Linguist Gareth Roberts joins WIRED to answer the internet's burning questions about the etymologies of English words. How did the first languages first form? Was there once a single common language ...

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 ...

The word “yuletide” is a noun that is defined as Christmas and the surrounding days, including all of its festivities. The ...

Scholar Jenni Nuttall speaks to ABC News Live. Articulating a woman's journey may not be an easy task, but in her new book, “Mother Tongue: The Surprising History of Women's Words,” scholar Jenni ...

The word "deadline" has been used a lot in reference to tariffs. It got us thinking: what is the origin of the word? NPR's Scott Simon talks with Benjamin Dreyer, author of "Dreyer's English." The ...

For more than 150 years ago, the assumption that language is a singular event has hampered progress in explaining its evolution. Another obstacle was the failure to recognize that certain social ...

The word “munificent” is adjective that can describe someone who is very generous. It can also describe something that is ...

Dagnabit, I just love cursing. It relieves stress and feels good. Polite society has considered the use of vulgar language to be associated with low intellect, but studies are showing the opposite.

The English language grows a little more every year. It becomes richer, warmer, and more diverse as people across the world create new words. It borrows expressions from other cultures or changes the ...