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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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Words of the Year: 1066

 

English was never the same after the Norman Conquest

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Webster's Dictionary of 1864

 

The landmark edition that transformed the way dictionaries are made.

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How to Remember 'Affect' and 'Effect'

 

A simple way to keep them apart. (Most of the time.)

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On Contractions of Multiple Words

 

You all would not have guessed some of these

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Hopefully

 

We believe the popular usage of this word is correct

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What Is 'Semantic Bleaching'?

 

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Lay vs. Lie

 

Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.