It's been claimed that the Inuit languages of North America have over 50 different words for snow. You may be surprised to learn that English comes pretty close: if we include all the regional variants and dialects, the list gets pretty long! But don't worry, in this post we'll only look at the most common …
Latin abbreviations in English
Some find them outdated and archaic, but they are still very much around, and just won't go away: Latin abbreviations in English! While most of them tend to be used in formal, academic writing, a number of them feature in everyday spoken language, as well: a.m. and p.m. in reference to time, AD when talking …
How to describe a painting in English?
Working with students, Iโve realised many of them struggle with tasks connected with art. They are often reluctant to approach the subject because they donโt know much about the history of art, or they feel they lack relevant vocabulary. As they tell me, they wouldnโt know how to describe a painting even if they had …
Pagan origins of English weekday names
The names of the days of the week are among the first words English learners get to learn, but probably few ever wonder about their origins and actual meaning. In this post weโll delve into the etymology of this segment of vocabulary, with a little help from cultural history and mythology. First off, the introduction …
