Definition: (noun) A common language used by speakers of different languages.
Synonyms: lingua franca, koine.
Usage: Koine Greek was the interlanguage of the empire of Alexander the Great and was widely spoken throughout the eastern Mediterranean.
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Source: The Free Dictionary
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Mandela served as the first democratically elected President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. His political activism began after 1948 with an initial commitment to non-violent mass struggle. Later, his anti-apartheid activities led to his imprisonment for nearly 30 years. Released in 1990, he was elected president of the African National Congress and represented it in the turbulent negotiations that led to the establishment of majority rule. With whom did he share the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
This reenactment of the completion of America’s transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869, at Promontory Summit, Utah, has been held since 1952. Reproductions of the Central Pacific’s “Jupiter” and Union Pacific’s “119” meet at the site of the ceremony. Then, the Golden Spike and three other spikes are tapped into a special railroad tie; at 12:47 PM, an ordinary iron “last spike” is driven into the last tie, and the message “D-O-N-E” is sent by ham radio to the California State Railway Museum in Sacramento. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Born Frederick Austerlitz, Astaire was an American dancer, actor, and singer who began his career as a child on a successful Broadway vaudeville team with his sister Adele. After his sister retired, Astaire became a film actor and developed a reputation as a debonair song-and-dance man, particularly in the films he made with Ginger Rogers, which elevated tap dance to an elegant, disciplined art and revolutionized popular-dance performance. What were some of Astaire’s most popular films? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
A wedding dress is the traditional article of clothing worn by a bride during the marriage ceremony. The color, style, and ceremonial importance of the gown vary in accordance with the religious and cultural traditions of the wedding participants. In Western countries, brides traditionally wear ornate white gowns symbolizing purity. China’s brides generally wear red, a color of good luck. Why was it considered inauspicious that Mary, Queen of Scots, wore a white gown to her 16th century wedding? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Definition: (noun) The calling down of a curse.
Synonyms: imprecation.
Usage: They muttered maledictions and curses, but we ignored them.
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Source: The Free Dictionary
Over the past two decades, the technology used to analyze the degraded DNA of ancient remains has dramatically advanced. As a result, researchers in a new study were able to map the genomes of 51 individuals who lived in Europe between 45,000 and … Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
The original Sunshine Skyway Bridge over Tampa Bay was completed in 1954. A new southbound span was opened in 1971, but only nine years later, it was destroyed when the freighter Summit Venture collided with a support column during a storm, sending more than 1,200 ft (366 m) of the bridge plummeting into the bay. The collision caused several automobiles and a bus to fall 150 ft (46 m), killing 35 people. What tragedy had occurred within a mile of the bridge just months earlier? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Victory Day is a national public holiday in the Russian Federation. It celebrates the defeat of Nazism and the end of World War II on European soil. On this day, people remember the 27 million Russian civilians and soldiers who perished during the war. Each year on May 9, people crowd Moscow’s Red Square for solemn rites of remembrance—one minute of silence and cannon or gun salutes—as well as traditional musical and dance performances. Veterans may attend wearing their uniforms and medals. Many leave flowers at memorials and graves. TV stations often air films about World War II. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Gokhale was an Indian nationalist leader. A moderate, he stressed negotiation and conciliation rather than non-cooperation or violence—views that clashed with the more militant ideas of Bal Gangadhar Tilak. Gokhale was instrumental in founding the Servants of India Society, a nationalist organization whose members, sworn to poverty and obedience, were enlisted to serve as volunteers for the social, political, and economic welfare of India. To what future Indian leader was Gokhale a mentor? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary