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Mapologies @mapologies.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

mapologies.com/animal-produ... Did you know that the word for #leather in French cuir, Polish skóra, and Kurmanji çerm, are connected? #etymolgy #etymolgymap #languages

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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/

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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/

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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...

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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/

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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

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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...

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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/

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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 🌟🧡

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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

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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/

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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

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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

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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/

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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.

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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

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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...

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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/

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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).

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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

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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

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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/

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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.

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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/

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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.

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Mapologies @mapologies.bsky.social · 14/03/2026

I should add it to the map. thank you!

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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/

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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/

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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

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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.

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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...

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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

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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.

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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.”

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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/

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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/

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