Where this language family comes from

Celtic belongs to the Indo-European family, the group that also gave the world Latin, Greek, Sanskrit, Persian, Russian, and English. Proto-Celtic separated from Proto-Indo-European around 1300 BCE and left no written record. What linguists know about it was pieced together by comparing the surviving daughter languages and working backward toward whatever they must have shared.

Those daughter languages eventually divided in two. The ones that developed on the European mainland are collectively called Continental Celtic: Gaulish, Lepontic, Celtiberian, Gallaecian, Noric, and Galatian. All of them disappeared. The ones that developed in the British Isles and Ireland, called Insular Celtic, are where the six surviving languages came from: Irish, Scottish Gaelic, Manx, Welsh, Cornish, and Breton.

How Celtic reached so much of the continent

Celtic-speaking peoples spread through most of the European continent from around the 5th century BC, eventually reaching the Black Sea, the Anatolian Peninsula, Spain, Italy, and the British Isles. There was no Celtic empire behind any of this. The spread followed trade routes and migration, propelled by the cultural prestige of the La Tène metalworking tradition, which from roughly 450 BC became a status marker across much of Europe. Skilled ironwork, warrior aristocracy, and language traveled together as an interconnected package. By 300 BC that package had reached from the Atlantic coast of Iberia all the way to central Turkey.

Why the continental languages eventually disappeared

After Caesar conquered Gaul between 58 and 50 BC, Latin was adopted quickly by the Gaulish aristocracy, since speaking it meant access to Roman political networks and patronage, and trilingualism was already noted in southern Gaul by the 1st century BC. Farmers and rural communities took a very different path. A language woven into daily life and local custom can outlast political conquest by centuries. Gaulish is thought to have gone extinct around the late 6th century, some 600 years after Caesar’s campaigns.

Ireland, which Rome never reached, stayed monolingual Celtic until the Norman incursions of the 13th century. Irish settlers moving into Scotland in the 3rd and 4th centuries eventually extinguished Pictish, permanently replaced by Gaelic by the 12th century. Anglo-Saxon settlers pushing into Britain from the 5th century forced Brittonic steadily westward. Welsh survived in Wales. Cornish lasted in Cornwall right through to the 18th century. Breton survived in Brittany because people from southwestern Britain had carried it there in the 5th and 6th centuries.

Six survivors

Welsh, Irish, Scottish Gaelic, and Breton have been spoken without interruption. Cornish and Manx each broke that chain: Cornish in the late 18th century and Manx in 1974. Both were brought back through years of determined community work, and today, a new generation is growing up with them as first languages.

The six divide into two branches. Irish, Scottish Gaelic, and Manx share a common descent from Old Irish and form the Goidelic group. Welsh, Cornish, and Breton came from ancient Brittonic and form the Brittonic group. Some mutual intelligibility exists within the Goidelic group, particularly between the Scottish Gaelic of Islay and Argyll, Ulster Irish, and Manx. Welsh and Irish speakers find nothing mutually intelligible. The two branches have been developing independently for well over a thousand years.

Long before the Latin script arrived, Celtic languages were written using Ogham, a system of 25 characters cut as notches along a stem line. Around 500 of those inscriptions survive on stone, the oldest from the 4th century AD, found across Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and England.

How many speakers remain

In Ireland, Irish is compulsory in schools from early childhood right through to the final state exams, which means virtually every adult has spent years studying it. Using it daily is a different question. Most daily speakers live in rural Gaeltacht areas on the western coast, and only around 72,000 to 94,000 people actually use Irish on a daily basis, despite its status as a national language and an official EU language. Welsh occupies a noticeably different position. You hear Welsh on the streets of Cardiff and Swansea, not just in remote coastal villages. Welsh-medium school enrollment has grown steadily since the 1980s, and the total number of speakers has been rising rather than falling.

Before World War II, Breton was spoken by well over a million people across Brittany. Decades of active suppression in French schools brought that figure down to under a quarter of what it once was. Welsh is the only Celtic language UNESCO does not classify as endangered.

About 2 million people speak a Celtic language today, native and non-native speakers combined. Set against the 300 BC maps, that is a dramatic contraction of geographic ground. But Welsh gains speakers year on year. Cornish and Manx crossed from complete extinction to genuine first-language communities within a single human generation.

The post The Rise and Fall of Celtic Languages appeared first on Vivid Maps.

How Did English Become So Diverse?

The rich diversity of English stems from centuries of trade, conquest, exploration, and cultural exchange. The Norman Conquest of England in 1066 brought a flood of French terms into English, influencing everything from legal language (justice, court) to everyday words (beef, pork). The expansion of the British Empire further introduced words from South Asia (bungalow from Hindi), Africa (safari from Swahili), and the Americas (chocolate from Nahuatl).

