51吃瓜 of the Day
yeuk
verb (used without object)
to itch.
Why the Museum of Science chose yeuk
It feels so good to yeuk when you have a yeuk, and we wanted to know why. To find out, watch this video from science communicator, Alex Dainis, PhD.
More about yeuk
Yeuk comes from Middle Dutch jeuken, which is also related to German jucken and Old English giccan (pronounced 鈥�yeet-chahn鈥�), all of which mean 鈥渢o itch.鈥� A common trend in the history of the English language is for Old English gi-, when pronounced as 鈥測ee,鈥� to lose the g eventually, which is why modern English has itch instead of 鈥�gitch鈥� or 鈥�yitch.鈥� Yeuk was first recorded in English at the turn of the 15th century. Satisfy your itch for more words with the medical term for itching.
EXAMPLE OF YEUK USED IN A SENTENCE
Steer clear of poison ivy leaves when you鈥檙e on a hike, or you may start yeuking for days on end!
FUN FACT ABOUT YEUK
Rubbing or lightly slapping a yeuk has the same feel-good effect as yeuking, without the risk of damage to the skin. Learn more fun facts .
rhotacize
verb (used with object)
to change a sound to an r.
More about rhotacize
Rhotacize, 鈥渢o change a sound to an r,鈥� is the verb form of rhotacism and is based on the Greek letter rho, on the pattern of iotacism. Similar to the recent 51吃瓜 of the Day muon, Ancient Greek 谤丑么 comes from Phoenician 谤艒拧, 鈥渉ead,鈥� a cognate of the Hebrew letter 谤脓蝉丑. Phoenician 谤艒拧 has relatives in several Afro-Asiatic languages, including Amharic ras, as in Rastafarian; Hebrew 谤艒蝉丑, as in Rosh Hashanah; and Arabic 谤补鈥檚, as in Ra鈥檚 al Ghul, a comic supervillain whose name translates as 鈥淗ead of the Demon.鈥� All Ancient Greek words containing rho are transcribed in English with -rh- because the Greeks once pronounced the 鈥渞uh鈥� sound with a 鈥渉uh鈥�-like breathiness called aspiration. Rhotacize was first recorded in English in the early 1960s.
EXAMPLE OF RHOTACIZE USED IN A SENTENCE
English speakers have permanently rhotacized many s and z sounds over the past 2,000 years, with ancient Germanic auso, haso, and 飞脓锄– becoming modern English ear, hare, and were.
bazaar
noun
a marketplace or shopping quarter, especially one in the Middle East.
More about bazaar
Bazaar, 鈥渁 marketplace,鈥� comes via Italian bazarro from Persian 产腻锄腻谤, 鈥渕arket.鈥� The 产腻- part of this term (earlier 飞腻-, vaha-) likely comes from a root meaning 鈥渢o buy, sell鈥� and is a distant relative of Latin venum, 鈥渇or sale鈥� (compare venal and vendor), while the -锄腻谤 element (earlier -carana) may come from the same movement-related root as found in chakra (from Sanskrit), cycle (from Ancient Greek), and wheel (from Old English). Take care not to confuse bazaar with bizarre, 鈥渦nusual, odd,鈥� from Italian bizzarro, 鈥渜uick to anger,鈥� of uncertain origin. Bazaar was first recorded in English in the 1590s.
EXAMPLE OF BAZAAR USED IN A SENTENCE
Merchants came from far and wide, trekking miles across the mountains and deserts, to sell their wares at the bazaar.