An etymological stinkpo(s)t
The Oxford Etymologist’s subject today is the origin of the verb “stink”.
Language peeves and the word peeve
The Oxford Etymologist considers the etymology of the word “peeve.”
No release from an etymological entanglement
The Oxford Etymologist responds to readers comments on his most recent blog post topics.
A few things at a glance
The Oxford Etymologist responds to readers comments on his most recent blog post topics.
Irregular gleanings and a last shot at Modern English usage
The Oxford Etymologist responds to readers comments on his most recent blog post topics.
An etymological cul-de-sac: the verbs “flaunt” and “flout”
The Oxford Etymologist explores the history and development of the verb “flaunt”, “to display ostentatiously,”
Language history and we, part two (actually, a conclusion)
The Oxford Etymologist considers feminist perspectives of language development, split infinitives, and the pronoun “they” as discussed in Valerie Fridland’s “Like, Literally, Dude: Arguing for the Good in Bad English.”
Language history and we: the case of “like”
The Oxford Etymologist considers “like” as discussed in Valerie Fridland’s “Like, Literally, Dude: Arguing for the Good in Bad English.”
Etymology gleanings for June 2023
The Oxford Etymologist answers readers’ questions about American English vowels, the word “night”, and “love” in English and Greek.
Dangerous neighbors: “sore” and “sorrow”
Quite naturally, speakers connect words that sound alike. From a strictly scholarly point of view, “sore” and “sorrow” are unrelated, but for centuries, people thought differently, and folk etymology united the two long ago.
Plain as day?
The Oxford Etymologist looks at the origin of the word “day” and its connections across the Indo-European language world.
Confronting bud and buddy
The Oxford Etymologist tackles the convoluted history of “bud” and “buddy” – the final part of the series.
The company we keep, part two: bud(dy)
The Oxford Etymologist tackles the convoluted history of “bud” and “buddy”.
The company we keep
Observing how various words for “friend” originate and develop is a rather curious enterprise.
More short words, or negation of the negation
All over the Indo-European map, the main word of negation begins with “n”. What is in this sound that invites denial, refutation, or repulsion?
On cowards and custard from a strictly linguistic point of view
The Oxford Etymologist dives into the history and meaning of the word “coward” – and what does cowardice have to do with custard?