Otherwords is available to stream on pbs.org and the free PBS App, available on iPhone, Apple TV, Android TV, Android smartphones, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire Tablet, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, and Vizio ...

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 ...

“I always try to include word origins in my classes and most students are shocked!” Imagine finding out the word “salary” comes from the Latin word for salt, or that “quarantine” has roots in the ...

In this installment of NPR's "Word of the Week" series we trace the origins of the "cravat" (borrowed from the French ...

This post may contain links from our sponsors and affiliates, and Flywheel Publishing may receive compensation for actions taken through them. Well, “comrade,” I bet you always thought that word comes ...

The study of word origins (that is, etymology) is every bit the serious academic discipline you might expect it to be — except when it's not. As it turns out, people have a propensity to make false ...

Some rumors are too hazy to be believed. For years, claims have connected the root of the word "alcohol" to an Arabic term that purportedly means "body-eating spirit." Many of these claims miss the ...

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 ...

If you're a coffee lover, you may be more likely to ask what's in a cup of joe, rather than what's in a name. But learning the roots of our favorite food and drink can bring more meaning to simple ...