Some of the Most Interesting Borrowed Words

• Kayak – This word comes from the Inuit language, referring to a small boat used for hunting.
• Safari – Borrowed from Swahili, it means “journey.”
• Ukulele – Originates from Hawaiian and means “jumping flea” (likely referring to the way fingers move on the instrument).
• Toboggan – A Canadian borrowing from the Algonquin language for a type of sled.
• Bikini – Named after Bikini Atoll, where nuclear testing was conducted, though the connection to the swimsuit design remains unclear.
• Zombie – This one comes from the Kongo word nzambi, meaning “spirit of a dead person”.

Why English Loves to Borrow

English is a famously adaptable and open language. Its relatively simple grammatical structure makes it easy for new terms to slip in, and English speakers have always been eager to adopt foreign words when they fill a gap or sound more expressive. This is why English has multiple synonyms for the same idea—think of royal (from French), kingly (from Old English), and regal (from Latin).

The Global Impact of English

Today, English continues to borrow from other languages as global culture evolves. Words like emoji (from Japanese) and karaoke (also from Japanese) have become global staples, while slang terms from African American Vernacular English (AAVE) are influencing speech patterns worldwide.

Language is constantly evolving, and English, with its habit of collecting and reshaping words from around the world, is one of the best examples of that. The world map above highlights just how interconnected our languages—and cultures—truly are.

What are your favorite borrowed English words? Are there any surprising ones that you didn’t expect? Let me know in the comments!

The post How English Borrowed Words from Around the World appeared first on Vivid Maps.

Take, for example, Missoula, which translates to “River of Ambush” in Montana, evoking memories of inter-tribal conflicts. Similarly, Manchester, New Hampshire, derives its name from “Breast-like Hill,” harking back to the voluptuous mound upon which a Roman fort was constructed around 79 CE in Manchester, UK. Centuries later, Samuel Blodget, inspired by the barge canals of the British Manchester, spearheaded the construction of similar waterways in his New Hampshire town and suggested adopting its namesake.

But what about the rest of the U.S.? Armed with our etymology hats, we delved into dictionary country, scouring sources such as the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Online Etymology Dictionary, the Encyclopedia Britannica, the American Library Association, and regional news reports. Our quest uncovered the literal meanings behind the names of each U.S. state, its capital city, and 178 of America’s largest cities.

Literal Translations of State Names and Their Capital Cities Across the U.S.

Names sometimes transcend boundaries. Both the state of Kansas and Kansas City, MO, derive their names from the Kansas River, which, in turn, honors the Kanza tribe, translating as ‘People of the Southwind.’

Interestingly, there exists a lesser-known Kansas City within the state of Kansas itself. This city adopted its name from its Missouri counterpart, hoping to leverage the fame of the Missouri town. According to local history teacher Matt Beat, “KCK wanted to capitalize on the success of KCMO and essentially mislead visitors into believing they were in the authentic Kansas City.

While numerous state names honor Native history or describe geographical features, others carry traces of colonial influence. The Carolinas, for instance, owe their name to King Charles II and his father, Charles I. The territory was initially chartered by Charles II, who bestowed the name in honor of his father. Additionally, the capitals of both Carolinas pay homage to European explorers, with Sir Walter Raleigh and Christopher Columbus lending their names to these cities.

The Literal Translation of Major City Names in the Northwestern U.S.

In addition to the straightforward meanings of city names like ‘Anchorage’ (a place suitable for anchoring) and ‘Portland’ (land surrounding a harbor), the Northwestern U.S. boasts some lesser-known etymologies, both of Native and settler origin.

Honolulu, for instance, derives from the Hawaiian language: ‘hono’ meaning ‘port’ and ‘lulu’ meaning ‘calm.’ Interestingly, the name traces back to British Captain William Brown, who initially named the port Fair Haven upon his arrival in 1794. Before this, Hawaiians referred to the area as Ke ʻAwa O Kou, meaning ‘the harbor of Kou.’

Meanwhile, Boise, Idaho, takes its name from the French word for ‘wooded area.’ However, the name’s origins are influenced by English as well: fur traders passing through the region called it the Wooded River, a name later translated by French trappers.

When surveying the area in the 1830s, the French United States Army officer B.L.E. Bonneville had the final say, choosing French over English.

The Literal Meanings Behind Major City Names in the Southwestern U.S.

