For many architects writing is an integral part of the design process, one that clarifies or pushes ideas into places sketches can't always reach. But for many, the origins of the words we use to ...

Where does the word “mother” come from? What does it mean? If, for some reason, you find yourself asking these questions, read on (and, as an aside, you might need to seek some professional help). For ...

You are able to gift 5 more articles this month. Anyone can access the link you share with no account required. Learn more. A: “Cult” entered English from the French word “culte,” which derived from ...

"Lesbian" is a demonym for the inhabitants of the Greek island of Lesbos, so why does it today describe female homosexuality?

Within our lexicon lives a library of forgotten stories, developed over centuries and tucked away in words. Thanks to the dirty impulses of our forefathers, quite a few of them also contain filthy ...

Food words have some seriously gnarly roots, but follow them far back enough, and you can see culinary history all tangled up in a few short syllables. Welcome to Eat Your Words When I was a kid, ...

Aristotle called the artichoke a "cactus," but it wasn't a case of ancient Greek botany gone wrong. Back then, the word for an artichoke--or at least its closest relative, a kind of wild artichoke ...