samarium Samarium is a chemical element with atomic number 62 and the symbol Sm. It is a hard, silvery metal that oxidizes in air. Samarium has a variety of uses, the chief one being in samarium-cobalt magnets. Other uses include as a chemical catalyst, radioactive dating, and x-ray lasers. The radioactive
inauguration Our present-day English word inauguration comes from the Latin inauguratio. Augury was the practice of interpreting the behavior of birds as omens. Hence inauguratio connoted the beginning of an endeavor with favorable omens. The Latin noun appears in the writings of Tertullian (c. 155–c. 220 CE), but the word
B movie A B movie is a low-budget, low-budget film. The division of films into two quality-based groupings dates to the earliest days of the film industry and has precursors in the practices of vaudeville theater. But the B movie as we know it today arises out of the distribution methods used
ADS 2024 Word of the Year (WOTY) The American Dialect Society has selected rawdog as its 2024 Word of the Year (WOTY 2024). Rawdog is an excellent choice for a number of reasons. The word dates to at least 2002—to be considered, words need only to be newly prominent, not newly coined, in the year in
ruthenium Ruthenium is a chemical element with atomic number 44 and the symbol Ru. The metal is a member of the platinum group and usually found in platinum ores. Like other members of that group it is generally unreactive. Ruthenium is used in alloys, especially in electronic equipment, to increase hardness
soap opera / horse opera / space opera A soap opera is a melodramatic, serial drama. The term is also used figuratively to denote real-life events of the type that would be dramatized in the genre. Soap operas got their start in radio before moving on to television and were typically broadcast in the daytime with a target
luxury Today, we associate luxury with wealth, opulence, and indulgence, but the word originally meant lust, sexual intercourse, or just more generally sensual pleasure. The word was imported into English by the Normans, coming from the Old French luxure (lust, lechery), which in turn is from the Latin luxuria, which meant
gold Gold is a chemical element with atomic number 79 and the symbol Au. It is a bright, orange-yellowish, malleable, and ductile metal. It is also one of the least reactive of the elements, which, in addition to its use in jewelry and as an item of monetary value, makes it
2024: My Year in Astrophotography In case you didn’t know, I not only do word origins and historical linguistics, I’m also an amateur astrophotographer; that is, I take pictures of the night sky. I’ve been doing it, off and on, since 2008. This is a collection of the images I’ve taken
Epiphany / Twelfth Night The Christian festival of Epiphany celebrates the visit of the Magi to worship the newborn Jesus. It falls on the sixth of January. According to tradition, Christ’s baptism and the wedding at Cana, where he turned water into wine, fell on the anniversary of the Magi’s visit. Doctrinally,
Newsletter auld lang syne What should be a straightforward history is muddled by an incompetent 19th century editor
calcium Calcium is a chemical element with atomic number 20 and the symbol Ca. It is a reactive, alkaline earth metal, dull gray or silver in color with a yellow tint. When exposed to air it forms a dark oxide layer on the surface. Calcium is essential for life as we
2024 Wordorigins Words of the Year (WOTY) As in past years, I’ve come up with a list of Words of The Year (WOTY). I do things a bit differently from other sites in that I don’t try to select one term to represent the entire year. Instead, I select twelve terms, one for each month.
poinsettia This flower (Euphorbia pulcherrima), native to Mexico and associated with Christmas, has a rather straightforward etymology. It is named after Joel Roberts Poinsett, who served as the U.S. minister (i.e., ambassador) to Mexico from 1825–30. An amateur botanist, Poinsett sent samples of the flower back to the
