The word journey

A sexy word everyone wants and so much more

Just like a bride is traditionally given something "borrowed" on her wedding day, our everyday speech is full of words borrowed from other languages. We use them to describe everything from that café you love to the strange feeling that you’ve experienced something before, and even those irritating mosquitoes. Get ready for some big surprises as we uncover 10 words that have slipped into our vocabulary from other languages.

Here is a word that describes something we all use very often (or at least we hope so): "shampoo," which comes from the Hindi word chāmpo, which means "press" or "massage."

Originally, in 18th-century India, chāmpo referred to the practice of massaging the head and body, often with oils. British travelers encountered the practice in India and brought the word back to Britain in the 18th century. In English, its meaning gradually shifted from massage to the washing of the hair. Talk about a transformation.

"Zzzzzzzzzzzz"- the sound that can turn a peaceful night into an exercise in frustration. The term to describe this annoying fellow, mosquito, entered the English language from Spanish in the 16th century, meaning "little fly."It comes from Spanish mosca, meaning "fly," with the diminutive ending -ito, meaning "little."

Put them together, and you get a surprisingly cute name for one of nature’s most irritating creatures, making it a very tiny word for such a big annoyance.

Take another sip of your coffee before continuing your reading. The word café may look unmistakably French, but its linguistic journey is much longer. The French borrowed café to mean both coffee and the place where it is served. They got it from the Italian caffè, which was borrowed from Ottoman Turkish kahve. That word ultimately traces back to Arabic qahwa, a word associated with coffee and possibly with an older term for wine or another stimulating drink.

Eventually, café came to refer not only to the drink but also to the places where people gathered to enjoy it. Today, it can mean a coffee shop, a small restaurant, or simply a place to sit, sip, and watch the world go by. Without a doubt, this seems to be a very sexy word everyone wants to say, no matter the location or the moment in time.

Do you like where you live? How would you describe it? If your idea of the perfect home includes one story, plenty of fresh air, and perhaps a welcoming porch, you already know the word: bungalow. The word comes from Hindi bangla, meaning "Bengalese," referring to a house built in the style of Bengal.

The term was used in Anglo-Indian English by the late 17th century to describe low, often thatched one-story houses with verandas. Eventually, both the word and the architectural style traveled far beyond India. All the way from Bengal straight to your backyard.

It’s a bizarre feeling; there’s no doubt about that, but chances are you’ve experienced it: that uncanny sensation that what is happening right now has somehow happened before. Déjà vu is a French loanword that literally translates to "already seen." It describes the feeling that a present situation is strangely familiar, even though you know you haven’t experienced it before.

The expression entered English around 1903, after becoming established in French discussions of the strange sensation. Today, it remains one of those wonderfully useful expressions for a feeling that is difficult to explain in just a few English words. Have you ever had that feeling at all?

If you like surprises, you’re in for a good one. This word has opposing meanings intertwined in its origin. The word piano comes from the Italian word pianoforte, which roughly means "soft-loud": piano means soft, while forte means loud.

The instrument was originally named gravicembalo col piano e forte by Bartolomeo Cristofori, who developed the instrument around 1700. Unlike earlier keyboard instruments, it allowed players to control the volume by varying how hard they struck the keys. The name eventually became simply piano. A name born from two opposing sounds: soft and loud.

Swahili might sound like a very distant language, but you definitely know the Lion King song "Hakuna Matata," and yes, you guessed it, it comes from Swahili (and it means "no worries"). The word "safari" also comes from Swahili, and it means "journey" or "trip." It ultimately comes from the Arabic safar, meaning "journey" or "travel."

English eventually adopted safari as a word for an expedition, especially one involving travel through Africa, and today, we most often associate it with wildlife viewing. Not every safari involves a lion (unless you want it to).

We all know Italians are famous for bringing a certain flair to food, music, art, and life. And one Italian word captures that spirit beautifully: gusto. Gusto is borrowed from Italian gusto, meaning "taste," and English uses it to describe enthusiastic enjoyment, energy, or relish. An example of how to use it could be: "She sang the song with great gusto."

The Italian word ultimately comes from Latin gustus, meaning "a tasting," making it a little word with a lot of enthusiasm.

Karaoke nights definitely aren’t for the faint-hearted, but for those of you brave enough to sing your heart out in front of friends and strangers, let's look at how we came to say it. The word karaoke literally translates from Japanese as "empty orchestra."

Here is the surprising part: the Japanese word itself contains a shortened form of the English word "orchestra." Kara means "empty," while oke comes from ōkesutora, the Japanese adaptation of "orchestra." This makes karaoke a fascinating example of wasei-eigo, which are Japanese words or expressions created using English elements. English later borrowed the finished word right back. It seems like English went to Japan and came back again singing.

The word tsunami comes from the Japanese words tsu (meaning harbor) and nami (meaning wave). In other words (since we are talking about words), it literally means "harbor wave." It reflects how these waves can have devastating effects when they reach coastal areas and harbors.

The term first appeared in English texts around September 1896 in National Geographic Magazine to describe a devastating wave striking Japan. Curiously, English speakers usually drop the initial "t" sound, pronouncing it sunami instead of the strict Japanese tsunami, because English does not naturally start words with a "ts" sound.