Many major cities in the Southwestern U.S. bear names that honor notable individuals. Reno, for instance, pays tribute to Jesse Lee Reno, a Virginia-born Union general who met his demise during the battle of Fox’s Gap. The official announcement regarding the city’s naming stated:
“The name of the new town on the C.P.R.R. at the junction of the contemplated branch road to Virginia City in Nevada, is Reno, in honor of General Reno, who fell gloriously fighting in defense of the flag against the assault of traitors in rebellion.”

Similarly, Orem, Utah, derives its name from Walter Orem, a prominent figure in mining and railroad development who constructed the state’s inaugural electric railroad. However, the town’s naming was more an act of flattery than gratitude towards Orem’s contributions. In 1919, as the town faced a critical juncture in its expansion efforts, requiring investment for incorporation and the establishment of a networked water system, it was named after Orem in hopes of securing his support. Prior to this, the area had been known as Provo Bench.

The Literal Meanings Behind Major City Names in the Southeastern U.S.

In September 1687, Henri Joutel noted in his writings: “We arrived at the said place called Chicagou which, according to what we were able to learn of it, has taken this name because of the quantity of garlic which grows in the forests in this region.”

Other accounts suggest that the name Chicago may have originated from the Algonquian word sheka:ko:heki, meaning “place of the wild onion,” or possibly from the Ojibwa word for skunk. Regardless of its precise origins, it appears that odor was a prominent characteristic of the area before the establishment of the town of Chicago in 1833.

Topeka, on the other hand, translates from the Kansa (Siouan) language as “A Good Place to Dig Potatoes.” The founders chose this name in 1855 with originality in mind. Fry W. Giles, a banker and city founder, described Topeka as “a name not found in the list of post offices of the United States, nor in any lexicon of the English language. It was novel, of Indian origin, and euphonious of sound.”

The Literal Meanings of Major City Names in the Southeastern U.S.

Understanding that Baton Rouge means “red stick” doesn’t require fluency in French. But why was Louisiana named “red stick”? In 1699, French explorer Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville stumbled upon the area and spotted a reddened pole adorned with sacrificial fish and bear heads by the Native inhabitants. This visual left an impression on d’Iberville, leading him to refer to the area as Baton Rouge when the French colonized it.

Among the most intriguing place names in the study is Memphis. The city took its name from the ancient Egyptian city of Memphis, which translates to “enduring and beautiful” or “Place of Good Abode,” depending on interpretation. The founders, John Overton, James Winchester, and Andrew Jackson, were less concerned with etymology; they chose the name because both cities stand beside vast rivers.

The Literal Meanings Behind Major City Names in the Northeastern U.S.

Some city name translations in the Northeast are well-known or easy to understand, such as Philadelphia (from the Greek for “brotherly love”) or Portland (the land around a port). Others require a bit more digging.

Would you be able to identify the city name that translates to Botolph’s Stone if it wasn’t labeled on our map? Boston was named after a town in Lincolnshire, England, which, in turn, was named after Botolph, the patron saint of travelers. The second part of the name could derive from “stone” or perhaps from “tun,” the Old English word for village.

The Dutch colonized New Netherland, which included parts of present-day New York City, Long Island, Connecticut, and New Jersey, with the city of New Amsterdam located on today’s Manhattan Island.

However, in 1664, James II of England, the Duke of York, captured the island, leading to the city receiving its eventual name.

If that sounds odd and European, remember the city was briefly called New Orange when the Dutch briefly recaptured it in 1673.

Methodology

The WordTips team compiled research from a diverse array of sources, including the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Online Etymology Dictionary, the Encyclopedia Britannica, the American Library Association, historical records, and regional news reports. The aim was to unveil the literal meanings behind the names of each U.S. state, their respective capital cities, and 178 of the most populated cities scattered across the country.

The investigation delved into various aspects of etymology, considering cases where a state or city was named after a person or significant event, where the words in a location’s name evolved in meaning from an earlier version of English or another language, or according to the significance behind another location after which a U.S. state or city was named.

This project’s research was concluded in January 2024.

The post Etymological Map of America appeared first on Vivid Maps.

Although 78% of Americans exclusively communicate in English at home, you might not be aware that it lacks the official language status in the United States comparable to French in France or Portuguese in Brazil. English might serve as the de facto language of America (being the most widely spoken), yet millions of households across the U.S. actually employ an entirely different language.

In every state across the U.S., as well as within the prominent cities and districts of New York City, Word Finder X employed data from the U.S. Census Bureau to uncover the predominant language spoken in local households, distinct from English and Spanish.

