Information about English Words

Anglo-Saxon and Norman French blend into one language

2005-01-08T01:25:00.000+01:00

During the hundreds of years when Anglo-Saxon and Norman French were blending into one language, the slow combining process caused the words of both languages to take on a uniquely English sound. That's why we detect no difference between words of Anglo-Saxon origin; such as, eat and sleep and those of Norman origin; such as, face and pen.

In the centuries following its emergence as a modern language, English adopted thousands of words from other languages; especially, since England became a nation of international merchants, traders, explorers and colonizers. Most of these words don't look or sound particulary foreign to us because their sounds and spellings were Anglicized. Yacht, booze, easel and pickle may hint slightly of their Dutch origin, but nap, leak, toy, snap and kit, also Dutch, don't seem at all foreign.

Each of the following lists presents just a small sample of Anglicized loan words
From Arabic (either borrowed directly or via Italian, French, or Smanish) come: cotton, orange, sugar, almanac, alcohol, algebra, giraffe, magazine, and zero. From German, we have: noodle, seminar, bum, nix, halt, poker, swindler, stroll, and sleazy. From Italian are derived: balcony, bandit, minature, umbrella, cartoon, bank, cash, concert, and attack. From Spanish come: cask, cargo, chocolate, guitar, plaza, tomato, patio, and ranch. Smaller contributions have come from Hebrew: amen, jubilee, cherub, and sabbath; from Hindi: bungalow, pajamas, cot, loot, thug, jungle, and shampoo; Persian contributed: bazaar, caravan, magic, rice, rose, tape, and tiger; Portuguese: albino, molasses, and pagoda; Pacific island languages: bamboo, taboo, tatoo, and gingham; West African languages: banana, jazz, banjo, tote, gorilla, and yam; and American Indian: moose, raccoon, skunk, mocasin, and mackinaw.

English, significantly influenced by the French language

2005-01-07T23:04:00.000+01:00

The English institutions that have French-derived words for the church include saint, clergy, miracle, mercy, and bail; for government, crown, state, country, tax, nation, and parliament; and for the military, war, peace, battle, arms, soldier, navy, enemy, spy, and assault.

It is popularly thought that the one-syllable words of modern English derive mostly from Anglo-Saxon, the language of a relatively simple-living people. That is only partially true. While many basic concepts like man, wife, child, house, bench, meat, grass, leaf, good, high strong, eat, drink, sleep, live, fight, and love are, indeed, Anglo-Saxon in origin, many others are not. Some of the words the Normans from France contributed to everyday life are air, sound, large, poor, real, cry, please, pay, quit, wait, age, face, use, joy, and pen.

It took centuries for the Anglo-Saxon and Norman-French languages to blend into a common tongue. Part of the reason was the normal length of time it takes for languages to combine into one. Another reason was the resistance of the general Anglo-Saxon population to learning the language of their conquerors. As new generations were born, old memories faded away. By the middle of the fifteenth century, they were no longer Anglo-Saxons and Normans. They were the English, a distinctive people with a distinctive language.

English, a combination of many languages

2005-01-06T22:44:00.000+01:00

English has always been a blend of tongues. In 1066, the year of the Norman Conquest, England's language was Anglo-Saxon (or Old English), a blend of tongues introduced by the Angles, the Saxons, and other Germanic and Scandinavian tribes that settled in England during the fifth century.

When the Normans conquered England, the next major period of English (Middle English) began, with Norman-French the new ingredient added to the Anglo-Saxon blend. By 1450, Anglo-Saxon and Norman French had mixed to such an extent that together they had formed one language. The period of "modern English" had begun.

Some scholars say that the Anglo-Saxon language may have contained as many as 100,000 words. Eighty-five percent of them fell into disuse in the two centuries following the invasion, as Norman culture became supreme and Anglo-Saxon literature and education died out.

Because the Normans were the ruling class, their language dominated the church, the courts, the military, the government and the arts—all of England's important and vital institutions. In fact, the most telling proof of the influence of French on the English language is that almost every important term now associated with England's institutions is of French derivation.

"Blog" tops words of the year 2004

2005-01-05T22:42:00.000+01:00

BOSTON: A four-letter term that came to symbolise the difference between old and new media during this year's presidential campaign tops US dictionary publisher Merriam-Webster's list of the 10 words of the year.

Merriam-Webster said that blog, defined as "a Website that contains an online personal journal with reflections, comments and often hyperlinks”, was one of the most looked-up words on its Internet sites this year. Eight entries on the publisher's top-10 list related to major news events, from the presidential election (represented by words such as incumbent and partisan) to natural phenomena such as hurricane and cicada.

