The word ‘pip’ means a ‘spot’ or a ‘speck’. The markings on dice and dominoes are also called pips. The word also refers to the symbols on playing cards that give it a specific value, the small seeds of some fruit, the image of an object on a radar screen, each of the stars on the shoulder …
The island country Maldives, one of the most geographically dispersed countries, is a chain of twenty-six atolls spread around 90,000 sq. km. The word ‘atoll’ – an island, or a group of islands, formed of coral – is a word that has its roots in the Maldivian language Dhivehi. The word ‘atoll’ derives from the Dhivehi word atholhu. Much to the delight of …
Abstemious means ‘sparse use’ or ‘moderate intake of food and drink’; facetious means being ‘flippant’. Apart from their interesting meanings, the words have a unique connection between them. Both these words have all the vowels in alphabetical order. Such words are quite rare and form a very short list. Abstentious is another such word. The …
‘Go’ is the shortest complete sentence in the English language. It is an imperative sentence that is basically used as a command or order. Basic grammar teaches us that a complete sentence should have a subject, a predicate, and an active verb. It should also convey complete meaning. In this sense, ‘Go’ has a predicate …
The inhabitants of La Gomera, one of Spain’s Canary Islands, communicate in a very unique manner: using whistles. The language, Silbo Gomero, is unique to the island. La Gomera is a volcanic island, which means most of its land is a result of volcanic eruptions. The outflow of lava resulted in deep and narrow valleys …
Mobile slang has evolved as a distinct style of writing. Short forms and symbols have overtaken complete words. For example, the texting slang for laughter is usually ‘hahaha’. People in Thailand express the same with a triple-five, i.e. ‘555’. Why? Because the Thai word for five is ‘ha’. Weird yet witty too!