Key Findings

• German is the most spoken language (outside of English and Spanish) in 13 U.S. states — more than any other language
• Tagalog is the most spoken language in 9 cities in the Western U.S.
• Chinese, Vietnamese, and Arabic are the most spoken in major Southwest cities
• Chinese and Russian are spoken commonly across New York neighborhoods

The Most Spoken Language (Besides Englis & Spanish) in every U.S. State

While English could hold the title of the most prevalent language in the U.S., the official language could have easily been German. This notion stems from the tale of Frederick Muhlenberg, the inaugural Speaker of the House of Representatives, whose single vote prevented German from obtaining official language status in the U.S. during the 1700s. In contemporary times, aside from English and Spanish, German stands as the foremost spoken language in 13 states, surpassing all other languages, including French and Chinese.

Among these states, North Dakota and Wisconsin stand as markers within the nation’s “German belt,” regions in the U.S. where German immigrants historically established their communities. Notably, Wisconsin boasts the highest percentage of residents who claim German ancestry.

The Most Spoken Language by City in the Western U.S.

The western part of the United States accommodates almost half (45%) of the entire U.S. Asian population. As a result, it’s unsurprising that specific Asian languages dominate as the most commonly spoken tongues in significant regional cities, following English and Spanish. Tagalog, one of the primary languages of the Philippines, takes the lead as the most spoken language in nine cities. These cities stretch from Anchorage in Alaska, where half of the local Asian population is of Filipino origin, down to Las Vegas, Nevada, which houses one of the most substantial Filipino-American communities in the nation.

In the meantime, Vietnamese and Chinese dominate as the prevailing languages (aside from English and Spanish) in four cities each. Notably, two cities where Chinese is prominently spoken, namely San Francisco and Seattle, harbor substantial Chinese-American communities stemming from immigration.

The Most Spoken Language by City in the Southwestern U.S.

The U.S. Census data shows that Vietnamese is frequently spoken in major cities like Houston and Oklahoma City. Many refugees from the Vietnam War settled in Texas during the 1970s, growing from 231,000 nationally in 1980 to 1.38 million in 2019.

The Most Spoken Language by City in the Southwestern U.S.

From its assistance in the American Revolution to the Louisiana Purchase, France has played a huge role in the shaping of America, and today, close to 9.4 million people in the United States claim either French or French-Canadian ancestry. In the Midwest, French is the most spoken language (after English and Spanish) in four major cities, including Kansas City (MO).

In Chicago, the Midwest’s largest city, Polish is the third-most commonly spoken language in households (aside from English and Spanish). The Windy City is renowned for its Polish heritage, settling after the country’s November Uprising of 1831.

The Most Spoken Language by City in the Southeastern U.S.

Within the Southeastern region, Arabic takes precedence as the primary language in six major cities. Notably, Kentucky stands out with one of the nation’s most rapidly expanding Arab populations.

With the largest Haitian population in the U.S., its native Creole language is the third-most common language in Orlando and Miami. Meanwhile, North Carolina’s French connection runs deep, with Charlotte, Greensboro and Raleigh all home to native speakers.

The Most Spoken Language by City in the Northeastern U.S.

More than 400 years after the Mayflower dropped anchor on the shores of Cape Cod, the Northeastern U.S. continues to attract immigrants and settlers from across the world.

Chinese native speakers are most common in New York and Philadelphia, with U.S. Census data showing the largest quantities in the city’s respective Chinatown neighborhoods. Meanwhile, Boston’s academic hub has harbored arrivals from Haiti since the 1950s, making its language third-most common in the city.

The Most Spoken Languages (besides English & Spanish) in New York City

More than 100 years ago. New York’s Ellis Island was the gateway for those seeking a new life in the United States. Today, the city stands tall as one of the world’s great megacities, home to new arrivals from all over the world and generations of settled immigrant communities.

The U.S. Census data shows that Chinese is the third-most spoken language in 15 of the city’s 55 districts. According to the Asian American Foundation, the city’s Chinese cohort grew by 7.6% between 2015 and 2020, despite an overall population.

Russian language claims the dominant position in eight additional neighborhoods, with one of these being Brighton Beach. In the late 1960s, this area witnessed an influx of Soviet and Ukrainian immigrants who found it reminiscent of the City of Odessa by the Black Sea. Italian takes precedence as the primary language in three different neighborhoods, including Howard Beach, where half of the population has Italian ancestry.

Which States are Hotspots for Different Languages?

The chart below unveils the leading states for particular languages, ordered by the proportion of households utilizing that language for in-home communication.

As an illustration, Chinese is used in the household conversations of 1.89% of homes in California. While this percentage might appear modest, it surpasses that of any other state in the U.S. Meanwhile, Italian holds its position as the most commonly spoken language in Connecticut households (1.01%), where one-third of residents declare part or exclusive Italian ancestry.

Thanks to the historic connection and shared border between Texas and Mexico, 26.6% of households in the Lone Star state contain Spanish speakers, the most in America. Meanwhile, Hawaii’s status as the ‘crossroads of the Pacific’ makes it home to the nation’s most Tagalog-, Korean- and Japanese-speaking households.

The Methodology Behind This Study

The team of Word Finder X examined the “detailed household languages” data by state, city and New York City districts from the U.S. Census Bureau, especially the “ACS 1-Year Estimates Public Use Microdata Sample” and the U.S. state equivalent. Within each U.S. state, major city and district of New York City, they particularly chose the most prevailing household language apart from English and Spanish.

The U.S. Census Bureau specifies “detailed household language” as the language assigned to the household based on the non-English language reported by those residing in the household. If it is a single-person household, the household language is the language noted for that person. If there is more than one language spoken in the household, the household language is assigned in the following order (based on the relationship to the reference person) — (1) reference person, (2) husband/wife, (3) son/daughter, (4) brother/sister, (5) father/mother, (6) grandchild, (7) in-law, (8) other relative and (9) other non-related household members.

The data compilation was conducted in May 2023. This analysis remains accurate as of July 2023.

The post The Most Spoken Languages in American States and Cities (Besides English and Spanish) appeared first on Vivid Maps.

Language Families at a Glance

The world is home to numerous language families, each varying significantly in terms of the number of languages they encompass and the number of people who speak them. Large language families in terms of the number of languages include Niger-Congo, Austronesian, and Indo-European. On the other hand, small language families by the number of languages consist of Koreanic, Japonic, and Kartvelian.

When looking at the number of people speaking these languages, the largest language families are Indo-European, Sino-Tibetan, and Niger-Congo. Conversely, the smallest language families in terms of the number of people are Eskaleut, Kartvelian, and Mongolic.

The world map below created by Reddit user Autistic-Inquisitive shows the most common language family of each country.

Growth and Decline of Language Families

Certain language families are experiencing growth, while others face decline. The Sino-Tibetan language family is expanding, driven largely by the population of China and the global spread of Mandarin. The Niger-Congo family also shows growth, reflecting the high population growth rates in Sub-Saharan Africa. Similarly, the Indo-European family continues to grow, with languages like English and Spanish spreading worldwide.

On the other hand, the Eskaleut language family is in decline, facing challenges from modernization and language shifts. The Nilo-Saharan family also sees a decline, with many of its languages endangered as speakers adopt more dominant languages. Additionally, some languages within the Uralic and Mongolic families are at risk due to small speaker populations and increasing integration into larger national cultures.

Don’t Have a World Map Yet? Check Out These Options on Amazon:

• World Map Poster
• Scratch Off World Map
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It’s not only a productive time-saving technology but a powerful ‘new’ form of communication. The simpler the writing becomes, the more complex and richer the author’s expression can be.

After introducing textspeak abbreviations into its pages, the respected Oxford English Dictionary found that folk uses initialisms not just to type more quickly but “to signal an informal, gossipy mode of expression, and perhaps parody the level of unreflective enthusiasm or overstatement that can sometimes appear in online discourse.”

WordTips studied more than 18 million geotagged tweets across every U.S. state and the 50 largest U.S. cities and then computed the average number of tweets (per 100,000) that contain typical textspeak abbreviations. They also examined the usage rate of abbreviations by the U.S. state compared to the national average to discover every state’s most uniquely popular initialism.

Key Findings

• LOL is America’s favorite initialism, emerging in 1,411 out of every 100,000 tweets.
• Twitter users in Georgia use initialisms in 5,942 tweets out of every 100,000 – more than any other American state.
• Only 2,125 tweets per 100,000 from Idaho contain textspeak abbreviations – the lowest rate in the United States.
• Tbh is the most uniquely popular initialism in Illinois, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington.

The Most Uniquely Popular Textspeak in Every U.S. States

According to Smithsonian Magazine, the first known use of omg was in a letter to Winston Churchill in 1917. Since the rise of the internet and cellphones, abbreviations have become even more widespread due to SMS language, aka textspeak.

A simplified form of language, textspeak generally omits punctuation and capital letters. Tbh is the most uniquely popular in seven states, including Indiana, Oregon, and Wisconsin. Yet omg is still going strong in the state of Wyoming.

The Most Uniquely Popular Textspeak in America’s 50 Largest Cities

If you want to have a private conversation on Twitter, this is where the DM comes in, and it’s the most uniquely popular textspeak in five cities. These include San Jose, Boston, and Memphis.

