-
Continue reading →: lethifold (lēthə-fōld)In Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, Newt Scamander states that a Lethifold is a very rare creature that dwells in tropical climates. A Lethifold looks like a black cloak that floats along ominously during the night seeking victims who are sleeping. Once its prey has been suffocated thoroughly,…
-
Continue reading →: augurey (ȯ-gyərē)According to Newt Scamander, author of Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, the Augurey is a bird that primarily dwells in Britain and Ireland. This bird resembles a small, malnourished, greenish-black vulture. This melancholic bird is very shy and only comes out of its tear-shaped nest during heavy rains.…
-
Continue reading →: quintaped (kwint-əped)In Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, Newt Scamander describes the “quintaped” as a “highly dangerous carnivorous beast with a particular taste for humans” (pg. 67). The Quintaped is commonly found in northern Scotland, on the Isle of Drear. According to legend, there were two wizarding families that lived…
-
Continue reading →: Coming Soon: Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find ThemHappy New Year! I hope you all are having a great start to 2017. I am excited to announce that I will be doing a series of posts on the popular book Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, written by magizoologist Newt Scamander. I can’t wait to explore the…
-
Continue reading →: Name That Animal: Challenge #5I haven’t published a Name That Animal Challenge in several months, so here you go! Pretend that you are a scientist and you have just discovered a new animal and you have the privilege of naming this unusual species. Scientists typically name new species by using Greek or/and Latin roots…
-
Continue reading →: psephology (sēˈfäləjē)
Today is a historic day in the United States because a new president will be elected. Psephologists everywhere will be trying to analyze and predict the outcome of this year’s election. Psephology comes from the Greek roots pseph– meaning pebble, and –logy, meaning study of. Logically, psephology should then be the…
-
Continue reading →: Creature Feature Poll
Happy Halloween! I thought a poll would be a fun way to wrap up our Creature Feature this month.
-
Continue reading →: guytrash/gytrash (gī‧trash)A guytrash is a demonic spirit of Northern England that haunts lonely paths, waiting to lead people astray. Guytrashes can appear in the shape of a large black dog, horse, or mule with glowing eyes like burning coals. In some legends, the guytrash was said to be friendly, helping people…
-
Continue reading →: dybbuk (dibək)In Jewish folklore, dybbukim are evil spirits that possess the bodies of living humans and influence their behaviors. Dybbukim are souls that have committed such terrible crimes that they have been turned away from purgatory, or they escaped from purgatory somehow. A dybbuk is particularly drawn to a spiritually weak…
-
Continue reading →: wyvern (wīvərn)A wyvern is a winged, mythological creature with two legs, a crocodilian head, and a barbed scorpion-like tail that is highly poisonous. Although wyverns resemble dragons, there are some notable differences. The main differences are that wyverns are smaller and have two legs, while dragons are larger and are usually…
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!
Join the linguaphiles!
Stay updated with the latest on language.
the word explorer 