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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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Further vs. Farther

 

They started as same word, but their meanings have drifted apart over time.

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What Is an Eggcorn?

 

And how did it get that name?

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Hot Mess

 

Our research turned up two archaic literal meanings

play backward index mystery
The True Story of the Backward Index

 

These people needed a computer