It is unclear whether residents in these cities are attempting to “slide into” someone else’s DMs and garner their crush’s attention. Yet could this be how some people found their bf, the most-used textspeak in LA, San Diego, Houston, and El Paso.

The Most Common Textspeak in the United States

Since its first-known usage in a 1989 chatroom, lol is by far the most common textspeak in the U.S., with 1,411 usages per 100,000 tweets. But why is it still so popular? Well, assuming most users mean “laughing out loud” and not “lots of love,” it could be because the term is now used to show empathy rather than outright hilarity, according to linguist John McWhorter.

The U.S. States that Use Textspeak the Most

According to Georgia.org, the Southeastern state has “thriving cities and charming towns” plus “world-class entertainment.” With so much for locals to do, textspeak saves a lot of time, and this could be why people in Georgia use it the most (5,942 usages per 100k tweets). Yet for those in the “Green Mountain State” of Vermont (2,154) — one of the least populated states — perhaps their pace of life is slower, resulting in less of a hurry to abbreviate every msg.

Methodology

WordTips analyzed over 18 million geotagged tweets across every U.S. state, allowing us to compare the usage rate of abbreviations by state/city compared to the national average.

To get the states’ results, the team retrieved geotagged tweets in English for 207 American cities and then aggregated these tweets based on the state each one belongs to. They searched for abbreviations in the tweets and contained 250 of the most widespread textspeak terms pulled from a Wiktionary page.

Next, they calculated the percentage of tweets containing each abbreviation (terms usage) for each U.S. state, city, and national level. They defined each location’s most uniquely popular abbreviation as the term with the most significant difference between its national usage and its reference location usage. Although this method doesn’t always yield the most-used term, it provides the most-used term compared to the national average.

Finally, they multiplied each term usage by 100,000 to get the average number of tweets that contain that abbreviation per 100,000 tweets.

The data was collected in October 2022.

The post The Most Popular Textspeak Abbreviations in the United States appeared first on Vivid Maps.

The world map below shows different countries’ usage of gasoline/petrol/essence/benzene based on their native languages.

• Petrol (United Kingdom and Commonwealth Nations): In the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth nations, the preferred term is “petrol.” This word has its roots in the shortening of “petroleum” and has become the standard term in British English.
  
  The word “petroleum” has its origins in Latin and Greek. It comes from the Latin words “petra,” meaning rock, and “oleum,” meaning oil.
  
  
• Gasoline (United States and Latin countries): In the United States, the widely accepted term for this fuel is “gasoline.” This term has become standard American English usage. The word “gasoline” is also used in Spanish-speaking and Portuguese-speaking countries./
  
  The term “gasoline” finds its roots in the trademark terms “Cazeline” and “Gazeline”. These were stylized spellings and pronunciations derived from Cassell, the surname of British businessman John Cassell.
  
  
• Benzene (Germany, Arab countries, Eastern Europe, and former Soviet Union countries): The word “benzene” originated from the German term “Benzin,” which was a name given to a highly volatile fraction obtained from the distillation of crude oil. The term was coined in the mid-19th century when benzene, a specific aromatic hydrocarbon, was isolated from this fraction. The name “benzene” reflects its early association with this fraction derived from benzoin resin.
  
  In fact, the word “benzene” has a more complex linguistic history. While the German word “Benzin” played a role in its development, the ultimate origin of the term does have connections to Arabic.
  
  The Arabic word “al-bann” (البن) refers to a specific resin, and it’s believed that this term influenced the naming of benzene due to its aromatic nature.
  
  
• Essence (French-speaking countries): In French-speaking countries, particularly in Europe and Africa, the term “essence” is commonly used.
  
  The word “essence” has its origins in Latin and Old French. It comes from the Latin word “essentia,” which is a combination of “essens” (being) and the suffix “-tia” denoting quality. In Old French, it evolved into “essence,” maintaining its fundamental meaning of the intrinsic nature or indispensable quality of something.
  
  
• Naphtha (Argentina and Uruguay): The term “naphtha” is used mainly in several South American countries.
  
  The word “naphtha” has its origins in ancient Greek. It is derived from the Greek word “naphthen,” meaning “bitumen” or “pitch.” Over time, the term evolved to describe a range of volatile liquid hydrocarbons, including those obtained from crude oil. Today, “naphtha” is commonly used to refer to a light, liquid mixture of hydrocarbons that can be further processed in refining or used as a solvent in various industrial applications.

