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Caricature of Charles Cunningham Boycott, published in Vanity Fair magazine in January 1881. Source: Public domain

Captain Boycott's Abuse of Irish Farmers Sparked the Term “Boycott”

Certain words emerge from peculiar circumstances, leaving an indelible mark on language and society. The term “boycott” is one such example, as it carries a fascinating origin story that intertwines...
Inscription on the Negau helmet B. Source: Peter1936F / CC BY-SA 4.0

Do the Runes on the Negau Helmet B Really Date Back Over 2,000 Years?

The exact origin of the runic alphabet is still an enigma for scholars, who continue in their efforts to deduce when it first appeared. Because of this, every new archaeological excavation that bears...
Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson has been remembered as one of the greatest naval commanders in British history. Painting by Arthur William Devis. Source: Public domain

Admiral Nelson's Defiance Inspired the Saying “To Turn a Blind Eye”

The expression “turning a blind eye” denotes the deliberate choice to ignore or overlook something, especially wrongdoing or undesirable information. While deeply ingrained within the English...
Researcher holding the bronze Irulegi hand inscribed in Vasconic script. Source: Aiestaran, M. et. al / Antiquity Publications Ltd

Bronze Hand Inscribed with Rare Vasconic Script Linked With Basque Found in Spain

A stunningly rare artifact found at an Iron Age site in Spain contains an example of the equally rare ancient Vasconic script. Dating to the first century BC, the artifact in question is a flattened...
A hooded scribe working on an ancient manuscript.  Source: UniverseInside / Adobe Stock

Top 10 Mysterious Ancient Manuscripts and Inscriptions Yet to be Deciphered

While exploring the enigmatic depths of ancient history, scholars often stumble upon cryptic relics, among which lie manuscripts that continue to defy the most skilled scholars and linguists. The...
A chimpanzee in contemplation.  Source: keks20034 / Adobe Stock.

Age of the Wise Men: What Distinguishes Homo Sapiens from Apes?

Homo sapiens represents the last of a long line of hominins that once consisted of five different species spanning four continents. Today, we are the last humans, that is, the last of the genus Homo...
Representational image of a cuneiform tablet from Hattusa, Turkey. Source: torocat / Adobe Stock

Previously Unknown Language Found on Ancient Hittite Tablets in Turkey

In the midst of artificial intelligence and cutting-edge language models, a significant archaeological discovery has unfolded in Boğazköy-Hattusha ( Hattusa ), the old Hittite capital in Turkey...
Syrian man. Source: kichigin19 / Adobe Stock.

The Village in Syria Where They Speak Jesus' Tongue (Video)

In the rugged Qalamoun mountains of Syria lies Maaloula, a village with a remarkable linguistic heritage. Here, the ancient Aramaic language , spoken by Jesus of Nazareth, endures. Amidst the serene...
Medieval thief. Source: nyothep / Adobe Stock.

Thieves’ Cant: The Secret Language Used by History’s Criminals (Video)

For centuries, an enigmatic underworld thrived, its inhabitants conversing in a secret tongue that veiled their intentions. This clandestine dialect, known as thieves’ cant , existed from the 16th to...
Renata Flores sings in Quechua to save an ancient language. Source: YouTube Screenshot / Great Big Story.

Quechua: Saving an Ancient Language Through Pop Music (Video)

Renata Flores, the 16-year-old musical prodigy hailing from Peru, has emerged as a beacon of hope for a language on the brink of fading into oblivion. Amidst the shadows of discrimination and...
Sanskrit script, one of the many languages in the Indo-European language family. Source: laurent dambies/Adobe Stock

Indo-European Languages Like English and Sanskrit Had a Common Ancestor 8,100 Years Ago!

