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Mapologies

@mapologies.bsky.social
405 followers 25 following 131 posts

Maps and mops are my obsession. Share & comment to improve our blog: www.mapologies.com Support us: ko-fi.com/mapologies #language 📞 #tvseries 📺 #etymology 🐣 #geography 🌐 #maps 🗺 #history ⏰️ #cartoo

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Mapologies @mapologies.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
When we think of worms, we imagine long, soft-bodied, legless animals. But which one exactly? The answer isn't simple: Earthworms and leeches (Annelida), Roundworms (Nematoda), Flatworms (Platyhelminthes), and parasitic worms and insect larvae, such as moth, beetle, fly. mapologies.com/bugs/
etymology map of worm
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Mapologies @mapologies.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Show us some love with a cup of coffee! ko-fi.com/mapologies #maps #etymologies #languages
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Mapologies @mapologies.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
The Romans named Mercury the messenger god, mediator between gods and mortals, and deity of commerce, Mercurius. Linked to the Latin word merx, meaning “merchant.” It was fitting: Mercury is the fastest planet in the Solar System, traveling around the Sun at 47.4 km/s
Etymology map of Mercury, the planet and the element
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Mapologies @mapologies.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
What do they have in common with German Luchs, Armenian լուսան (lusan), Romanian râs or Polish ryś with English lynx.? All have been connected with the Proto-Indo-European root *lewk-, meaning “light, brightness” It refer sto the lynx’s bright eyes. mapologies.com/animals/
Etymology map of lynx
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Mapologies @mapologies.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Few materials have traveled as widely as silk: The English word silk ultimately derives from Latin sēricum, which was borrowed from Greek sērikón. The name is generally traced further back to Old Chinese 絲 (sə), meaning “silk.” mapologies.com/animal-produ...
Etymology map of silk
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Mapologies @mapologies.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
In English, blood comes from the Proto-Germanic word blōþą. Its deeper origins are uncertain, but some scholars connect it to the Proto-Indo-European root bʰleh₃-, meaning “to bloom”—a rather beautiful association for something so essential to life. mapologies.com/animals/
Etymology map of blood
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Mapologies @mapologies.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Cranes are known to ornithologists by the scientific name Grus grus, from the Latin grus. Latin and Italian gru or Polish żuraw—traced to gerh₂ōws, while Germanic derive from gr̥h₂-nés. Both starting gerh₂- “to make a hoarse or harsh cry,” and are likely onomatopoeic in origin. mapologies.com/birds
Etymology map of crane
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Mapologies @mapologies.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
In this image, we map the flesh of animal origin used for food: meat. Not all languages make this same distinction between flesh/meat. Some languages do have a clear pair are: Icelandic, hold / kjöt, or French, chair / viande. mapologies.com/animal-produ...
Etymology map of meat
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Mapologies @mapologies.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
English borrowed the word from Latin: lacertus and lacerta. We can see related forms in Spanish and Portuguese, lagarto, and in Italian, lucertola; the closest counterpart is French lézard. mapologies.com/herpetology/
etymology map of lizard
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Mapologies @mapologies.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
Cheers to all our amazing supporters and followers! 🎉✨💛 Thanks for hopping in and showing love 🙌🗺️💫 If you’d like to support our work, come say hi & back us here: ko-fi.com/mapologies 🌟🧡
cheers in different languages
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Mapologies @mapologies.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
This is a clear case of a widespread root featuring a fascinating variety of phonetic changes. Words like ovo, ei, ou, kek, and jaje all mean "egg" and trace their origins back to the Proto-Indo-European *h₂ōwyóm. mapologies.com/animal-product
etymology map of egg
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Mapologies @mapologies.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
What do the Danish and Swedish word stork mean? Exactly what you'd think: they share the Proto-Indo-European root *srgos. But this ancient root didn't just stay in the Germanic family—it also survives today as the Latvian stārķis and the Macedonian штрк (štrk). mapologies.com/birds/
Etymology map of strork (ciconia)
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Mapologies @mapologies.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
A clipping is a shortening of a word: for example, hippo from hippopotamus. The longer comes from Ancient Greek ἱπποπόταμος (hippopótamos): Formed by ἵππος (híppos, “horse”) and ποταμός (potamós, “river”). You can also help with our maps by buying us a coffee! ko-fi.com/mapologies
Etymology map of hippopotamus
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Mapologies @mapologies.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
When we used to study Latin, the word lana did not immediately ring a bell. What did it mean? lane, land or lens? No—it actually meant wool. It feels similar to other distinct pairs like the miel & honey, or lac & milk, right? Well, no... mapologies.com/animal-product
etymology map of wool
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Mapologies @mapologies.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
On July 13th a country celebrated its independance: Crna Gora (Црна Гора), which means “Black Mountain”, is a country known in English as #Montenegro, a Venetian name. In English, the meaning isn’t obvious, but in Spanish it is. #crnagora mapologies.com/national-nam...
