Pylimitics

One of the more annoying aspects of English is that you can’t depend on a letter — or a letter combination — having the same pronunciation every time. Take, for example, “ch.” It might be pronounced “k,” as in “school.” Or it might have an “sh” sound, as in “brochure.” Then again, it might sound… Continue reading

If you “glom” something, or “glom onto” it, you’re taking it or occupying it. Although it sounds like a slang term, you can find it published in newspapers, magazines, and even Science Daily: “The nanoparticles ‘glom onto the flies,’ Rand noted while watching a video of flies in the test tubes.” Not only is “glom”… Continue reading

A prefix-root, many of which come from Greek and Latin roots, can be found in front of loads of different words. Take “neo-,” for example. “Neo-” comes from the Greek “néos,” and means “new.” There are dozens of English words beginning with “neo,” from the very specialized “neoblastic” (associated with new growth) to the common… Continue reading

Sometimes a root word or prefix ends up attached to a bunch of words that are particularly interesting to “logophiles,” or word-lovers. That’s certainly the case with the prefix “logo_,” which means “word” (from the Greek “logos,” same meaning). For instance, if you go a bit to far in “logophilia” you might be described as… Continue reading