The 12 longest-living animals on Earth (and how they cheat time)

Nature doesn’t just create beauty, it crafts survival miracles. While most animals have short lives, a rare few have mastered the art of staying alive for centuries, even millennia. These aren’t just long-lived creatures; they’re nature’s ultimate time travelers. From the frozen depths of the oceans to the darkest corners underground, they’ve developed bizarre, brilliant strategies to cheat death. Get ready to meet 12 animals whose lifespans will absolutely blow your mind.

Record age: up to 15,000 years

This unassuming sea sponge thrives in the freezing waters of Antarctica, where temperatures hover around 28.6 °F—so cold that biological processes hit the brakes. In such icy conditions, metabolism slows to a crawl, allowing these sponges to live for thousands of years.

Some have reached impressive sizes of over 3 feet tall and have been around since mammoths were still thundering across the tundra. They don’t move, they don’t stress, and they barely change, just quietly existing while centuries pass them by. Their secret to extreme longevity? Glacial patience, deep-sea stillness, and a lifestyle that redefines "low-maintenance".

Age: technically… infinite

This tiny jellyfish, no bigger than a fingernail—less than 0.2 inches—is like the ocean’s very own Benjamin Button. What makes it truly extraordinary is its ability to rewind its life story, flipping back to a youthful, juvenile stage whenever it wants. While it’s not completely invincible (predators and other threats are still very real), if left undisturbed, it can keep hitting the reset button on aging indefinitely, making it one of the most fascinating "time-benders" in nature.

Record age: 507 years

In 2006, a special clam was discovered buried deep in the seabeds of the North Atlantic. Scientists were able to determine that it had been there since at least 1499—that’s centuries before the United States was even a thought! This ancient marvel, nicknamed "Ming", was able to perfect a slow-and-steady approach to life. Growing at a snail’s pace and barely budging, Ming’s sedentary lifestyle turned out to be a brilliant strategy for beating the clock. Who knew doing almost nothing could be the ultimate secret to longevity?

Record age: estimated 392 years

These sharks aren’t your average ocean cruisers—they can stretch over 20 feet long and weigh up to 2,200 pounds. But what’s really mindblowing is how slowly they move, like they’re in a permanent state of deep relaxation. Living in the icy Arctic waters, these giants don’t hit adulthood until they’re about 150 years old, and some can glide through the depths for nearly 400 years. Imagine that! These ancient swimmers were already around before America declared independence... and they are still out there, silently roaming the seas!

Record age: over 211 years

This whale is a true ocean giant, stretching up to 60 feet long and weighing a staggering 200,000 pounds. But what makes it stand out isn’t just its size but its age. Some of these majestic creatures carry harpoons from the 1800s still lodged in their skin, like walking history books. Just picture living so long that you’re literally carrying outdated technology embedded in your body—talk about being a time traveler of the seas!

Record age: 200 years

Spanning the chilly Pacific coastline from California all the way up to Alaska, this spiky little ball—about 7 inches across—is full of surprises. It munches on algae and calls the deep, dark ocean its home, thriving at depths of up to 300 feet. Don’t let its size fool you: this prickly creature is a true elder of the cold seas, quietly outliving many ocean neighbors while keeping a low profile. A tough, slow-living veteran wrapped in spikes!

Record age: 226 years

Meet Hanako, a legendary Japanese koi who swam through life for an astonishing 226 years. Scientists discovered how old she was by studying the rings on her scales, much like counting the growth rings of a tree. These colorful, ornamental fish aren’t just symbols of good fortune; they’re also secret long-lifers with the potential to celebrate over two centuries of birthdays, as long as they get the right care and a peaceful pond to call home.

Record age: 190 years

Jonathan is a male tortoise living on the remote island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean. He was born back in 1832, and he’s still happily chomping lettuce and soaking up the sun today. Weighing in at more than 400 pounds and measuring around 3 feet long, Jonathan holds the title of the oldest known living land animal on the planet. If he could share tales, they’d span nearly two centuries of history. Imagine that!

Record age: 152 years

This ancient-looking fish, with its whisker-like barbels, looking like a tiny underwater submarine, prowls the lakes of North America. It can reach an impressive length of up to 7 feet and weigh around 200 pounds. These slow-living creatures don’t rush into adulthood—they start breeding only around age 20—and then take their time cruising through life at a leisurely pace. Believe it or not, one legendary catch in Wisconsin was estimated to be over 150 years old!

Record age: over 90 years

This chunky, night-loving parrot from New Zealand is a true oddball—it can’t fly, snores like a grumpy grandpa, and smells like fresh flowers. Despite its quirks, this bird boasts an impressively long lifespan. Sadly, it teeters on the edge of extinction. The oldest known kakapo, affectionately named Richard Henry, lived 90 years, earning him the title of the charmingly eccentric elder statesman of the avian world.

Record age: 37 years

This tiny, kooky rodent—barely 3 inches long and just over an ounce in weight—could’ve been cast straight from a sci-fi apocalypse flick. Dwelling in vast underground colonies across Africa, it’s practically invincible to cancer, pain, and the usual effects of aging. Scientists are fascinated by this little marvel, even if it’s not winning beauty contests anytime soon. Its superpowers make it a star in longevity research!

Record age: estimated 100+ years

Lobsters have a totally different rulebook than us when it comes to aging. They don’t really grow old; they just keep getting bigger and bigger. Some giant lobsters weigh over 40 pounds and stretch beyond 3 feet long. Their biggest threats? Not old age, but predators or the risky process of shedding their shells. In theory, they could live forever if left alone—but let’s be honest, not many get to enjoy a peaceful, lobster-sized retirement!