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Starkey Comics @starkeycomics.bsky.social · 12/12/2025

Jolly Yule Everyone! Did you know the words 'jolly' and 'Yule' are (probably) related? Yule is the original Germanic midwinter holiday, dating back to before the pagan holiday was absorbed into the Christian Christmas. It's still the most common name of Christmas in all the Nordic countries.

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Starkey Comics @starkeycomics.bsky.social · 11/12/2025

I've made a map of who brings Christmas presents in different British regions! Who brought your presents as a child? Full post here with an explanation of each: starkeycomics.com/2019/12/24/w... #christmas #map #uk #british #gefthetalkingmongoose

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Starkey Comics @starkeycomics.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

A new addition to my "Indo-European words for ___" series, this time showing the word for "ten" in over 100 Indo-European languages, both past and present. For a short article on this image, and a HD version of it, click here: starkeycomics.com/2025/06/23/i... #etymology #linguistics #language

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Starkey Comics @starkeycomics.bsky.social · 19/06/2025

"Pride" is derived from the French "prod" (brave or valiant). This was from Latin "prosum" (to be useful, helpful, or good). Prosum is composed of two words: "pro-", which relates to moving forward, being prominent/in the open, and giving advantage; and "sum" meaning "I am". #pride #etymology

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Starkey Comics @starkeycomics.bsky.social · 24/05/2025

Gandalf is a total prankster, so my headcanon is that when he brought a dragon firework to Bilbo's birthday, it was to prank Bilbo by triggering his traumatic memories of Smaug. Maybe he later brought similarly traumatic fireworks to Frodo, Sam, and Pippin's birthday parties. #lordoftherings

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Starkey Comics @starkeycomics.bsky.social · 21/05/2025

New post! I collaborated with Danny at Linguistic Discovery to make a huge image about English words related to the word "one". Danny wrote a detailed article on the topic that you can read here: linguisticdiscovery.com/posts/one/

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Starkey Comics @starkeycomics.bsky.social · 05/05/2025

In the UK and Ireland an enclosed piece of grassy land next to a house is called a "garden", whether or not any flowers or vegetables are being grown there. In the USA and Canada, this would generally be called a "yard". Interestingly both these words come from the same Germanic source! #etymology

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Starkey Comics @starkeycomics.bsky.social · 23/04/2025

The etymology of colours in English Full article with explanations here: starkeycomics.com/2024/12/31/t...

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Starkey Comics @starkeycomics.bsky.social · 18/04/2025

'Grimm's Law' is the collective name for a series of sound changes that happened as Proto-Germanic evolved from Proto-Indo-European. They explain some of the differences between related words in the Germanic languages, and other Indo-European languages. #etymology

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Starkey Comics @starkeycomics.bsky.social · 16/04/2025

Grime, Christ, and ghee share the same Indo-European root! Greek Khristos is a calque of the Hebrew מָשִׁיחַ‎ (māšīaḥ), also meaning “anointed”. Māšīaḥ was also borrowed into Greek and Latin, eventually reaching English as the word “messiah”. #etymology

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Starkey Comics @starkeycomics.bsky.social · 15/04/2025

The words ‘avocado’, ‘guacamole’, and ‘mole’ (the Mexican sauce) all come to use from Classical Nahuatl, the language of the Aztec Empire, via Spanish.

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Starkey Comics @starkeycomics.bsky.social · 11/04/2025

The words "host" and "guest" are from the same source, with "host" reaching us via French, and "guest" reaching us via Old Norse. #etymology

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Starkey Comics @starkeycomics.bsky.social · 23/03/2025

Fun fact: catfish are more closely relate to cats than they are to dogfish! In fact, all bony fish are more closely related to all mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians than they are to all cartilaginous fish. #taxonomy #zoology

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Starkey Comics @starkeycomics.bsky.social · 25/02/2025

The words for "cat" in several different languages are onomatopoeic, coming directly from the noise a cat makes. We could say that in these languages cats named themselves, or that these languages borrowed their word for "cat" from the "cat language".

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Starkey Comics @starkeycomics.bsky.social · 14/02/2025

Happy Valentine's day! My gift to you a new image, showing 15 English words that are related to the name "Valentine". #etymology #valentines #english

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Starkey Comics @starkeycomics.bsky.social · 08/02/2025

Here's an image I made showing where the names of the weekdays come from. The 7 day week was introduced to Germanic people by the Romans, and so Germanic speakers mostly just replaced the Latin names of Germanic equivalents.

