shakhidka
n.— «You won’t find it in any Russian dictionary, but a single word dominates newspaper headlines and conversations in the street after two weeks of bombings and mayhem: shakhidka, or female Islamist suicide bomber. A mix of the Arabic word shaheed (martyr) and the Russian female suffix “ka,” a literal translation might be female martyr.» —“Russians adapt Arabic to describe women bombers” by Michael Steen in Moscow Reuters Sept. 7, 2004. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Advice about college essays from the winner of a top prize for children’s literature: Kelly Barnhill encourages teens to write about experiences that are uniquely their own, from a point of view that is theirs and no one else’s. Plus, why do we say...
While compiling the Oxford English Dictionary, lexicographer James Murray exchanged hundreds of letters a week with authors, advisors, and volunteer researchers. A new collection online lets you eavesdrop on discussions about which words should be...