Adam Viktor Aleksic[1] (born: 2000–2001 [age 24–25]),[3] better known online as Etymology Nerd, is an American[2] YouTuber and linguist[4] best known for his videos covering words and how they develop over time.
Content
The content on the Etymology Nerd channel mainly consists of short videos that examine the origins or evolution of various terms and their uses. He often focuses on modern slang, including that of the internet.[5]
History
Aleksic began creating content under the alias "Etymology Nerd" in 2016, starting with his website etymologynerd.com.[6] He created his YouTube channel on December 21, 2016, but initially did not upload anything. He started uploading on TikTok in March 2023,[7] followed by YouTube in September of the same year.[8]
He released his book, Algospeak, on June 15, 2025 after months promoting it on his social media accounts.
Personal life
Aleksic is of Serbian descent.[9] He grew up in Albany, New York and attended Albany High School, where he graduated as salutatorian in 2019. He was a member of the chess club and student newspaper, and also helped organize the school's geography bee.[10] As a junior, he won a $1,000 prize for an essay titled "Intergenerational Linguistic Cooperation in Russia and America", which examined language borrowings in both countries, especially among younger generations.[11]
He later graduated from Harvard University in 2023 with a degree in linguistics.[6] He currently resides in Manhattan, New York City after having lived in Barcelona, Spain.[3][4]
Trivia
- Aleksic has written for various publications.
- He wrote for local Albany newspaper Times Union in 2020.[6]
- He wrote for The Harvard Crimson, Harvard University's student newspaper, in 2023.[6]
- He has been a guest writer for The Washington Post since 2024.[6]
- While at Harvard, he founded and served as president of the Harvard Undergraduate Linguistics Society, which grew to over 300 members.[6]
- He has participated in a campaign to change the flag of the city of Albany.[6]
- He is fluent English and Serbian.[6]
- He also possesses working proficiency in Bosnian, Croatian, Montenegrin, and Spanish; and some proficiency in Latin and French.[6]
Channel milestones
Subscriber milestones
- 1,000 subscribers: December 5, 2023
- 10,000 subscribers: December 27, 2023
- 100,000 subscribers: March 30, 2024
Video view milestones
- 100,000 video views: December 21, 2023
- 1 million video views: December 28, 2023
- 10 million video views: March 11, 2024
- 100 million video views: June 9, 2024
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Effects of Language Policy in Serbia and Croatia on Linguistic Identity - Harvard University
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 https://www.youtube.com/@etymology_nerd/about
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/say-can-hear-asian-american-accent-others-deny-exists-rcna150000
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 THE ETYMOLOGY NERD - The Etymology Nerd
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/@etymology_nerd/shorts
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8 Adam Aleksic - LinkedIn
- ↑ The crazy history of the word “syphilis” by etymologynerd (TikTok). 23 Mar 2023
- ↑ I call it gingermandering by Etymology Nerd. YouTube. 5 Sep 2023.
- ↑ my serbian parents struggle saying the "th" sound, because that sound doesn't exist in Serbian by Etymology Nerd. YouTube. 19 Apr 2024.
- ↑ City School District of Albany. Jun 22 2019. Senior Reflections: Adam Aleksic, Facebook. facebook.com/albanyschools/videos/senior-reflections-adam-aleksic/497387980999641/
- ↑ Adam Aleksic Interview by AlbanyTula. YouTube. 4 May 2018.