Montenegro or Crna Gora in other foreign languages
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Mapologies @mapologies.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
In English bull, German Bulle Latvian bullis derive from the Proto‑Germanic root *bulô, which is cognate with *balluz “ball”. Where does this connection come from? Put simply and politely: what you’d see between a bull’s legs. Read more here: mapologies.com/animals/
Etymology map of bull
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Mapologies @mapologies.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
mapologies.com/cooking/ Dessert is an international word you’ll find across many languages and it’s shared in meaning even when the food itself varies. Like many culinary terms, its roots trace back to French. The verb desservir referred to something like the removal of plates after a meal.
Etymology map of dessert
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Mapologies @mapologies.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
In the East, Slavic languages share a common root, Proto-Slavic *žaba, with the notable exception of Russian: The term ljaguska (лягушка) is derived from the verb ljgat (лягать), which means "to lick." Some ideas? mapologies.com/herpetology/ #etymology #etymologymap #languagemap
Etymology map of frog in several languages
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Mapologies @mapologies.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
mapologies.com/time/ #German “Sommer” and #Kurdish “havîn,” despite their different appearances, both stem from the Proto-Indo-European root *semh₂-, meaning “summer” or “half of the #year.” #etymology #etymologymap #map #laguagemap #linguisticmap
Etymology map of summer
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Mapologies @mapologies.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
Honey has an interesting distribution of etymological roots across languages. Serbian med is not etymologically connected to Portuguese mel, despite their apparent similarity, but it is distantly related to Turkish bal. mapologies.com/animal-produ...
etymological map of honey
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Mapologies @mapologies.bsky.social · 20/06/2026
@hareldan.bsky.social You asked for it. Now deal with it: There are four main groups of etymological roots for “badger,” all sharing a common idea, the animal as a digger and burrow-builder. In the East: Proto‑Slavic root *jàzvьcь and in the West: Proto‑Germanic *þahsuz. mapologies.com/animals/
Etymology map of badger
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Mapologies @mapologies.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
mapologies.com/roots/ Horseradish is a type of radish, with spicy flavour and eaten by horses. However this is simply partly true — the only accurate part is its strong taste. It also belongs to the Brassicaceae family (along with cabbage, mustard and, yes, radish).
Etymology map of horseradish
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Mapologies @mapologies.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
A #fruit is the mature ovary of a flowering #plant and plays a crucial role in spreading the plant’s seeds. It forms after the flower is fertilized. mapologies.com/fruits/ #etymogy #etymologymap #map #mapologies #mapologic #language #languagemap #botanic
etymology map of fruit
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Mapologies @mapologies.bsky.social · 30/05/2026
Counting sheep... More maps on our blog: mapologies.com/animals/ #animal #etymology #etymologymap #mapologies #map #sheep #ewe #ram
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Mapologies @mapologies.bsky.social · 23/05/2026
New map! New section! How do you say "snake" in your language? mapologies.com/herpetology/ #etymology #map #etymlogymap #reptile #langugae #history #lingusiticmap #languagemap #mapologies #etymologic
Etymology map of snake
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Mapologies @mapologies.bsky.social · 02/05/2026
Cow is related to Icelandic kýr and Swedish ko. These words are also connected to a surprising group of words across other Indo‑European branches thought to derive from a common Proto‑Indo‑European root, *gʷṓws, for example Irish bó, Latvian govs, and Armenian  կով (kov). mapologies.com/animals/
Etymology map of cow (bos taurus)
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Mapologies @mapologies.bsky.social · 26/04/2026
Last map has ants in its pants mapologies.com/bugs/ #insects #map #mapologies #etymology #etymologymap #ant #ants #languagemap From the Galician formiga to the Romanian furnică, and from Greek myrmígk to Finnish muurahainen. Surprising, huh? The Proto-Indo-European *mórwis.
