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 ...

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

We often hear fascinating stories about how things originated: the universe, the wheel, even pizza. But when it comes to the words we toss around every single day without a second thought, it’s wild ...

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 ...

They're known as man's best friends, fur babies, pooches. But the most widely used word for these beloved animals — "dog" — is also a great linguistic mystery. "The most everyday, commonplace words ...

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 ...

It’s scary how early I get excited about PSL season. Of course, I’m talking about punctuation, syntax and language! Add an extra pump of grammar to mine. We all know about the origin of the word ...

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 ...