The terms empathy and sympathy are often confused, and with good reason. Both of the words deal with the relationship a person has to the feelings and experiences of another person. One involves feeling a certain way about a person, and the other involves feeling the same way that another person does. In this article, we’ll explain the subtle differences between sympathy and empathy, discuss …
You might be able to recite the letters considered vowels in the English language: A, E, I, O, U, and sometimes Y. But what makes a vowel a vowel? Vowels and consonants are two different categories of sounds that linguists (in the branch of linguistics called phonetics) use to explain how speech sounds work. In this article, we’ll explore the difference between consonants and vowels …
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 …
If you’re in the business of defining and explaining words (which we are), it’s important to know the difference between denotation and connotation. These two terms are easy to confuse because they refer to related concepts. And every word can have both denotation and connotation. So what do they mean? In this article, we’ll explain the difference, give you tips for how to remember it, …
Mark Twain once wrote: “This is the day upon which we are reminded of what we are on the other three hundred and sixty-four.” Twain’s referring to the first day of April or, as it’s often known, April Fools’ Day. While the first day of the fourth month of the year is sure to bring plenty of shenanigans (will you be the perpetrator or the …
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 …
The first records of the word valentine in its modern sense come from the 1400s. Valentines and Valentine’s Day get their name from feast day of Saint Valentine, but there are at least two saints named Valentine, one of whom became a martyr around the year 270 CE. The name Valentine comes from a Latin word meaning “strength.” There are many legends about it, but …
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, …
Ah, December, that time of year when storefronts are festooned with holiday decorations, and another year is reaching its close. If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, December might mean pulling off your boots so you can curl up with your smartphone and read Dictionary.com (hey, we can dream). But, what does the word December mean in the dictionary? And, where did the 12th month of …
Cyclone, hurricane, and typhoon are all terms for big storms. Are they all the same thing? What’s the difference? Join us on this whirlwind tour as we answer these questions and more: What’s the difference between a cyclone, a hurricane, and a typhoon? What’s the difference between a tropical cyclone, a tropical depression, and a tropical storm? Why are some tropical cyclones called hurricanes and …
What is Rosh Hashanah? Rosh Hashanah, usually commemorated in September, marks the beginning of the Jewish New Year. At sunset, families and friends gather to pray and then eat the traditional honey and apples, which symbolize the hope for a sweet new year. Rosh Hashanah, also spelled Hashana or Ha-shanah, comes from Hebrew and, most simply put, means “beginning of the year.” Rosh Hashanah not only marks the …
