Censorship is probably as old as language itself. Okay, maybe it’s not that old, but there were censorship laws in Ancient Greece and in Dynastic China more than 2,000 years ago. From the Latin verb censere meaning “to appraise, value or judge,” the word “censor” was first used to name the Roman official who oversaw public morals. How censorship is implemented, though, shifts over time. Today, …
In 2015, Dictionary.com saw a number of themes emerge in the words that gained enough traction to be added to the dictionary along with words that trended in user lookups. The most prominent theme across both of these areas was in the expanding and increasingly fluid nature of conversations about gender and sexuality. Additionally, the theme of racial identity led to some of the most …
It used to be that when we spoke of allies, it was most likely in a military sense, referring to countries formally banded together, usually by treaty, to fight against their enemies. Today, though, the word is used more broadly. What does ally mean today? An ally, ultimately from a Latin verb meaning “to bind to,” is used to describe “someone who supports disenfranchised and underrepresented groups …
Are these adorable shaggy mammals popping up across home goods, clothing, and toys llamas? Or are these sweet, fluffy creatures that people adore called alpacas? And what’s the difference between the two? Despite being commonly mixed up, llamas and alpacas are two distinct animals with several defining features. Let’s take a closer look. What is an alpaca? An alpaca is a domesticated mammal from South America. …
Expand your child’s vocabulary with these fun word activities Have your child complete one of the vocab activities below to build their language or complete one of the family activities to get a little learning boost for all those involved. Learning words for feelings Put these videos on for your child, one at a time. After each video, ask them what the kids in the …
The words to, too, and two sound exactly alike but are used in completely different ways. They are classic examples of what we call homophones—words that are pronounced the same but have different meanings and spellings. Because they’re so similar, they often get mixed up in written language. In this article, we’ll give you everything you need to make sure you choose the right to, …
Deciphering the language of hype Language can be used to avoid discussion just as much as it can be used to communicate effectively. For example: the language of public relations. Public-relations representatives often speak for corporate America, politicians, and the media. They know how to avoid topics and how to not answer the hard questions (tweaking language to fit a particular need at a particular …
These infamously chipper singing groups are called glee because the melding of voices makes everyone happy, right? Actually, joy has little to do with it. Why are they really called glee clubs? Yes, one definition of glee is “open delight or pleasure,” e.g., The students ran out of the building on the last day of school with glee.Glee derives from the Old English glēo, meaning “mirth, jesting, …
