The term “nerd” originated in Dr. Seuss’s 1950 book, “If I Ran the Zoo”. In the book, the narrator mentions collecting “a Nerkle, a Nerd, and a seersucker too” as exhibits for the fictional zoo.
While the term initially had somewhat negative connotations, it has since evolved and is used more neutrally to describe people with a strong passion for intellectual or academic pursuits.
The word “Fernweh” emerges from the fusion of two German words, ‘fern’, denoting ‘far’, ‘distant’, and ‘weh’ translating to ‘sore’ or ‘pained’. It describes the inexplicable longing for places yet unexplored.
“Cafuné” is a term of Brazilian Portuguese origin that describes the tender act of running one’s fingers through the hair of a loved one.
“Mångata” is a Swedish word that poetically describes the reflection of moonlight on the ocean’s surface. It is a combination of the words “mån” (moon) and “gata” (road), almost as if it were a road to the moon. 🌕
In Swedish there exists a beautiful word – ‘Gökotta’. This word describes the act of waking up early to experience the first bird song outside in nature.
”L’esprit de l’escalier” is a French term that refers to the universal phenomenon of thinking of a clever response or comeback too late, usually after a conversation or argument has already ended.
The term literally means “the spirit of the stairs”, as it would typically happen between neighbours bumping into each other in the stairwell of their Paris apartment block.
Can you remember an occasion in which you had the perfect comeback too late?
The Inca civilisation had a unique method for record-keeping. They used knotted strings called ‘quipus’.
Believed to be a blend of accounting and storytelling, quipus were not only used for census records and calendrical data but also for recording historical events, stories and even numeric values.
Did you know that the theater has given us many everyday phrases? Here are a few with their origins in the world of drama:
Languages often capture nuances that are challenging to express in English. For example in Tagalog, also known as “Filipino”, there’s a word called “Gigil” that means the strong urge to squeeze something cute. Do you recognise this feeling?
‘Klingon’ is a fictional language that was used in Star Trek. Created for the show by linguist Marc Okrand, Klingon now has enthusiasts who learn and converse in it. This acts as a reminder how language can bridge real and fictional worlds, connecting us in unexpected ways!