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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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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 True Story of the Backward Index

 

These people needed a computer

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When Body Parts Are Also Verbs

 

Head, shoulders, metaphors, and toes

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Video: Why Is There a 'C' in 'Indict'?

 

And who put it there, anyway?

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How a Word Gets into the Dictionary

 

What our editors are looking for when they enter words in Merriam-Webster.

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Fun, Funner, Funnest

 

Why does it sound strange to say 'funner' or 'funnest?'