I can't recollect the day I learned it, but I remember speculating what it meant. I came across it when reading a book and was instantly intrigued — a long and rather unusual word. I didn't really know what it meant but liked the way it sounded.
serendipityI had heard of serene and pity and wondered if there was a connection. When I looked it up, the meaning made me smile:
History, as we know it, is full of happy accidents. Important discoveries — including Penicillin, anaesthesia, velcro, and the handy post-it notes — are all classic examples of serendipity.
Yet, among history's serendipitous moments, the discovery of Green Tea is one of my favourites. Visualize the wind blowing a tea leaf into a cup of hot water by chance. The Chinese Emperor Shennong is said to have sipped on this accidental infusion and relished its refreshing and unique taste. And that's how green tea was born.
Learning about serendipity made me realise that English wasn't just a school subject — it was the start of my journey with words.
Since then, I've found many captivating words: ephemeral, luminous, elixir, and more. But "serendipity" was my first, and will remain my favourite always.