words : NPR

Oxford English Dictionary rides the K-wave with a big Korean update

Fans await the K-pop boy band BTS visit to the Today show at Rockefeller Plaza in New York City last year. Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images hide caption

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Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images

Oxford English Dictionary rides the K-wave with a big Korean update

October 14, 2021 • The influence of Korean culture has reached the pages of the Oxford English Dictionary: 26 new words related to Korean culture were added and 11 words were revised.

Ready For A Linguistic Controversy? Say 'Mmhmm'

Engraving shows the arrival of a Dutch slave ship with a group of African slaves for sale, Jamestown, Va., 1619. Hulton Archive/Getty Images hide caption

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Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Ready For A Linguistic Controversy? Say 'Mmhmm'

August 17, 2018 • Mmhmm is a small word that's often used unconsciously. But it can actually tell us a lot about language, bias and the trans-Atlantic slave trade.

Marian Carrasquero/NPR

From Seussian To Snollygoster, Merriam-Webster Adds Over 1,000 New Words

February 8, 2017 • Among the words and phrases added to Merriam-Webster's dictionary are "side-eye," "face-palm" and "Seussian" — as well as the decidedly Seussian "snollygoster," which has been enjoying a revival.

One Man's Quest To Reinvent The Wheel — The Flavor Wheel, That Is

Flavor wheels stem from lexicons, the carefully, often scientifically selected words used to describe a product, be it food, wine, carpet cleaner or dog food. Scott Suchman/The Washington Post/Getty Images hide caption

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Scott Suchman/The Washington Post/Getty Images

The Salt

One Man's Quest To Reinvent The Wheel — The Flavor Wheel, That Is

December 30, 2016 • Sensory scientist Edgar Chambers says flavor is multidimensional, and the current lexicon diagrams aren't doing it justice. So he wants to turn the wheel into a tree — with plenty of room to grow.

All Mixed Up: What Do We Call People Of Multiple Backgrounds?

In a country where the share of multiracial children has multiplied tenfold in the past 50 years, it's a good time to take stock of our shared vocabulary when it comes to describing Americans like me. Jeannie Phan for NPR hide caption

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Jeannie Phan for NPR

Code Switch

All Mixed Up: What Do We Call People Of Multiple Backgrounds?

August 25, 2016 • The share of multiracial children in America has multiplied tenfold in the past 50 years. It's a good time to take stock of our shared vocabulary when it comes to describing Americans like me.

Gone Mot: The French Uproar Over Removing Some Circumflex Accents

Children attend a lesson in a classroom of a primary school, in Cherbourg-Octeville, northwestern France. CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP/Getty Images hide caption