The word 'nice' originally meant foolish or stupid in 13th-century English — its meaning has almost fully reversed.
Fact #3923
👍 0 · 👎 0
More Language Facts
Creole languages form when children of pidgin speakers create a fully structured native language.
Fact #6035 · Language
The most translated book in history is the Bible — available in over 700 languages.
Fact #8326 · Language
Orcas have unique dialects.
Fact #2566 · Language
Shakespeare's works have been translated into over 100 languages and are performed more than any other playwright.
Fact #7298 · Language
The language with the most native speakers is Mandarin Chinese, followed by Spanish and English.
Fact #5603 · Language
Children typically master the grammar of their native language by age 5 — without explicit instruction.
Fact #8444 · Language
Orca (killer whale) pods have distinct dialects — different groups use different calls that don't overlap.
Fact #5132 · Language
The English language adds about 1,000 new words every year.
Fact #3775 · Language
Want more facts?
We have over 11,441 facts across 15 categories.