Why are so many of Australia’s languages endangered?
Photo: Adelaide and the River Torrens. Photograph: M J / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.…
cobalt
German Kobold “goblin” → cobaltCobalt takes its name from German Kobold, a goblin or troublesome…
tulip
Persian dulband → Turkish tülbent → tulipTulip’s European name travelled from a Persian word for…
paradise
Iranian enclosure term → Greek paradeisos → paradiseParadise began with the idea of an enclosed…
souvenir
French souvenir “to remember” → souvenirA souvenir is literally something connected with remembering. English borrowed…
disaster
Italian disastro → French désastre → disasterDisaster once pointed to the stars. Italian disastro combined…
