It's not just the quintessential corporate jargon word. "Synergy" goes back hundreds of years, with history in Christianity, ...

"Lesbian" is a demonym for the inhabitants of the Greek island of Lesbos, so why does it today describe female homosexuality?

Where does the word “mother” come from? What does it mean? If, for some reason, you find yourself asking these questions, read on (and, as an aside, you might need to seek some professional help). For ...

For many architects writing is an integral part of the design process, one that clarifies or pushes ideas into places sketches can't always reach. But for many, the origins of the words we use to ...

A lot of books and blogs on etymology target odd words, many that you’ve never heard of, nor ever will again. These can be provocative. But for Word Odyssey, I prefer common, everyday words, words we ...

We often hear fascinating stories about how things originated: the universe, the wheel, even pizza. But when it comes to the words we toss around every single day without a second thought, it’s wild ...

Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/4078401/4078402" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> NPR's ...

The Oscars are mostly about the movie industry giving itself a big, sloppy, well-dressed kiss every year, but they also happen to be one of the most consistent events in the country when it comes to ...