A bi-weekly Webzine of word origins. Includes a Spotlight word, answers to submitted questions, a curmudgeon's corner and other areas.

Become acquainted with the origins and meanings of foreign words and phrases frequently used in English texts.

An incredible comprehensive list of "borrowed words" in the English language, grouped by the languages from which the words are borrowed. Provides and describes dozens of languages and literally thousands of loan words. Highly recommended.

"World Wide Words is devoted to the English language - its history, quirks, curiosities and evolution. The Words site is organized into sections, each with its own index to help you find your way about."

In this lesson, you will be introduced to selective lists of words. These words can help enrich your language, deepen your understanding of what you read, and broaden your sense of the world.

Become acquainted with the origins and meanings of foreign words and phrases frequently used in English texts.

The Word Detective provides great information on the origin of certain words and phrases that are everyday lingo. Click on Index and chose from the alphabetical list or type the word you are looking for in the search box.

Students read a definition of eponym, then play a two-level game where they match items to the people they are named after.

Go to page 7 of this teacher's guide to find dinosaur root words. These can be used to make flashcards. Many of these roots are found in English words. Choose some of these root words and identify at least one corresponding English word.

The free section of this site provides the meanings and origins of thousands of quotations, euphemisms, popular fallacies and misheard song lyrics. A British site, some of the expressions are not familiar to most Americans.

A list of English words originating in Arabic, followed by a series of exercises for the advanced English student.

This collection offers three games through which students match English words to the language from which they were borrowed.

A most interesting site! Explore why the French speak French in France and the English speak English in England and lots of other information on the history of words and languages.

The site, created by an avowed amateur, Douglas Harper, shares the origins of words. Students will type a word into a text box and click a "search" button to see the etymology of the word.

Dating back to the early Roman Empire, the word sarcophagus originally referred to the limestone a coffin was made of, rather than the coffin itself. From flesh-eating stone to a stone coffin, Jessica Oreck and Rachael Teel unbury the...

The story of the word X-Ray is one of great thinkers. French philosopher Rene Descartes isolated the letters X, Y and Z to stand for unknowns, and centuries later, Wilhelm Rontgen discovered the X-ray, using the X for the unknown nature...

Use your knowledge of cognates from other languages to help you understand unfamiliar words.

Ever wonder why Thursday is called Thursday? Find the answer to this and other word origins.

In this lesson you'll learn about different types of cognates, words that sound or look alike from one language to the next. You'll learn how leveraging cognate knowledge helps you figure out unfamiliar words in English. When you combine...

This lesson focuses on cognates, or words from other languages that have similar spellings, pronunciations, and meanings. This means that if you know, or are studying, another language, you may recognize an English word simply because...

Media-rich site explains the development of theater practice in ancient Greece and compares Greek dramatic forms and purposes with contemporary theater practices. Learners can then write and stage their own original plays to demonstrate...

[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] In this learning module, students use the greater than and less than symbols to compare numbers written in word form. Includes video demonstrating a sample problem....

Hinduism is more than a religion. It is a culture, a way of life, and a code of behavior. This short article discusses the origins of Hinduism.

The myth of the Minotaur tells the story of an enraged beast forever wandering the corridors of a damp labyrinth, filled with a rage so intense that its deafening roar shakes the earth. But is this story just fiction, or an attempt of...