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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

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Is It 'Attorney Generals' Or 'Attorneys General'?

 

'Poets laureate'? 'Court-martials'? The curious history of postpositive adjectives in English.

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There, They're, Their

 

There, there. We'll sort it out.

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On Contractions of Multiple Words

 

You all would not have guessed some of these

play video websters video of 1864
Webster's Dictionary of 1864

 

The landmark edition that transformed the way dictionaries are made.

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An Abbreviated History of American English Spelling

 

Soop, wimmen, and headake did not make the cut

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'Nip it in the butt' or 'Nip it in the bud'?

 

We're gonna stop you right there