Etymology map of ant
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Mapologies @mapologies.bsky.social · 11/04/2026
#Turtles and #tortoises share the same #etymological root: Ancient #Greek ταρταροῦχος (tartaroûkhos), “holder of Tartaros”. It was belived that they originated from the underworld, thought to be the resting place of the dead, meaning “the land of the dead, #hell.” mapologies.com/herpetology/
etymological map of turtle
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Mapologies @mapologies.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
French "Pâques" was borrowed from the Aramaic פסחא (Paskha). It originally referred to the Jewish festival of Passover. Later, Paul the Apostle reinterpreted the term to refer to Christ, highlighting the connection between Jesus’ resurrection and the themes of salvation. mapologies.com/celebrate/
easter, celebrated on different dates, in different languages
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Mapologies @mapologies.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
The first group is Germanic-derived, giving English, German and Swedish "dill". This root also appears in some non‑Germanic languages, for example Latvian dilles. mapologies.com/herbs/
Etymology map of "Dill" (Anethum graveolens) in several languages
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Mapologies @mapologies.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
mapologies.com/time/#Spring English, among them, employs “spring”, the when vegetation begins to “spring” forth, or emerge. Before its adoption in English, the word was “Lent”, Dutch Lente, from Proto-West Germanic *langatīn, literally “longer day” in reference to the lengthening of daylight.
etymology mao of spring
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Mapologies @mapologies.bsky.social · 14/03/2026
Hares and rabbits are not that easy to distinguish: Do you know the difference? mapologies.com/animals/
Etymology map of hare
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Mapologies @mapologies.bsky.social · 08/03/2026
Although now a staple of several European cultures, the potato is not a native plant; it was introduced as patata by the Spanish in the second half of the 16th century after the arrival in the Americas, borrowed from the Taíno word batata "sweet potato". Continue reading here: mapologies.com/roots/
Etymology map of potato (solanum tuberosum) in different languages
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Mapologies @mapologies.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
Just as bathtub is derived from the word bath, in Spanish, we have baño, which has given rise to two terms: bañera and bañadera (the latter being more commonly used in Argentina). Additionally, tina can be translated as vat, jar, or bucket, but it can also mean bathtub. mapologies.com/el-atlas/
bathtub in Spanish
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Mapologies @mapologies.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
It can have many names: Menta, Minze, Menthe, Mjata, but all of them refer to Mint, originated from Greek: μίνθη (mínthē). We can find other names on the map: Turkish nane, Macedonian нана (nana) or Arabian نَعْنَاع (naʕnāʕ) shared the same root: Hurrian *an-an-uḫḫə mapologies.com/herbs/
Etymology map of "Mint" (from the genus Mentha) in several languages
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Mapologies @mapologies.bsky.social · 22/02/2026
Pastinaca sativa is the scientific name for parsnip. This term is widely recognized across different languages. Both the common name and the scientific designation trace their origins back to the Latin word pastinaca, which itself is derived from pastinum. mapologies.com/roots #Parsnip
Etymology map of parsnip
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Mapologies @mapologies.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
The etymology of Rabbit can be traced to dialectal Old French rabotte, maybe the verb to rub. In Europe originated from lepus and cuniculus. They appear to have been borrowed from an unknown language, likely originating from the Iberian Peninsula, though much about this source remains a mystery.
etymology map of rabbit
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Mapologies @mapologies.bsky.social · 16/02/2026
The #idiom “to kill two #birds with one stone” exists in other languages with a rich variety of different #animals: #rabbits and #hares, #flies, #pigeons, and #sparrows. Does an alternative exist in your language? Tell us in the comments. mapologies.com/two-birds-on...
