Language Lovers

Happy Valentine’s Day! We take a look at the etymology behind the word ‘valentine’

Valentine The fourteenth of February is Saint Valentine’s Day, when lovers send each other cards and gifts known as valentines. Although the name of Valentine is now synonymous with lovers, there is no certain connection between the celebration of romantic love and historical figure of Saint Valentine, a… Read More

Lucy Mangan’s back with your latest word submissions, from ‘cagophilist’ to ‘epicoolsome’

Sometimes I feel very blessed to have this job, with the glimpses into the secret pockets of people’s souls that it affords me. Sifting through submissions can be revelatory on many levels. Take, for example, cagophilist meaning – though there seems to be no etymological basis for it –… Read More

‘Alternative facts’, ‘Executive Orders’, and ‘fantastic relationship’: January’s Words in the News

If 2016 was the year of post-truth, perhaps 2017 will be the year of alternative facts. That’s the term the Trump Administration has selected for statements that are, to use parliamentary language, economical with the truth. The phrase was coined by “Senior White House Aide” Kellyanne Conway (yes, that is… Read More

Etymology Corner – ‘Rugby’

The Six Nations begin tomorrow so we’ve decided to look at the etymology behind the word ‘rugby’. ‘Rugby’ is what is known in etymological parlance as a toponym: a word that is derived from a place-name. In this case the word comes from the town of Rugby… Read More

Paul Noble’s Five Top Tips for Learning a Language

Number One – Study (at least a little) every day Learning a language is like building a fire – if you don’t tend to it, it will go out! So, once you have decided to learn a foreign language, you really should study it every day. It doesn’t have to… Read More

Lucy Mangan checks out your recent word submissions, from ‘Manfant’ to ‘funsultant’.

The Trumpocene era begins. As the unnatural orange rays of a new dawn start to glow on the horizon, it has given us several gifts already. First, the word manfant, a combination of “man” and “infant”, deployed by many people to describe a president elect who is a combination… Read More

We take a look at the etymology behind the word ‘rocket’ and it’s Italian origins

Over 300 common English words can be traced back to Italian, and it will come as little surprise to hear that a large number of these relate either to music or to food. Most of the technical vocabulary of music is borrowed from Italian and so English speakers are accustomed… Read More

We take a look at the etymology behind the word ‘canapé’ and its French origins

William the Conqueror’s victory at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 brought not only a new ruling dynasty to England but also a radical change in the nature of the English language. Over the following centuries the language of the Norman French invaders became intertwined with that of the defeated… Read More

We take a look at the etymology behind the word ‘bonanza’ and it’s Spanish origins

A Spanish bonanza To celebrate the launch of our brand-new Unlocking Spanish with Paul Noble we’re looking at commonly used English words that originally came from Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries. Some of these are words that are still strongly associated with Spanish culture, so it is no surprise… Read More