Category Archives: English

A brief history of plural word…s – John McWhorter

View full lesson here: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/a-brief-his… All it takes is a simple S to make most English words plural. But it hasn’t always worked that way (and there are, of course, exceptions). John McWhorter looks back to the good old days … Continue reading →

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Elision & Contraction in Old English

 

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Leftovers from Older English

 

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What’s The Difference Between “Yule” And “Christmas”? – Everything After Z by Dictionary.com

The lyric from “Deck the Halls” goes “Troll the ancient yuletide carol.” Amidst all the fa-la-la-ing, did you ever ask yourself exactly what yule is? While some people use the word as a synonym for Christmas, there’s more to yule than … Continue reading →

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How Geography KILLED a Letter

Fun facts: I had a speech impediment as a child where I couldn’t pronounce TH properly, instead using an F sound. Good thing I got all that cleared up before making this video. If you’re curious what thorn looks like … Continue reading →

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How did the letter P come to be in English

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meaning and origin of the British phrase ‘big girl’s blouse’ — word histories

1969—a weak, cowardly or oversensitive man—analogy between a cowardly man “in a flap” and an oversize garment hanging loose, fluttering The post meaning and origin of the British phrase ‘big girl’s blouse’ appeared first on word histories. via meaning and origin … Continue reading →

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Eccentric British Houseboats Built from Decommissioned Ambulances, City Buses, and Airplane Parts

Tucked into the estuary of the River Adur in the coastal town of Shoreham-on-Sea in Sussex, England is a row of houseboats in dazzlingly slapdash designs and bustling with the creative energy of its residents. One such person is Hamish … Continue reading →

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The hierarchy of disagreement: The best and worst argument techniques – Big Think

A classic essay defines different ways to disagree, from the worst to the best, with lessons that ring true in our divisive times. Source: The hierarchy of disagreement: The best and worst argument techniques

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4 reasons to learn a new language

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The Korean Englishmen Explain Why English Is Such a Quirky, Confusing Language to Learn – Laughing Squid

Josh and Ollie, known collectively known as Jolly as well as the ‘Korean Englishmen’, hilariously examined the English language and many of its quirks. Citing the number of homonyms (tear), homophones (tier), homographs (tear vs. tear) unusual letter combinations (enough) … Continue reading →

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Luck Plays a Role in How Language Evolves, Penn Team Finds – ScienceBlog.com

Read a few lines of Chaucer or Shakespeare and you’ll get a sense of how the English language has changed during the past millennium. Linguists … Read more Source: Luck Plays a Role in How Language Evolves, Penn Team Finds … Continue reading →

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