Etymology is the study of the origins of words and how their usage has changed over time. It's every bit the serious academic discipline you might expect it to be — except when it's not. As it turns ...

A new book exploring the origins of common food terms — from bialy to lima bean to bibimbap — is a fascinating history of how we eat and cook. By Kim Severson Used judiciously, the snappy tidbits of ...

Over the years, physicists have given names to the smallest constituents of our universe. This pantheon of particles has grown alongside progress in physics. Anointing a particle with a name is not ...

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 ...

"Algospeak" by Albany native Adam Aleksic. Before he was breaking down internet language for millions of TikTok users, Adam Aleksic was just a kid growing up in Albany, fascinated by words and their ...

Adam Aleksic, who posts as Etymology Nerd on social media, argues in a new book that algorithms are reshaping the English language. Credit...Peter Garritano for The New York Times Supported by By ...