The #idiom “to kill two #birds with one stone”
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Mapologies @mapologies.bsky.social · 14/02/2026
Lavender originated in the Latin lavandula, which may have developed from lividus (“bluish”), referring to the plant’s color, but it was later reshaped under the influence of the verb lavo (“to wash”) because lavender was widely used for bathing. mapologies.com/FLOWERS/ #saintvalentine #flower
etymology map of lavender
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Mapologies @mapologies.bsky.social · 20/01/2026
Did you know that... cloves and the verb to close are related? We did not! Cloves are spice whose name came from Old French "clou de girofle" (lit. nail of clove tree). mapologies.com/spices
Etymology map of clove (syzygium aromaticum)
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Mapologies @mapologies.bsky.social · 17/01/2026
Idéfix is derived from the French term “Idée fixe,” meaning fixed idea. Out of need, some languages introduced subtle modifications: “idea-fix” or “ideia-fix”. The most innovative occurs in the English translations, Dogmatix. A clever amalgamation of “dog” and “dogmatic.” mapologies.com/cartoons/
Dogmatix or idefix in different languages
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Mapologies @mapologies.bsky.social · 10/01/2026
mapologies.com/animals/ Most European languages trace back to Proto-Indo-European root, ḱwṓ. Over millennia, it has taken on remarkably diverse forms: Portuguese cão, Danish hund, and Persian sag, among others. This diversity is comparable to the wide variety of dog breeds themselves.
Etymology map of dog
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Mapologies @mapologies.bsky.social · 06/01/2026
mapologies.com/animals The genus Canis encompasses from humans’ best friend—the domestic dog—to one of the most dangerous enemies in the wild, the wolf. the Proto-Indo-European as wĺ̥kʷos, possibly derived from an adjective with the meaning “dangerous.”
Etymology map of wolf (canis lupus)
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Mapologies @mapologies.bsky.social · 01/01/2026
Just updated! Welcome, Bulgaria! Добре дошли, България! mapologies.com/europes/
European alliances: EU, Schengen, Eurozone, EFTA and NATO
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Mapologies @mapologies.bsky.social · 31/12/2025
Many languages include a reference to Mary in the name: Catalan marieta, Latvian mārīte. Also as part of a compound word, German Marienkäfer “Mary’s beetle” or Danish mariehøne "Mary’s chicken.” In English comes from “Our Lady’s bird,” once again referring to the Virgin Mary. mapologies.com/bugs/
etymology map of ladybird
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Mapologies @mapologies.bsky.social · 26/12/2025
The holiday gift-giving season may be over, but it’s never too late to support us with even a small contribution. Click the link to help us out! ko-fi.com/mapologies
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Mapologies @mapologies.bsky.social · 20/12/2025
Winter is spelled identically in German and Dutch, and it appears in a very similar form in Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian as vinter. The word derives from the Proto-Germanic form *wintruz. mapologies.com/time/
etymology map of winter
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Mapologies @mapologies.bsky.social · 13/12/2025
A radish is a reddish, edible root vegetable, but its name has nothing to do with the color red. In fact, its closest cognates are words like the adjective radical or radix. The word ultimately derive from the Latin rādīx (or rādīcis), meaning simply “root.” mapologies.com/roots
Etymology map of radish (raphanus sativus)
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Mapologies @mapologies.bsky.social · 07/12/2025
“Cat” is a word with a uniform spread: Ukrainian kit (кіт) or Estonian kass trace back to the same root as English, possibly of Afro-Asiatic origin. Exceptions: In the Balkans, from maca, likely onomatopoetic, and in West Asia, where there is a Turkic root. mapologies.com/animals/
Etymology map of cat
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Mapologies @mapologies.bsky.social · 02/12/2025
Don’t you think it’s time for a cinnamon latte? Interestingly, the word cinnamon comes from Latin, which took it from the Greek κίνναμον (kínnamon), a name that’s been around since antiquity. mapologies.com/spices
etymology map of cinnamon
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