The longest word in the English language in a major dictionary is 'pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis' at 45 letters.

The word 'rule of thumb' does not have an origin in domestic violence — this is a persistent false etymology.

The word 'nerd' was first used in a Dr. Seuss book in 1950.

The Portuguese word 'saudade' describes a nostalgic longing for something loved and lost — it has no direct English equivalent.

Languages evolve continuously — Shakespeare's English is dramatically different from today's just 400 years later.

Children typically master the grammar of their native language by age 5 — without explicit instruction.

English has the largest vocabulary of any language — the Oxford English Dictionary contains over 600,000 words.

Dogs can learn over 1,000 words and gestures, similar to the vocabulary of a young child.

Machu Picchu was never discovered by Spanish conquistadors — it was abandoned around 1572 and remained unknown to the outside world until 1911.