The Springfield, Massachusetts-based Merriam-Webster compiles the list each year by taking the most researched words on its Web sites and then excluding perennials; such as. affect/effect and profanity. The company said most online dictionary queries were for uncommon terms, but people also turned to its Websites for words in news headlines.

"That is what occurred in this year's election cycle; with voluminous hits for words like 'incumbent,' 'electoral,' 'partisan,' and, of course, our number one Word of the Year, 'blog’,” Merriam-Webster President and Publisher John Morse said in a statement. Americans called up blogs in droves for information and laughs ahead of the November 2, 2004, presidential election.

Freed from the constraints that govern traditional print and broadcast news organisations, blogs spread gossip while also serving as an outlet for people increasingly disenchanted with mainstream media.

Blog Clout
It was mainly on blogs that readers first encountered speculation that US President George W. Bush wore a listening device during his first debate against Democrat John Kerry. The White House, forced to respond, called it a laughable, left-wing conspiracy theory.

Bloggers also were among the first to cast doubt on a CBS television news report that challenged Bush's military service. CBS later admitted it had been duped into using questionable documents for the report which resulted in CBS anchor Dan Rather saying he would step down in March, although the network said the move was unconnected to the scandal.

A Merriam-Webster spokesman said it was not possible to say how many times blog had been looked up on its Web sites, but that from July,2004, onward, the word received tens of thousands of hits per month.

Do you see blog as a "nonce word"? Do you think it will become a long-term and integral part of English?

Nonce words, Part 2

2005-01-04T21:54:00.000+01:00

It is believed that just about all coined words were nonce words in the beginning because their inventors had no way of knowing, and probably didn't care, whether they would catch on. It is still amazing that words that are so integral a part of our thinking and communication were actually invented by someone, any more than grass or flowers were invented. Examples of inventors and the words that they invented include: John Milton (1608-1674): impassive, earthshaking, lovelorn, pandemonium; Sir Thomas More (1478-1535): anticipate, exact, explain, fact, insinuate; Sir Thomas Elyot (1490?-1546): dedicate, maturity, protest, irritate; and William Tyndale (1494?-1536): beautiful and brokenhearted.

There has been no end to the creation of new words. The word-making process continues, and only time can tell which words will fall by the wayside at the end of an era, or after a few months, or even when today's newspaper or magazines are thrown out with the trash; and which will survive to become indispensable.

Don't you agree that the following discussion provides us with more nonce words?
On the last day of 2004, the word patrol at Lake Superior State University released their 2005 edition of the List of Words Banished from the Queen's English for Mis-Use, Over-Use and General Uselessness.

Some of the memes that dominated our cultural consciousness last year include the signature phrases of the '04 election: "battleground state," "blue states/red states" and, of course, "... and I approve this message". The distinctive doublespeak of the Iraq occupation and the war on terror is also well represented with "pockets of resistance," "improvised explosive device" and "enemy combatant."

Pop culture contributed "carbs," "'Izzle'-speak," the Donald Trumpian "You're fired!" and Justin Timberlake's lasting contribution to the idiom, "wardrobe malfunction."

"Blog," of course, also made the list. The compilers note, however, that "Many who nominated it were unsure of the meaning. Sounds like something your mother would slap you for saying."

Shut your mouth! And stop saying those banned words
Erectile dysfunction, blog, body wash and 'You're fired!'

From wardrobe malfunctions to erectile dysfunction, it's been a tough year all around for the guardians of English-language purists from blue, red and battleground states who long to say "You're fired!" to offensive words and phrases.

More than 2,000 nominations arrived in Michigan's far north, where a committee at Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie released its 2005 compilation of language irritants yesterday.

Among the twenty-two expressions on the "List of Words Banished from the Queen's English for Mis-Use, Over-Use and General Uselessness" are "blog," "sale event," "body wash" and "zero percent APR financing."

"We're uber-serious about this list," said committee organizer Tom Pink, referring to the German prefix meaning "over" or "super" that increasingly finds its way into English.

Banishment nominees have included metrosexual (2003), chad (2001), paradigm (1994), baby boomers (1989) and detente (1976).

The Nov. 2 election produced a host of proposed bannings for 2005, including "blue (Democratic) and red (Republican) states," "battleground states," "flip-flop" and the political ad tag line "... and I approve this message."

Sex also was on the minds of committee members, who targeted the impotence synonym "erectile dysfunction" from Viagra and Levitra ads and "wardrobe malfunction," used to describe the baring of singer Janet Jackson's right breast at the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show. "It wasn't the wardrobe's fault!" wrote contributor Jane Starr of Edmonton, Alberta.

