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Why is there an oz for ounces in math when there is no z in the word ounces? — Lahna, 9, New York state

Dear Lahna,

Your question made me think about how words change. The dictionary adds new words and definitions all the time.

The latest update to the Oxford English Dictionary added jelly, meaning jealous. It also included drop bear. That’s an imaginary scary-koala that appears in stories.

I asked my friend Nikolaus Overtoom how we got the abbreviation for ounces. He’s a professor of ancient history at Washington State University.

It turns out ounces—and later oz—evolved as words traveled from Ancient Rome through Medieval Europe and into England.

“The mixture of linguistic elements in English makes it one of the most flexible, diverse and complex … » More …

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Why do scientists use Latin when they name organisms? – Arielle, New York

Dear Arielle,

Language changes all the time. Words get new meanings. New words get made up.

I talked about it with my friend Rich Zack. He’s an insect scientist at Washington State University. He does taxonomy. That’s the science of naming and classifying living things.

The way language changes is amazing—and skibidi. It’s neat that language morphs as we use it. But that can limit how well we understand each other. Some readers might see “skibidi” and think I passed out and hit random keys.

That’s the main reason scientists use Latin or ancient Greek to name things. They’re dead languages. Nobody uses … » More …

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Why do scientists use Latin when they name organisms? – Arielle, New York

Dear Arielle,

Language changes all the time. Words get new meanings. New words get made up.

I talked about it with my friend Rich Zack. He’s an insect scientist at Washington State University. He does taxonomy. That’s the science of naming and classifying living things.

The way language changes is amazing—and skibidi. It’s neat that language morphs as we use it. But that can limit how well we understand each other. Some readers might see “skibidi” and think I passed out and hit random keys.

That’s the main reason scientists use Latin or ancient Greek to name things. They’re dead languages. Nobody uses … » More …

Read More ...