To learn more about the origins of the words, consider the following books:

• Dictionary of Word Origins: The Histories of More Than 8,000 English-Language Words
• The Origin of Names, Words and Everything in Between: (Name Meanings, Fun Facts, Word Origins, Etymology)
• Oxford School Dictionary of Word Origins

The post Gasoline or Petrol or Essence or Benzene? appeared first on Vivid Maps.

When it became essential to count frequently to numbers larger than ten, the numeration had to be simplified and systematized; this was typically done through use of a group unit, just as might be accomplished nowadays by counting 43 eggs as three dozen and seven. The earliest numerals of which there is an unquestionable record were simple straight marks for the small numbers with some particular form for ten. These symbols emerged in Egypt as early as 3400 BCE in Mesopotamia as early as 3000 BCE.

Of course, the special position occupied by 10 stems from the number of human fingers. It is still apparent in modern usage in the logical structure of the decimal number system and in the English names for the numbers.Currently, there are still existing many different numeral systems.

The map below created by mapologies shows the last double-digit number (99) in different counting systems.

In Europe, the most challenging counting system is used in Danish. In the Danish language, the numerals are formed based on a vigesimal system (base-20 numeral system) with diverse rules. In the word forms of numbers above twenty, the units are stated before the tens, so 21 is generated “enogtyve”, literally “one and twenty.”

The map below created by Reddit user Redstream28 is a particularly striking illustration of the unusual use of numerals in the Danish language to pronounce the number “92” among other European countries.

Reddit user BrianSometeimes, in response to the phrase “Thank you Denmark for being weirder than France!” said:

Just to correct this map (don’t worry it’s still super complicated), what we really say is this:

2 and half-fifth times 20 (“tooghalvfemsindstyve”, a slightly fucked up “tooghalvfemtesindetyve”)

– where half-fifth (“halvfemte”) is an outdated way of saying 4.5 (halfway from 4 to 5).

However, that’s the long form, we’ve shortened the word in speech and writing to “tooghalvfems”, which, on the face of it, translated without context, is “twoandhalffives”.

BrianSometimes

The post Different Counting Systems Mapped appeared first on Vivid Maps.

The Semitic language family is known for its ancient history, with some of its earliest forms dating back thousands of years. One of the most well-known Semitic languages is Arabic, which is spoken by millions of people across the Arab world and is the liturgical language of Islam. Arabic has had a profound influence on literature, science, and culture, both historically and in the contemporary world.

Hebrew is another prominent Semitic language, and it holds significant religious and cultural importance for Jewish communities. It was revived as a spoken language in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, becoming the official language of Israel.

Aramaic, once a dominant language in the ancient Near East, is still spoken in some communities and has historical and religious significance, particularly in Christian traditions. Syriac, a dialect of Aramaic, is used liturgically by several Christian denominations.

Other Semitic languages include Amharic in Ethiopia, Tigrinya in Eritrea, and Ge’ez, which has religious importance in Ethiopian Christianity. In addition to these, there are smaller Semitic languages and dialects spoken in various parts of the Middle East and North Africa.

The map below illustrates the current distribution of Semitic languages.

Semitic languages have left an indelible mark on the history and culture of the regions where they are spoken. They have also contributed to the development of writing systems, including the Phoenician alphabet, which served as the basis for many other writing systems, including the Greek and Latin scripts.

While many Semitic languages continue to thrive today, some face challenges, such as language endangerment or displacement due to cultural, political, or social factors. Despite these challenges, the rich heritage of Semitic languages endures, with a legacy that spans millennia and continues to shape the linguistic and cultural landscape of the Middle East and beyond.

Learning a foreign language? These books will help you become fluent:

• Fluent Forever: How to Learn Any Language Fast and Never Forget It
• The Language Instinct: How the Mind Creates Language

The post Current Semitic Languages in the World Mapped appeared first on Vivid Maps.

We may use them in anger or casually in our everyday vocabulary, cuss words are becoming more of a fixture in our lives. In fact, a Business Insider report found that the average American now uses 80-90 curse words per day – which works out at around five an hour.

But where in the U.S. can you find people who swear more than anywhere else?

Analysts at WordTips uncovered the profanity hotspots of the U.S. and the words they use most…

Methodology

To discover each U.S. state’s favorite swear word, WordTips gathered tweets from every state and the top 320 most populated cities in the U.S. They filtered the tweets by considering only tweets that were written in English and allowing a maximum of 1 tweet per user per day. The team then collected data on a selection of swear words (and some variations), including: ass, asshole, badass, bastard, bitch, bloody, bullshit, cock, crap, cum, cunt, damn, dick, dickhead, douche, douchebag, fuck, hell, moron, motherfucker, prick, pussy, scum, shit, slut, twat, wanker, whore.