Donald Trump's phrase "You're fired!" from his TV show "The Apprentice" deserves a ban, if for no other reason than to keep imitators from being sued for possible trademark infringements, according to some committee members.

Confusing newspaper headlines of 2004

2005-01-03T01:20:00.000+01:00

These "headlines" are making the rounds on the internet and, if nothing else, they are good examples of how confusing the misuse of English can be. Read them and think about how they can be misunderstood.

Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says

Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers

Is There a Ring of Debris around Uranus?

Panda Mating Fails; Veterinarian Takes Over

Miners Refuse to Work after Death

Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant

War Dims Hope for Peace

If Strike Isn't Settled Quickly, It May Last Awhile

Cold Wave Linked to Temperatures

Enfield (London) Couple Slain; Police Suspect Homicide

Red Tape Holds Up New Bridges

Man Struck By Lightning Faces Battery Charge

New Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group

Astronaut Takes Blame for Gas in Spacecraft

Chef Throws His Heart into Helping Feed Needy

Local High School Dropouts Cut in Half

Hospitals are Sued by 7 Foot Doctors

And the winner is: Typhoon Rips Through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead

Nonce words, Part 1

2005-01-02T23:51:00.000+01:00

Some words are coined for a particular occasion, the speaker or writer having no idea that they will ever be used beyond that speech, aritcle, or literary work. These are called nonce words, because they are invented just for the nonce, the moment. Most of them do serve their creators for just the one time. Others, however, catch on, usually because they serve to communicate an idea for which previously existing words have not been satisfactory.

Nonce words come and go frequently, serving to get a thought across for a particular moment and then, almost always, disappearing forever. A drama critic changes the letter of a well-known word to give us a new one when he refers to a character in a play as an "ambisextrous philanderer". A mayoral candidate who doesn't come across well on television is said by a columnist to lack "telegenic charisma", the term replacing (for the nonce) "photogenic".

Inventing a word requires not only familiarity with language and an extensive vocabulary, but a sense of ease around word, a confident approach that allows us to be unafraid to fool with them.

Shakespeare was among those unafraid to approach words. He is said to have had the largest useful vocabulary of his time, with the exception of one Philemon Holland, a translator. Yet, Shakespeare was apparently never quite satisfied with the words at hand and created new ones continually; more than 1,500 in all. Some of them, true nonce words, never went further than their appearance in his plays, but others; like suspicious, critical, and hurry are essential parts of our vocabulary today.

Good English usage does matter.

2005-01-01T23:14:00.000+01:00

It helps us through life if we learn what good usages is so we can be clear and specific in what we say, and to avoid misunderstandings. It may well help to advance us in our occupations, and perhaps most important (not importantly), it makes life more pleasant and satisfying. Life is more rewarding when we frame our thoughts in interesting ways—and more rewarding for others, as well.

How do we decide what good word usage is? Why this usage and not that one? There is no central authority to which we can appeal. Even if there were, it is safe to say that it would have little effect. The United States is not thast kind of country, and American English it not that kind of language.

Decisions about usage are made by experts; such as, grammarians and dictionary editors, but not by them alone. Anyone who wants to sound off about language is free to do so, and may even find himself/herself an audience. Actual practice itself is influential; that is, what the generality of people write and say. The language is not static. A usage takes hold and that is that; or it may be challenged by other "experts" in English usage.

Modified excerpt from an introduction to
Guide to Good Word Usage
by Edwin Newman

A poem to be enjoyed and to teach

2004-12-30T01:29:00.000+01:00

Homophones-Homonyms in Action

A pretty deer is dear to me,
A hare with downy hair,
A hart I love with all my heart,
But I can barely bear a bear.

‘Tis plain that no one takes a plane
To get a pair of pears,
Although a rake may take a rake
To tear away the tares.

Beer often brings a bier to man,
Coughing a coffin brings,
And too much ale will make us ail,
As well as other things.

Quails do not quail before a storm,
A bow will bow before it;
We can not rein the rain at all,
No earthly power reigns o’er it.

‘Tis meet that man should mete out meat
To feed one’s sunny son;
The fair should fare on love alone,
Else one can not be won.

I would a story here commence,
But you might think it stale;
So we’ll suppose that we have reached
The tail end of our tale.

Little Book of Word Tricks
Peter Pauper Press
Mount Vernon, New York

Malapropisms More Prelevant in Our Media

2004-12-28T23:58:00.000+01:00

Ludicrous-English Malapropisms Caused by Blunders and Incompetence
These blogs are presented to alert you to faulty speech and writing habits that you may have acquired and to confirm and strengthen those good ones that you use. Hundreds of uses and misuses are singled out, defined, explained, and verbally illustrated.

