Why learning foreign languages is awesome

[korafox]

Fun fact: I have never been able to properly spell "Mediterranean" without a lot of hemming and hawing and occasionally having to look up where the double letter goes.  Until now!  When the word "地中海" came up on Wanikani (meaning Mediterranean Sea, of course).

Then I had a sudden eureka moment when I realized the kanji mean "earth-middle-sea".  Medi, terra!  Aha!  These are not just random syllables!

I love etymology.  I love it even more when it leads to ease of spelling.