UNVEILING LANGUAGE

9 Captivating Quirks Of The English Language

Image: Lucrezia Carnelos

Most native speakers tend to underestimate the diversity and intricate complexities of their mother tongue. English is a fascinating language with a rich history and a vast - and expanding - vocabulary. Its global influence has also kept it ever-changing, transforming on par with society, culture, and technology.

With hundreds of regional dialects, a plethora of borrowed words, and numerous other linguistic anomalies, English stands out on its own as a remarkably diverse and endlessly fascinating language. That being said, join us to explore nine interesting aspects that make Shakespeare's language a linguistic marvel!

Image: Asael Peña

A popular saying among linguists states that a language is a dialect with an army and a navy. While there is little doubt that English is a well-equipped language regarding that matter, there are still over a hundred English dialects currently spoken in the world. Each of these dialects carries its own unique nuances, accents, and colloquialisms, enriching the language in diverse and fascinating ways.

Most varieties can be found, as one would expect, within the British Isles. But even in North America, there are many regional variations, like the Cajun Vernacular or New England English.

Image: Andreas Fickl

English is a living language, constantly evolving to adapt to the changing times. And while it is not a precise measurement of the real size of the language, the Oxford English Dictionary recognizes up to 273,000 words. Considering that most native speakers only have a range of 20,000 to 35,000 words, this is quite impressive!

Also, thousands of new words are added each year to reflect the evolving lexicon of contemporary society, and this adaptability allows English to remain a dynamic and relevant means of communication.

Image: Susan Holt Simpson

English has a rich tradition of wordplay and games of language. Pangrams, for example, are sentences expressly constructed to contain every letter of the alphabet, like the typing lesson favorite, "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog." Palindromes, like "racecar," "civic," or "madam," are words that read the same backward as forward. Paronomasia, on the other hand, exploits words with multiple meanings for humorous effect, popularly known as puns. Since English has a lot of homophones, or words that sound alike but don’t share the same meaning, there is plenty of room for this kind of wordplay!

Image: Clay Banks

Did you know that the practice of capitalizing first-person pronouns - like I - is unique to the English language? While this convention is confined to the written form, it still distinguishes it from other linguistic systems.

The origins of this peculiar practice are somewhat murky, but some philologists seem to think that it stems from the evolution of the singular first-person pronoun, closely related in origin to its German counterpart, "ich." As the -ch was dropped, the one-letter pronoun likely needed a little push to stand out better on its own, thus requiring the emphasis of capitalization. Also, this practice gives more weight to the individual writer, in most cases the author of the text.

Image: Clay Banks

Some languages, like Finnish or Japanese, concatenate words to add up meaning. German and English can do this too, to a certain extent, but are by no means based on this characteristic. However, this trait often allows speakers to build mammoth-sized words that are still meaningful and intelligible. For example, one contender for the longest English word is "pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis," a term coined to describe a lung disease caused by inhaling pulverized silica particles. Try and remember it for your next Scrabble session!

Image: Tandem X Visuals

Despite their spooky name, ghost words are–more often than not–just typos or misspelled words that made their way into dictionaries or other books, eventually taking on a life of their own. An oft-quoted example of this phenomenon is the word "dord", found in the dictionary as a synonym for density, despite being a result of a typographical mistake.

In a language where words are seldom pronounced the way they are spelled, this is quite a common phenomenon, making it very susceptible to quirks and personal idiosyncrasies. Although at first glance this may seem like a problem, it helps keep English young and growing, as with time, many of these words acquire new meanings and connotations.

Image: Suhyeon Choi

English has been the official language of air travel since 2008 (and unofficially since the 50s), fostering global communication and ensuring safety in aviation. Nowadays, pilots and air traffic controllers worldwide communicate in English, emphasizing its role as a universal language for crucial sectors such as transportation and safety.

Image: W P

The pronunciation of English words can vary widely, not just across regions but also among individual speakers. Diverse accents, influenced by geographical, cultural, and social factors, contribute to the richness of the language. From the Received Pronunciation of the British Isles to the distinct accents of different American regions, English showcases a wide spectrum of spoken styles.

Image: iam_os

English, a Germanic language at its core, has borrowed extensively from Latin and Romance languages. From legal terminology to everyday vocabulary, the influence of Latin is deeply embedded in the language. For example, words like enthusiasm, democracy, or juvenile all come directly from Latin. This fusion of linguistic roots adds complexity and richness, greatly expanding the possibilities of speakers.

Prohibition roots

The real McCoy: You still use Prohibition-era slang without realizing it

Everybody knows what people mean when they talk about "moonshine," but do you really know where that name comes from? We often hear someone say something is "the real McCoy," or a friend mentions they’re "on the wagon." The thing is, behind these familiar phrases is a hidden piece of American history. Even if you’ve never set foot in a speakeasy, chances are you’ve been using words that were born or popularized during Prohibition (1920 to 1933). Here’s the story behind them: how they started, what they meant back then, and how they’ve survived in everyday American conversation for over a century.

Picture a hidden basement bar packed with people drinking, laughing, and trying not to attract attention. Somewhere in the crowd, the bartender warns a noisy customer to "speak easy" so the authorities outside won’t hear. From that old habit came one of the terms most closely tied to Prohibition: the "speakeasy."