Then, to get information about swear word usage on different dates and times, they retrieved tweets from the 50 most populated cities in the U.S., from 2021-01-01 until 2022-06-01. The team applied the same exclusions noted above before analyzing the swear word usage. All times in this dataset are in UTC – 5 (U.S. Eastern Time).

WordTips combined the results with the 500 most popular names by gender for babies born in the U.S. in 2021 to discover which names swear the most and the least. The name was extracted from the user display name of each Twitter account.

The frequencies in this data are based on unique appearances – each swear word can only be counted once on each tweet towards the total number of appearances. So, if a tweet repeats the same swear word 4 times, it will only count 1 time towards the total.

The data was collected in June 2022.

The States That Swear The Most

Whether you swear casually or use those words to express extreme emotion, Americans are swearing now more than ever – whether on TV, in movies, or on social media. WordTips team analyzed Tweets from all 50 states to determine which places have the most vulgar vocabulary.

Georgia residents are the most profane, with 48 curse words per 1000 posts. Whether ranting about Atlanta’s traffic or a tough loss by a sports team (looking at you, Falcons!), locals from the Peachtree State have plenty to get irate about. The map below shows the most foul-mouthed states in America.

The Top 10 Cities Where Americans Swear the Most and Least

With 56 profanities in every 1000 tweets, the WordTips team has looked at, residents of Atlanta speak with the coarsest of tongues. Meanwhile, mild-mannered Minneapolis natives swear the least, with just 17 curse words per 1000 posts. Here are the most and least foul-mouthed cities in the United States.

The Most Uniquely Popular Swear Word in Each State

‘Shit’ is the curse of choice for 15 U.S. states, making it the most uniquely popular word overall. It is a favorite of the East Coast, with eight on the eastern seaboard favoring it. Meanwhile, ‘fuck’ is preferred in 13 states, including all three on the West Coast.

The Top 10 Swear Worlds Used in America

After analyzing Twitter posts from all over the country was found that ‘fuck’ reigns supreme as the country’s favorite curse word. For every 1,000 tweets analyzed, 11.62 contained the F-word – marginally more than the ten mentions per thousand for ‘shit.

The Top 10 Names That Swear the Most and Least

We all have that one friend or colleague who can’t string a sentence together without swearing. To find out the most and least common names for potty mouths, the WordTips team has researched the darkest corners of Twitter.

With 64 profane messages per 1,000 posts, users named Kai swear the most, while mild-mannered Kimberlys are the least vulgar – with just nine curse words per 1,000 Tweets.

When Do Americans Swear the Most?

Most people don’t use profanities lightly. We say those words to express intense emotion – good and bad. Research by Storyful into language patterns found that swear word usage rose by 41% on Facebook during the pandemic.

With landmark events changing the course of history, it comes as no surprise that Americans have become more dramatic with their language on social media. To analyze this further, we’ve searched through thousands of Twitter posts from the largest cities in America, allowing us to see which days and events spiked the most intense of emotions.

Events
Two events stood out for X-rated outbursts above all others. On January 6th, 2021, the world stood and watched as a mob of Donald Trump supporters attacked the Capitol Building. More recently, on May 24th, 2022, the country was rocked by the deadly mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, TX – in which nineteen students and two teachers were murdered.

Days of the Week
Tuesday is America’s favorite day of the week to let rip on Twitter, with 39 curse words per 1000 tweets. This could be due to midweek work blues as “hump day” Wednesday (38 per 1000 tweets) comes in second.

Hours of the Day
They say nothing good happens after midnight, and our data shows that Americans are at their most profane during these hours. Swearing saw a spike at 1 am, where 52 posts per 1000 tweets contained curse words.

Holidays
There’s something about Independence Day that gets people of America swearing – 15 tweets per 1000 posts on the 4th of July contained profanity. The empowerment and pride of celebrating the country’s birth clearly charge emotions for the country.

Key Findings:

• ‘Fuck’ is America’s most commonly used swear word, with 11.62 uses for every 1000 posts on Twitter.
• With 48 curse words per 1000 tweets, dwellers of Georgia use the most profanities of any U.S. state, with Minnesota (15 per 1000 tweets) swearing the least.
• Atlanta (56 curse words per 1000 posts) is America’s sweariest city, while Minneapolis citizens (17 per 1000 posts) swear the least.
• With 15 U.S. states using ‘shit’ more than any other swear word, it is the most uniquely popular profanity.

The post Every U.S. State’s Favorite Swear Word appeared first on Vivid Maps.