Every year near the start of summer, people around the country celebrate Juneteenth. The holiday is far from new—and it commemorates an event that happened more than 155 years ago—but awareness and interest in Juneteenth has steadily increased over the years. With that awareness and interest comes an opportunity to learn more about the past and present of Black life in America. Here’s the important history …
Language is constantly evolving, but is it always a good idea to say “out with the old and in with the new”? These old English words just might prove otherwise. The phrase “old English”can mean two different things. There’s the official term Old English, which refers specifically to the English spoken between 450 and 1150. But there’s also old English—as in words that are considered …
The words left and right are closely associated with differing “wings” of the political spectrum. But how did liberal politics become associated with the word left, anyways? And why are conservatives labelled as right? When we discuss the origins of words, we often warn against origin stories that sound too good to be true. Well, in this case, the history of the terms left and …
It’s in human nature to tell stories and in many ways, our stories—our mythologies—work their way into every aspect of our daily lives, from meme culture to the language we speak. You may be familiar with some of the words derived from the names of Greek and Roman gods and characters (herculean, echo, narcissist, to name a few). But some of the words with similar …
Hocus pocus, abracadabra, alakazam! These are the words we invoke when magic is at work—even if it might just be a card trick at home. While a few of these words and phrases have wholly crossed over into entertainment magic or originated there from the start (e.g., presto change-o), some of these words are rooted in older commands that called upon higher powers to influence …
Women’s History Month is an opportunity to learn about and focus on women around the world who have worked to make a difference through their advocacy and leadership. Whether promoting action on climate change, greater access to education, misogynistic and anti-LGBTQ violence, and other important issues, the words of these women will inspire you. Malala Yousafzai | Gul Makai Malala Yousafzai, who often goes by …
Puerto Rican songwriter Bad Bunny loves to meld genres—reggaetón blended with a little pop here, punk and rock there, and also soul. In a way, his music perfectly encapsulates Caribbean and Latin American music and its history of weaving and fusing together different musical styles that come together for a highly danceable mix. From reggaetón to the cha-cha-cha to the “singing newspapers” known as plena, Caribbean and …
Great things can come out of hard times — take Scrabble. During the Great Depression, architect Alfred Mosher Butts couldn’t find work. So he decided to create a board game that required the vocabulary skills of anagrams and crossword puzzles but also had an element of chance. Butts hand-drew the original board with architectural drafting equipment.
Where did the name March come from? The name March is ultimately derived from the Latin word Martius (named after Mars, the Roman god of war). Martius was the name of the first month in the original Roman calendar. Along with January, May, and June, March is one of several months named after a god. The Roman ruler, Numa Pompilius, is traditionally credited with adding January and February to the …
You know it as the shortest month of the year—or, depending on where you live, the coldest. But, do you know where the name February came from? First, some calendar-related history. The original Roman calendar only had 10 months, because, curiously, the Romans didn’t demarcate winter. (Sometimes, we wish we could do the same.) In the 700s BCE, the second king of Rome, Numa Pompilius, …
The word zodiac is used in astronomy and astrology to refer to the band of sky over which the sun, moon, and planets move—as seen from Earth, at least. The zodiac contains a number of constellations, and the sun (or other celestial body) is said to be “in” a constellation when it moves into the portion of the zodiac that includes that constellation. The zodiac …
Known for recaps and resolutions, each new year often starts with retrospection and … the month of January. But where did the name January come from and can we learn anything about the name of this first month to inspire us to actually keep those New Year’s resolutions intact? January, as we know, is the first month of the year and contains 31 days. The …