Already in use by the late 19th century, "speakeasies" originally referred to places that sold alcohol without a license. But during Prohibition, when bars didn’t disappear but simply went underground, the term became famous across America. Today, the word still carries that same meaning, though it’s also widely used by modern bars and restaurants trying to recreate the jazz-age atmosphere and glamour of the Roaring Twenties.

You’ve probably heard the term "moonshine" countless times in movies, documentaries, advertisements, or even everyday conversation. But most people rarely stop to think about where the word actually comes from.

"Moonshine" was already widely used in the early 1800s in the United States to refer to illegally distilled homemade alcohol, and it became even more common during the Prohibition era after 1920, for logical reasons. But what does the light of the moon have to do with a drink? The answer is simpler than you might think: people who made it illegally often worked at night, using only the moonlight to avoid being caught. Today, "moonshine" still refers to homemade alcohol, but it’s also used more loosely for strong, homemade-style liquor or modern spirits inspired by traditional recipes.

An antique watch, a painting, a piece of jewelry, or even a jersey worn by a famous player: all of these can be "the real McCoy." The term is used in everyday language to describe something genuine, authentic, or high quality, but why do we call it that?

In use since the 19th century, there are several theories about its origin. One of the most common links is to Elijah McCoy, a Canadian-American engineer who, in 1872, created a highly reliable engine lubrication system. It was so effective that buyers reportedly began asking for "the real McCoy" to avoid cheaper imitations. But the story that interests us most here is that of Bill McCoy, a Prohibition-era rum-runner known in the 1920s for refusing to dilute his liquor. It’s believed that his reputation for selling "the good stuff" may have helped reinforce the phrase during that time.

"Hooch" is a slang word used to describe homemade or low-quality liquor, though that wasn’t always its original meaning.

After the United States purchased Alaska in 1867, the government attempted to ban alcohol production from native communities. In response, members of the Tlingit community created a strong homemade drink known as Hoochinoo, made with ingredients like molasses, sugar, and yeast. The liquor became popular among miners and hunters, who eventually shortened the name to simply "hooch." Over time, the term came to refer to almost any illegally made or very strong alcohol, and eventually also became associated with liquor considered cheap or of poor quality.

Have you heard a friend turn down a drink by saying they’re "on the wagon"? It’s still a widely used expression today, but few people know where it actually comes from.

The phrase began appearing in the US in the late 1800s and became especially popular during the Prohibition era. But what does giving up alcohol have to do with a wagon? One of the most accepted explanations traces it back to the horse-drawn water wagons that traveled through dusty American streets in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. People who promoted moderation or abstinence allegedly joked that they would rather drink water from those wagons than alcohol. Before long, being "on the water wagon" was shortened to simply "on the wagon."

Have you ever heard an American town described as "dry," but not because of its climate?

Long before the 18th Amendment established Prohibition in 1920, the United States already had a powerful temperance movement made up of people who campaigned against alcohol consumption and pushed for nationwide bans on its sale. By the late 1800s and early 1900s, supporters of alcohol prohibition became known as "Drys," while anti-prohibitionists, brewers, and saloon owners were called "Wets." The terms quickly became part of everyday American political language. Entire states, counties, towns, politicians, and even newspapers were labeled "dry" or "wet" depending on their position on alcohol laws.

Toward the end of the 1800s, before nationwide Prohibition was enacted, alcohol had already been banned in certain states and cities. In those years, a colorful new term emerged for places that sold liquor illegally.

As often happens in history, people quickly found creative ways around the law. One popular trick was advertising strange attractions like a "blind pig," a "blind tiger," or even a "striped pig," charging customers a small admission fee to supposedly see them. Once inside, visitors were "given" a complimentary drink. Technically, the owner wasn’t selling alcohol, but charging admission to see the attraction, whether the animal actually existed or not. It didn't take long before "Blind Pig" and "Blind Tiger" became well-known slang terms for illegal drinking establishments across the country.

If you’ve ever been thrown out of a bar, turned away from a restaurant, or told a menu item was no longer available, you could say you’ve been "86’d." But where did that number come from?

One of the most famous origin stories traces it back to Chumley's, a Prohibition-era speakeasy in New York City. According to the story, when a police raid was about to happen, officers on the take would warn the staff to "86" the customers, meaning sneak them out the back door onto 86 Bedford Street before the authorities arrived. Today, the term is still used in some restaurants and bars. A dish can be "86’d" when removed from the menu or when it’s sold out, and an unruly customer can still be "86’d" right out the door.

Has anyone ever warned you, "Don’t drink that rotgut"? Contrary to "the real McCoy," "rotgut" was the slang term for harsh, cheap, poorly made liquor that people knew could make you sick.

The word existed long before Prohibition, but it became especially common in the late 1800s and early 1900s, when some saloon owners and moonshiners tried to stretch their profits by mixing whiskey with questionable ingredients like river water, molasses, or even turpentine. It didn’t take much imagination to understand the name: "rotgut" literally described liquor rough enough to ruin your stomach. When Prohibition began under the 18th Amendment, the term spread even more, since illegally made alcohol often came with those dangers.

Back in rural America, hunters sometimes used a cruel but effective trick: tying a pigeon to a stool so its frantic flapping would lure other birds into a trap. But what does that have to do with Prohibition?

Like almost every era, Prohibition had its share of informants. Some people secretly slipped into speakeasies, gathered information, and passed it along to the police in exchange for money, favors, or protection. Much like those decoy birds that lured others into danger, these informers became known as "stool pigeons", a term we still use today for a snitch or informant.