“Every word was coined by a resourceful individual or borrowed as a result of language contact in a certain place at a certain time,” writes Anatoly Liberman in his new book, “Word Origins and How We ...

We often hear fascinating stories about how things originated: the universe, the wheel, even pizza. But when it comes to the ...

Knowing the origin of words is of vital importance for a good speller. Several internationally acclaimed spelling lists have their words divided into sections on the basis of the language of origin.

In the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding, fictional Greek-American small business owner Gus Portokalos repeatedly issues a bold linguistic challenge: “Give me a word—any word—and I’ll show you how the ...

Archive photo shows a sculpture of the ancient Greek goddess Aphrodite on display at the Haus der Kunst in Munich. Photo: DPA German speakers probably know more Greek than they think. Here's a run ...