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Continue reading →: 2026 Update
Long time, no see! The last four years have been busy as I pursued degrees from Duke University and got ready for post-grad life. (see my first official visit from my freshman year of high school here!). Over ten years ago, I began this blog to share my love of etymology…
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Continue reading →: 7th Annual Linguistics Conference at the University of GeorgiaHi y’all! On October 9, I will be presenting “Connecting Lexical Aspect and Morphology in Proto-Indo-European” at the 7th Annual Linguistics Conference at the University of Georgia. This presentation is a culmination of four years of research that I have performed with Dr. Andrew Byrd, my mentor and co-presenter. The…
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Continue reading →: 35k milestoneRecently, my blog reached 35,000 views! Thank you all for your support, likes, and comments.
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Continue reading →: Name That Animal: Challenge #11Happy New Year! I thought a new Name That Animal Challenge would be a great way to kick off 2021. Pretend that you are a scientist and you have just discovered a new species of animal and you have the privilege of naming it. Scientists usually name new species by…
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Continue reading →: 30k milestoneYesterday I was so excited to see that this blog had reached 30,000 views! Thank you all for your support, likes, and comments. Stay tuned for a new blog post soon!
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Continue reading →: cruciverbalist (krüsəˈvərbələ̇st)If you’ve been passing time conquering crossword puzzles during quarantine, you can thank Arthur Wynne. In 1913, Wynne, the editor of the New York World, decided that readers needed a new challenge in the Fun section of the newspaper. Wynne designed a Word-Cross (later changed to Crossword) to engage and…
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Continue reading →: S.H.A.R.E. Campaign
My non-profit, Bluegrass Literacy Project, kicked off a reading campaign urging everyone to read, while at home. The SHARE (Stay Home and Read, Everyone!) campaign allows us to not only promote reading but also engage with our global community. How does it work? Choose your favorite children’s book E-mail us…
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Continue reading →: cryptography (kripˈtäɡrəfē)
Many years ago, I visited the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C. One of the most interesting exhibits talked about the history of espionage and the need for governments to keep sensitive information hidden to maintain national security. Cryptography is the study of techniques used for secure communication. It comes…
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Continue reading →: neologism (nē-ˈä-lə-ˌji-zəm)The coronavirus pandemic is not only affecting our every day lives, but also how we interact and speak. The English lexicon has expanded in recent months – new words and phrases have been added to online dictionaries at a rapid rate to keep up with society’s use of these neologisms.…
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Continue reading →: geisterspiel (ɡaɪstər-spēl)COVID-19 has put a damper on sporting events around the world. All sports and gatherings of more than six people have been prohibited since March. When sports are played without spectators, they are usually referred to as “behind closed doors.” Sports can be played behind closed doors depending on a…
Hello,
I’m Tara!
My name is Tara and I am a recent graduate of Duke University, with dual degrees in cultural anthropology and political science, and a minor in linguistics. Twelve years ago, I started this blog to share my love of words with others and teach people about the intricacies of etymology and words across our beloved English language!
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