Language

There are theories that "love" in the tennis context has French, English or Dutch origins. But like many words, historians and language experts say it's hard to pin down the "right" answer.

Nutmeg commonly spices up a holiday season eggnog. It's also one of the most sought-after trick moves in soccer.

Its name is short — like its size — but the bee is one of Earth's most important and busy creatures.

Trump's nominee for the Federal Reserve chair, Kevin Warsh, has dominated headlines for weeks. For some, his surname is a reminder of a disappearing accent in South Midland America.

Today, most people know the word as a synonym for "destroy." But fewer realize its origins — or that it's come to mean something strikingly different than it once did.

Sometimes you just need to recombobulate. That word isn't in the dictionary, but it is on a beloved sign at Milwaukee's airport.

Therapists say we're overusing the word. Here's what it actually means — and what the Ingrid Bergman film that helped birth the word can teach us about it.

Generation Z and Generation Alpha are introducing the world to new words, like “rizz," short for charisma, or “looksmaxxing,” which means going to extreme lengths for a glow-up.

It's a word that evokes national pride and rare talent, and one that has been around for thousands of years.

Hat tricks have a rich history in hockey, but it didn't start there. For NPR's Word of the Week, we trace the term's some 150-year-history and why it's particularly special on the hockey rink.