. The otherworldly white apparitions are a standby of Halloween celebrations. But they weren't always the stereotypical evil spirits we see in books and ...

Join us as we try to figure out how our body parts got their names. Body parts would probably have been one of the first things that ancient peoples gave names to, so not only do we find hundreds of ...

For more than 150 years ago, the assumption that language is a singular event has hampered progress in explaining its evolution. Another obstacle was the failure to recognize that certain social ...

Stay on top of what’s happening in the Bay Area with essential Bay Area news stories, sent to your inbox every weekday. The Bay Bay Area-raised host Ericka Cruz Guevarra brings you context and ...