Language & Words Facts

American Sign Language is not a signed version of English — it has its own independent grammar.

English has no official body regulating its grammar or vocabulary.

The Korean alphabet, Hangul, was deliberately invented by a king in the 15th century.

Modern Icelandic has changed so little that speakers can still read medieval sagas.

Words for 'mother' and 'father' sound similar across many unrelated languages.

The plural 'octopi' is based on a grammar mistake — 'octopus' is Greek, not Latin.

'OK,' one of the most recognized words on Earth, started as a 19th-century joke abbreviation.

The word 'salary' comes from the Latin word for salt.

William Shakespeare is credited with introducing hundreds of words still used in English today.

The dot above a lowercase 'i' or 'j' has its own name: a tittle.