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Word History

Words of the Year: 1066

Why is pig meat called 'pork' and cow meat called 'beef?' Because English took on a big serving of French words following the Norman Conquest.


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play video title words of the year 1066
Words of the Year: 1066

 

English was never the same after the Norman Conquest

play video mischievous nulcear library mispronunciations
'Mispronunciations' That May Be Fine

 

'Mischievous,' 'nuclear,' and other words to pronounce with caution.

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Ending a Sentence with a Preposition

 

An old-fashioned rule we can no longer put up with.

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Old-School Grammar

 

Many of today's grammar rules can be traced to the opinions of one 18th century writer.

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The History of 'Cynic'

 

How an ancient philosophical movement devoted to the pursuit of virtue came to describe eye-rolling criticism.

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Hopefully

 

We believe the popular usage of this word is correct

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How a Ghost Word Appeared in the Dictionary

 

An imaginary word that snuck into the dictionary