Daily word games about where English words came from and how their meanings changed, all from real texts.
About these games
Word games built on real texts: plays and novels, explorers’ letters, recipes, grammars and dictionaries. Every sentence comes from a named edition, and every answer explains itself.
New games are drafts: their word histories and dates are marked as unchecked until a separate review confirms them against public-domain dictionaries. The sources behind the games will gather in the History of Language collection in Hearth Library.
Easy
Once you know a little
Medium
Reading real texts
English, Daily
Word Passport
Three English words a day. Put each word’s earlier forms in order, oldest first, from real sentences in the languages it passed through.
Easyabout 5 minEarly version
In English, withLatinGreek
English, Daily
Then or Now?
Six real sentences, one word highlighted in each. Did the writer mean it the old way or today’s way?
Easyabout 4 minEarly version
In English
English, Daily
Family Reunion
Sixteen words in English, German, Latin, Greek and more. Sort them into four families of relatives.
Mediumabout 6 minEarly version
In English, withGermanLatinGreekRussianSanskritOld IrishDutch
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