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2024 update & return to blogging

Long time, no see! The last two years have been busy as I began college at Duke University (see my first official visit from my freshman year of high school here!). At Duke, I am currently pursuing degrees in political science and cultural anthropology, with a minor in linguistics.

Ten years ago, I began this blog to share my love of etymology and I am eager to return to blogging with a deepened understanding and appreciation for the English language.

This summer, I will be interning on Capitol Hill as part of the Duke Engage: Democracy at Risk program and look forward to sharing my experience in D.C. through a unique linguistic lens.

Thank you for your support and I’ll see you soon!

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Insider’s Guide to the 2018 Scripps National Spelling Bee – Opening Ceremony

2018 Scripps National Spelling Bee Opening Ceremony.

Hello everyone!

Tonight the 2018 Scripps National Spelling Bee officially kicked off with the Bee’s Opening Ceremony! I was honored to be a part of this year’s ceremony as a representative of one of the seven core values of the Bee – inspiring growth. Other values include purpose, achievement, entertainment, potential, discovery, and heritage. During the ceremony, Dr. Bailly, the official pronouncer of the Bee, highlighted the fact that my blogging was inspiring others to grow in their knowledge as I have grown during my five year journey at the Bee. Indeed, that was my hope for this blog and I hope I have succeeded in that endeavor.

Over the past three years, I have written about my Bee experiences in my Insider’s Guide to the Scripps National Spelling Bee. However, this year I have decided to forego this tradition and simply enjoy my last time at the Bee (I’m an 8th grader and will no longer be able to compete after this year).

The National Spelling Bee is a great event and I hope you all get a chance to watch it this year; my speller number is 133! If you are competing in the Bee this year, good luck!

Additional information and broadcasting schedule can be found on http://www.spellingbee.com.

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Hello everyone!
This is a short post to let you know that Merriam-Webster has a great Word of the Day today. Duende is the power to attract through personal magnetism and charm. Coco Cuddles, my Tibetan Spaniel puppy, has so much duende that people in cars stop in the middle of the street to admire her!
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-tara (tarə)

Hello everyone! As I study for the 2017 Scripps National Spelling Bee, there are certain words that naturally catch my attention. I am particularly intrigued by words that contain my name. I didn’t realize that tara could be found in so many words originating from different languages.

Tarantism (tarən‧ˌtizəm) is an uncontrollable urge to dance, and tarantella (tarən‧ˈtelə) is an Italian folk dance. Both these words are named after Taranto, a city in Italy.  A taradiddle (tarəˈdidəl) is a small fib. No one knows where this word originates from, but it was first used around 1796.

One of my favorite words is taramosalata (tärəˌmōsəˈlä-tə). This is a Greek fish spread and it originates from Greek. A tuatara (tüəˈtärə) is a large reptile commonly found in New Zealand. This word originates from Maori, a Polynesian language.

The word tarantara is an imitative word that mimics the sound of a bugle. This is actually a variation of the Latin word tantara (tan‧ˈtarə).

Tara means star not only in Sanskrit, but also in many other Indian languages, such as Hindi and Telugu. So there you have it, a post all about my name! I hope you enjoyed this post and I hope you will indulge my narcissism especially since I recently celebrated my birthday!

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Hi everyone! I’ve created a new page on my blog called “Books To Explore.”  On this page, you’ll find a list of some of my favorite books. Since reading is a wonderful way to discover words, I thought this would be a great addition to my blog. Let me know what you think!

 

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One of my followers, Mr. M, asked me to write about the word oikos. Oikos is the Greek word for house. My mother mentioned that this is also the name of  a company that makes Greek yogurt. The people who named the  company probably wanted to persuade buyers that their product tasted homemade. What do you all think?

I am always on the lookout for new and interesting words, so if any of you come across any cool words, comment and let me know!

 

 

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Looking back… 2014

Happy New Year’s Eve everyone! I thought that today would be a good day to look back at my blog’s progress in 2014. I started this blog in February to share my love of words with others. I was very surprised that so many people actually took an interest in my blog. I want to especially thank all of my followers for supporting me this year! I am looking forward to exploring more words with you in 2015. Click on the link below to view my annual report.

Click here to see the complete report.

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