play video title words of the year 1066
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 hopefully
Hopefully

 

We believe the popular usage of this word is correct

play video who vs whom
Who vs. Whom

 

Good news for those who feel stuffy saying 'whom.'

play video how a word gets into the dicionary
How a Word Gets into the Dictionary

 

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

play video his or her
Is singular 'they' a better choice?

 

The awkward case of 'his or her'

play video schwa
The Schwa

 

The most common vowel sound in English causes many spelling problems.

play video drive safe ly
Drive Safe: In Praise of Flat Adverbs

 

You don't have to end all your adverbs in -ly to talk right.