etymology
etymology on Spoot baby... spooooooot!: a running collection of 3 stories we have gathered and hand-picked because they are worth your time. Every post here touches on etymology in some way — the news, the analysis, the deep dives, and the occasional surprise find. # Spoot. New stories are added to this page as we find them, so check back if you want to keep up with what is happening around etymology, or subscribe to the RSS feed to get them as soon as they are published. Browse the collection below, or head back to the homepage to see everything Spoot baby... spooooooot! is covering right now.
The Speakers of IE and Their World.
Hold on. Let's just pause for a moment and consider the sheer *weight* of it all. The Indo-European language family—a sprawling, shimmering web connecting everything from Sanskrit to Swedish—is a linguistic bedrock. And now, a monumental resource has surfaced: *The Speakers of Indo-European and Their World*, edited by Sergio Neri and Michiel de Vaan, is freely available. Think of it as a linguistic excavation, unearthing the roots of countless words and cultures. This isn’t just about dusty grammar; it's about tracing the movements of peoples, the exchange of ideas, the very shape of human history. Matthew Scarborough’s contribution, exploring prehistoric loanwords in Ancient Greek, exemplifies the depth of inquiry within. Curious about the evolution of language itself? For a lighter, but equally fascinating tangent, check out our piece, "Scam(p(er))?
Scam(p(er))?
Let's dive into something slippery: the word "scam." Nitsuh Abebe, the newly minted *New York Times* On Language columnist, just dropped a fascinating piece exploring its surprising surge in popularity. It's no longer confined to outright fraud; Abebe notes it now broadly encompasses *any* system—however seemingly legitimate—where someone benefits at your expense. A delightful expansion of meaning, wouldn’t you say? The word’s evolution reflects a growing awareness of subtle exploitation, a kind of linguistic razor clam surfacing from the depths of our collective consciousness. We’ve been tracking similar shifts in language, like the curious rise of “alongside,” as explored in Ben Yagoda’s insightful post. It’s a reminder that language isn't static—it's a living, breathing thing, constantly adapting to reflect our changing world (and our increasingly discerning skepticism).
Why “Alongside”?
Ever notice how language shifts, sometimes seemingly overnight? It's a phenomenon linguists—and those of us who find joy in the unexpected curveball of words—are keenly observing. Recently, Lynne Murphy flagged a curious uptick in the use of "alongside," prompting a transatlantic query: "Why is everyone suddenly saying alongside?" The question itself is fascinating, isn't it? A seemingly innocuous preposition experiencing a surge in popularity. It’s the razor clam of language—you almost miss it, then *squirt*. We've been diving into this linguistic trend and exploring its potential roots. You can find more explorations of shifting language patterns in our related piece, "1905: The Linguistic Renaissance," which examines fascinating historical parallels. Stay spooty as we continue to unearth the slippery, narrow truths beneath the surface of everyday speech.