In the vast majority of the world’s languages, the word for mother begins with the letter M. Here are a few examples: Afrikaans: Moeder, Ma Albanian: Mëmë Aragones: Mai Asturian: Ma Belarusan: Matka Bergamasco: […]
The English language is infinitely flexible, providing multiple synonyms for almost every word. While that is helpful in most situations, it can also contribute to some confusing and embarrassing slips of the […]
Backpfeifengesicht is a German word referring to a face badly in need of a fist.
Who knew that animals are like people in having to learn other languages to be understood in different cultures? It may seem that the basic sound made by dogs, “woof,” would be […]
Although the English language presents more than its fair share of challenges, its alphabet is pretty cut and dry. Granted, there are simpler alphabets to learn. Rotokas, spoken in parts of Papua […]
When you want to say a mouthful with just one word, you can do it with “Mamihlapinatapai.” Coming from the Yaghan language of Tierra del Fuego, it refers to “a look that […]
As of this writing, much of the world is forced to stay at home, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With no easy access to barbershops and hairstylists, many of us are contemplating […]
Every schoolchild knows there are 26 letters in the English alphabet. It seems self-evident that this fact must be as old as the language itself. Surprising as it may seem, as recently […]
The Bible has been translated into over 3,000 languages (including Klingon, as is detailed in this post). The first Bible printed in North America was in one of those 3,000 languages — […]
While nuclear energy has unquestioned benefits, there are some trade-offs. Among the downsides to nuclear energy is the problem of nuclear waste. Nuclear waste can be hazardous to all life for at […]
The English language is extraordinarily rich, complicated, and interesting. Its nonsensical rules have perplexed the most diligent of students, but its use as a global language only continues to increase. Consider the […]
E.I. Gordon translated ancient Sumerian cuneiform tablets that dated back to approximately 2500 B.C. Among that ancient writing was a riddle, which is believed to be the world’s oldest brain teaser. Can […]
An interesting phenomenon occurs in languages, and it doesn’t seem to make a difference which language you study. Whichever word is the second-most commonly used will show up in normal usage half […]
Just outside Elberton, Georgia, about 90 miles east of Atlanta, is a monument that some say holds the keys to rebuilding human society after the Apocalypse. Those responsible for its creation are […]
The city of Des Moines is a jewel in the middle of Iowa. With skyscrapers breaking up the monotony of the prairie horizon and the gold-domed Iowa State Capitol building reflecting the […]
Commonplace Fun Facts 