Language is one of humanity's most fundamental and defining characteristics, shaping our thoughts, cultures, and societies. Among the vast array of languages that exist today, the Indo-European...
Representational image of a magical Viking rune or Viking Code. Source: Artur / Adobe Stock

Unlocking the Cryptic Viking Code Using Runic Writing and Ancient DNA

Runic script is an alphabetic system based on a non-alphabetical order row. This means that it has letters, like in many languages, but the letters are not arranged in a standard alphabetical order...
Cavemen puzzled by a mobile phone  ( Blue Planet Studio/Adobe Stock)

Collective Learning: So Easy, Even A Caveman Could Do It

Ever since Darwin brought up the fact that the human race had apes as distant ancestors, modern humans have been uneasy and a little defensive. They mocked the simian nature of Australopithecus ,...
The original meaning of "to run amok" can be traced back to Southeast Asia in the 1500s, where it referred to individuals who were possessed by spirits and engaged in rampage killings. Source: X-Poser / Adobe Stock

Historic Malay Expression “Run Amok” Perfectly Defines Mass Shootings

From “ cut off your nose to spite your face ” to “ saved by the bell ,” everyday we employ words and sayings inherited from the tapestry of cultural influences which have shaped the English language...
Location of bilingual inscription, which helped linguists crack the ancient Kushan language, in Tajikistan. Source: Bobomullo Bobomulloev / CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

2,000-Year-Old Unknown Kushan Language Is Finally Deciphered

Since the 1960s, archaeologists in Central Asia have found rocks carved with a mysterious unknown language. Now, a team from the University of Cologne has deciphered the unknown script, revealing it...
Tablet depicting Aryan warriors. Source: Justin Gauraqv Murgai / CC BY NC ND 2.0

Debunking the Aryan Race “Myth” and Separating Fact from Fiction

Today, the word "Aryan" has become synonymous with all sorts of negative connotations, including theories of racial superiority and white supremacy . This association has led to a widespread...
Deciphering the psychology behind the belief in starseeds. Source: Caphira Lescante / Adobe Stock

Starseeds: Psychologists On Why Some People Think They’re Aliens Living On Earth

By Ken Drinkwater et al. / The Conversation There’s a new group of people on Earth who believe they’re aliens. Star people, or starseeds, are individuals who believe they have come to Earth from...
Mesoamerican warrior. Source: Art Gallery / Adobe Stock.

Voices of Ancestors: Listen to the Sound of 14 Ancient Languages (Video)

Language is a powerful tool that allows us to communicate with one another across time and space. Through language , we are able to share our stories, our ideas, and our cultures with others. In this...
Representational image depicting ancient text being brought to life by artificial intelligence, such as the newly announced Fragmentarium AI. Source: Надежда Семироз / Adobe Stock

The Fragmentarium: New AI Tool Pieces Together Ancient Babylonian Texts

Artificial intelligence has now officially seeped into ancient history. Linguists at the Institute for Assyriology at Ludwig Maximilian University in Germany have created an artificial intelligence (...
Double-leaf frontispiece from the "Encyclopedia of the Brethren of Purity". Baghdad, 1287. Süleymaniye Library (Public Domain)

A Word On Polyglots Of The Ancient World

The most well-known tale of how different languages came to be, at least in areas where Judaism and Christianity are prevalent, is recorded in the Bible, in Genesis 11:1–9 . According to the...
Research of Latin papyrus texts has allowed for a deeper understanding of the Roman world. Representational image of papyrus scrolls. Source: shaiith / Adobe Stock

Latin Papyrus Texts Reanimate Fossils of the Roman World

The PLATINUM project claims to be a “Partnership for Learning and Teaching in University Mathematics.” The study began with the goal of analyzing existing Latin papyrus texts dating to the 1st to 8th...
The saying “to cut off your nose to spite your face” is said to have its origins in the actions of Saint Aebbe and the marauding Vikings. Source: LIGHTFIELD STUDIOS / Adobe Stock

Saint Aebbe Cut Off Her Nose to Spite Her Face

If you’ve ever heard the saying “cut off your nose to spite your face,” have you ever wondered where it came from? Legend has it that Saint Aebbe, also known as Saint Ebba or Æbbe the Younger, was a...
A page from an 18th-century copy of the Dhātupāṭha of Pāṇini (MS Add.2351) held by Cambridge University Library.  Source: © Cambridge University Library/CC BY-NC 3.0

2,500-Year-Old ‘Language Machine’ Is Finally Decoded

A grammatical puzzle from ancient India has baffled scholars for 2,500 years. Now, a Cambridge scientist has finally cracked the meta-code underlying the ancient ‘language machine’. Pāṇini was a...
Swear words in a speech bubble. Source: Yuliia / Adobe Stock

14 Old Swear Words That Should Totally Make a Comeback

Cussing has been around since the time we could stub our toes. Though we’re all familiar with the swear words of the modern age, what about swear words from before our time? Believe it or not, there...

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