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Starkey Comics @starkeycomics.bsky.social · 24/01/2025

The etymology of months in English. Every English month was borrowed from a Latin month name, mostly being named for Roman gods and rulers. I've missed out September to December because those are just from Latin numbers. -🌟🗝️ #etymology #history #language

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Starkey Comics @starkeycomics.bsky.social · 21/01/2025

Tetracerus quadricornis, the four horned antelope, also called the chausingha, has four names, all of which mean "four-horns" on a different language. All four of those names are built from words that trace back to the Proto-Indo-European words for "four" and "horn". #etymology #linguistics

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Starkey Comics @starkeycomics.bsky.social · 12/01/2025

This image started out as a simple graphic showing the relationship between "skirt", "shirt", and "shorts", but gradually grew until we have this: How 21 different words in English evolved from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to cut". #etymology #linguistics #language #english

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Starkey Comics @starkeycomics.bsky.social · 11/01/2025

Long story short: In early Eurasian history, everyone passed "cannabis" around, but nobody wants to tell us where they got it from. -🗝️🌟 #etymology #language #linguistics

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Starkey Comics @starkeycomics.bsky.social · 08/01/2025

New etymology image: "gun" is short for "Gunilda" "Lady Gunilda" was a Middle English nickname for large siege weapons. This was shortened to "gonnilde", and then to "gunne". "Gunne" ultimately evolved into the modern English word "gun". #etymology #language #linguistics #english_language

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Starkey Comics @starkeycomics.bsky.social · 06/01/2025

Etymology fact of the week: "calque" is a loanword, while "loanword" is a calque. #etymology #language #linguistics

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Starkey Comics @starkeycomics.bsky.social · 01/01/2025

As the wheel of the year turns us into another cycle of our calendars, it seems a good time to point out that the words "wheel" and "cycle" are related, as is the word "chakra" (a centre of spiritual energy within the body, in Hinduism). May this new cycle bring you peace and happiness. -⭐🗝️

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Starkey Comics @starkeycomics.bsky.social · 30/12/2024

Merry Betwixtmas! (that's what I'm calling the awkward period betwixt Christmas and New Year) Did you know the word "merry" is related to the words "bra" and "pretzel"? Well now you do. Merry New Year everyone, I'll see you in 2025. I have many more fun images already planned out :) -🌟🗝️

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Starkey Comics @starkeycomics.bsky.social · 29/12/2024

The English words "garb", "garbage, and "gear" are all from the same Proto-Germanic source, with each taking a different path to reach English. There was also a natively English version of the world, yare, which has now mostly died out. -🌟🗝️ #etymology #linguistics #english_language #language

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Starkey Comics @starkeycomics.bsky.social · 21/12/2024

Merry Solstice everyone! After living abroad for the last 9 years, I'm finally back in the UK, and experiencing properly short days. This morning the sun rose outside our window at 08:52, and is at this minute (15:59) setting. Our gloomy 7ish-hour-long day is giving way to a 17-hour-long night.

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Starkey Comics @starkeycomics.bsky.social · 21/12/2024

Horse, chariot, and car are related all related words. Meanwhile cart is surprisingly unrelated to car!

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Starkey Comics @starkeycomics.bsky.social · 19/12/2024

The English words "water", "hydro-", "whiskey", and "vodka" are all related. All come from the Proto-Indo-European word for water.

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Starkey Comics @starkeycomics.bsky.social · 04/12/2024

Did you know "lord" and "lady" come from Old English words that literally meant "loaf-guardian" and "loaf-maid"? Now you do! There was also "hlāfǣta", a word for servant that literally meant "loaf-eater". Sadly that one has no modern descendants. #etymology #language #linguistics

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Starkey Comics @starkeycomics.bsky.social · 04/12/2024

Looking at maps and data about the modern world, we can forget everything is dictated and shaped by the past. From ancient continents to terrible atrocities, our world is a product of history, and understanding that past can be key to helping us better understand the present. -🌟🗝️

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Starkey Comics @starkeycomics.bsky.social · 03/12/2024

Merry December! With Christmas fast approaching, here's a map showing who brings the presents in different British regions. Full post with explanations of each character here: starkeycomics.com/2019/12/24/w... #Christmas #British #Father_Christmas #Gef_the_talking_mongoose

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Starkey Comics @starkeycomics.bsky.social · 24/11/2024

Indo-European words for "four". Around the outside are 64 living Indo-European languages and their words for 4. Within that the words for 4 in historic languages, going back 4000+ years all the way to Proto-Indo-European *kʷetwóres.

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