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BlakeHamiltonCA
Blake Hamilton @BlakeHamiltonCA@mstdn.ca · Aug 04, 2026
English word of the day: élan ✨ A distinctive blend of confidence, energy, and style; especially useful when competence is still en route. Example: He entered the meeting with great élan and absolutely no agenda. 🇫🇷 élan 🇪🇸 brío 🇵🇹 garbo 🇮🇹 slancio #English #EnglishLanguage #Vocabulary https://www.merriam-webster.com/word-of-the-day/2026/08/04/
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BlakeHamiltonCA
Blake Hamilton @BlakeHamiltonCA@mstdn.ca · Aug 03, 2026
English word of the day: highfalutin 🎩 Pompous, pretentious, and dressed in vocabulary several sizes too large. Example: He called lunch “a midday culinary symposium”; it was a ham sandwich. 🇫🇷 prétentieux·euse 🇪🇸 rimbombante 🇵🇹 pretensioso/a 🇮🇹 altisonante #English #EnglishLanguage #vocabulary https://www.merriam-webster.com/word-of-the-day/2026/08/02/
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BlakeHamiltonCA
Blake Hamilton @BlakeHamiltonCA@mstdn.ca · Jul 31, 2026
English word of the day: comely ✨ Attractive in a pleasing, slightly old-fashioned way—as though beauty required references. Example: He was comely, according to an aunt who also called trousers “slacks.” 🇫🇷 avenant.e 🇪🇸 bonito/a 🇵🇹 formoso/a 🇮🇹 avvenente #English #EnglishLanguage #vocabulary https://www.merriam-webster.com/word-of-the-day/2026/07/31/
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BlakeHamiltonCA
Blake Hamilton @BlakeHamiltonCA@mstdn.ca · Jul 30, 2026
English word of the day: sultry ☀️ Hot, humid, and mysteriously convinced it looks glamorous. Example: The evening was sultry; my hair interpreted that as a declaration of war. 🇫🇷 torride 🇪🇸 bochornoso 🇵🇹 abafado 🇮🇹 afoso #English #EnglishLanguage #Vocabulary https://www.merriam-webster.com/word-of-the-day/2026/07/30/
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BlakeHamiltonCA
Blake Hamilton @BlakeHamiltonCA@mstdn.ca · Jul 29, 2026
English word of the day: inveigle 🪄 To win someone over through charm, flattery, or strategic snacks. Example: She inveigled me onto the committee with “just one quick meeting.” 🇫🇷 amadouer 🇪🇸 engatusar 🇵🇹 engabelar 🇮🇹 irretire #English #EnglishLanguage #Vocabulary https://www.merriam-webster.com/word-of-the-day/2026/07/29/
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Carlita
Shai :anime_totoro: @Carlita@tkz.one · Jun 15, 2026
Hi! I need help. I'm looking for a native English speaker to help me practice for my interview on Wednesday. I can't pay now because neither my husband nor I have a job. I had to quit a job where they were crushing my soul. My husband can't work because he's in the final stage of sclerosing glomerulonephritis, a chronic and degenerative kidney disease that requires him to undergo dialysis every four hours. But I promise on my word of honor that if I get the job, I will pay $150 out of my first paycheck. If you think you can help me pass my interview, and you're willing to lend a hand... I'm eagerly awaiting your response. #fedihelp #mastohelp #englishlanguage #interview #helpinterview #practice #teachers #englishstudies #students #englishchannelmigrantcrossings
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ancientsounds
𝔸𝕟𝕔𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕊𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕕𝕤 🔉 @ancientsounds@mastodonapp.uk · Dec 14, 2022
My audio etymology simulations are collected at http://ancientsounds.net I'm also compiling, correcting and extending past posts on 🐦 (I left there before X) and 🐘 about those audio etymologies into an alphabetically-ordered blog, so that we can look up examples: http://ancientsounds.net/blog.html #acoustics #phonetics #audio #etymology #philology #Proto-Indo-European #EnglishLanguage #linguistics
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ancientsounds
𝔸𝕟𝕔𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕊𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕕𝕤 🔉 @ancientsounds@mastodonapp.uk · Apr 28, 2026
𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗘𝘁𝘆𝗺𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘆, 𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀 English "cow" comes from Proto-Indo-European *gʷeh₃-u-s [gwous], perhaps something like this (listen): 🔊 https://www.ancientsounds.net/eastern-origins/cow-from-PIE-gwous.wav which also developed into Dari گاو [gau] and Persian گاو [gov]: 🔊 https://www.ancientsounds.net/eastern-origins/PIE-gwous-to-Persian-gov.wav and very many other Indo-European languages, such as Ancient Greek βοῦς [bous]: 🔊 https://www.ancientsounds.net/eastern-origins/PIE-gwous-to-Ancient-Greek-bous.wav Image source: https://faradeed.ir/%D8%A8%D8%AE%D8%B4-%D9%88%DB%8C%D8%AF%DB%8C%D9%88-35/186305-%D9%88%DB%8C%D8%AF%D8%A6%D9%88-%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%A7%DB%8C%DB%8C-%D9%87%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%A2%D8%B0%D8%B1%D8%A8%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%AC%D8%A7%D9%86-%DA%86%DA%AF%D9%88%D9%86%D9%87-%D8%B4%DB%8C%D8%B1-%DA%AF%D8%A7%D9%88-%D8%B1%D8%A7-%D9%BE%D8%B3-%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%B4%DB%8C%D8%AF%D9%86-%D8%A8%D9%87-%D9%BE%D9%86%DB%8C%D8%B1-%D8%AA%D8%A8%D8%AF%DB%8C%D9%84-%D9%85%DB%8C-%DA%A9%D9%86%D9%86%D8%AF @linguistics #linguistics #etymology #EnglishLanguage #AcousticPhonetics #phonetics #ProtoIndoEuropean #Iranian #Persian #Dari #AncientGreek
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ancientsounds
𝔸𝕟𝕔𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕊𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕕𝕤 🔉 @ancientsounds@mastodonapp.uk · Apr 17, 2026
𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗘𝘁𝘆𝗺𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘆, 𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀 English "bellows" and "belly" come via Anglo-Saxon beliġ and Proto-Germanic *balgi- from Proto-Indo-European *bʰólǵʰ- "bag", perhaps something like this (listen): 🔊 bellows-from-PIE-bholgh.wav This simulation of *bʰólǵʰ- has initial [b], not [bʱ], as it's computed from recordings of Irish bolg, "bag", also a cognate. The same PIE root developed into Persian بالش bālish "pillow", like this: 🔊 PIE-bholgh-to-Persian-balesh.wav Related words are found in other Iranian languages, e.g. Pashto بالښت balacht, Ossetian baʒ/baz, as well as in Slavic, e.g. Slovenian blazina. When I originally posted about this in November 2021, the linguist Magnus Pharao @magnuspharao.bsky.social pointed out that Danish bælg (seed pod of legumes and bellows) is also a cognate! @linguistics #linguistics #etymology #EnglishLanguage #AcousticPhonetics #phonetics #ProtoIndoEuropean #Iranian #Persian
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ancientsounds
𝔸𝕟𝕔𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕊𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕕𝕤 🔉 @ancientsounds@mastodonapp.uk · Apr 14, 2026
𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗘𝘁𝘆𝗺𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘆, 𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀 The English word "ankle" comes from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eng-ul- [aŋgʊl], the stem *h₂eng- meaning perhaps "joint". Listen: 🔊 https://www.ancientsounds.net/eastern-origins/ankle-from-PIE-h2eng.wav In Persian *h₂eng- developed into انگشت angusht, "digit" i.e. finger or toe: 🔊 https://www.ancientsounds.net/eastern-origins/PIE-h2eng-to-Persian-angusht.wav @linguistics #linguistics #etymology #englishlanguage #acousticphonetics #phonetics #ProtoIndoEuropean #Iranian #Persian
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iwritelike
I Write Like @iwritelike@mastodon.social · Apr 12, 2026
I always wondered what happened to "thee". Also, I absolutely love the concept of "wit". https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260408-the-extinct-english-words-for-just-the-two-of-us #Linguistics #EnglishLanguage #history
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