There are suggestions that you, as a speaker and writer, can use to enhance your English with increasing ease, flexibility, assurance, and accuracy; if you will rid yourself of unacceptable misuses of grammar and word applications.

The problems presented in this and the other files may surprise you and some will surely amuse you; but it should be borne in mind that every one of them is genuine and every one of them has at some time posed a problem. So, the purpose of presenting these confusions is to call attention to such inaccuracies and thus to correct or eliminate them.

“Language blunders will result in being marked as ignorant or ludicrous by the audience, and such language mistakes will detract from the message that the communicator wants to transmit.”
No attempt has been made to present exhaustive lists of usage and grammar; instead the guides treat only those problems that have traditionally been considered especially vexing by users of English. The purposes of these pages should be considered at four levels of usage: the two levels, formal and informal, each subdivided into the two categories of spoken or written language.

If a writer, or speaker, does not observe certain patterns of English, confusion will result and no one will correctly understand what the person is trying to say. Language blunders will result in being marked as ignorant or ludicrous by the audience, and such language mistakes will detract from the message that the communicator wants to transmit.

Is it possible that the writers of the headlines and ads shown below realized how confusing and ridiculous their presentations are and that they have become famous only because they convey obvious carelessness and misapplications of the language?

Nothing is quite as important to clear and accurate expression as the ability to distinguish between words of similar, but not identical, meaning. To choose wrongly is to leave the listener or reader with a fuzzy or mistaken impression. To choose well is to give both illumination and a clear understanding of what we want to convey.

The Origin of the Word Malapropism
“She’s as headstrong as an allegory on the banks of the Nile” and “He is the very pineapple of politeness” are two of the absurd pronouncements from Mrs. Malaprop that explain why her name became synonymous with the ludicrous misuse of English.

A character in Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s play The Rivals (1775), Mrs. Malaprop consistently uses language malapropos, that is, inappropriately. The word malapropos comes from the French phrase mal á propos, made up of mal (badly), á (to), and propos (purpose, subject), and means “inappropriate”.

The Rivals was a popular play, and Mrs. Malaprop became enshrined in a common noun, first in the form malaprop and later in malapropism; which is first recorded in 1849. Perhaps that is what Mrs. Malaprop feared when she said, “If I reprehend any thing in this world, it is the use of my oracular tongue, and a nice derangement of epitaphs!”

Language Is Essential to Our Success in Life
Language is an integral part of our lives. It is a vehicle for growth which involves exploring beings, objects, events, ideas, and experiences. It is making sense of the world using the meaning and context of self, family, and cultural group. It is personal, socially and functionally; because it affects our perceptions, degrees of understanding, our acquisitions of and degrees of knowledge, thinking, problem-solving abilities, and social skills. It is an active process learned through its various applications and it continually evolves with improvements or lingers in a state of stagnation. It all depends on how we apply our learning skills.

More about the confusions that exist in English

2004-12-27T23:16:00.000+01:00

Adverse Influences that Cause Confusions in English

Among the most common pitfalls in English are the many groups of words that are more or less alike in form, sound, or meaning; but which have distinct differences in one or the other of these elements:

1. Words that are pronounced the same, but are different in spelling and meaning; such as, complement and compliment, coarse and course, lead (metal) and led, pane and pain, pore and pour, stationary and stationery, as well as principal and principle. These kinds of words are known as homonyms and/or homophones.

2. Words that are spelled the same but are different in both sound (pronunciation) and meaning. These are usually one syllable words and are known as heteronyms.

3. Words that have similar pronunciations, but are different in meanings and spellings; including, accept and except, allusion and illusion, council, counsel, and consul, ingenious and ingenuous, perspicuous and perspicacious, potion and portion, prescribe and proscribe.

4. Words that come from the same root and have related meanings, but are used in different senses and connections; such as, credible and credulous, continual and continuous, disinterested and uninterested, percent and percentage, observance and observation, specie, and species.

5. Synonyms, or words having similar meanings; such as, complete and finished, custom and habit, exceed and excel, impetuous and vehement, requirement and requisition.

6. Words not directly related but confused through associations with each other; such as, complex and compound, imply and infer, infectious and contagious, immunity and impunity, propose and purpose.

Many hundreds of such troublesome pairs and groups of words are presented in the linked pages for this site

Some people may have a good grasp of grammar, be expert at spelling and syntax, and still occasionally find themselves in a quandary about which words to use properly. These days appear to be difficult for those who want to be precise because it is more and more difficult with so many things working against us.

One of the problems is the constant bombardment of sloppy English that we are subjected to from what we hear and read; and not just what is overheard on public transportation or the graffiti that we are exposed to where ever we go. The conver- sations on the radio and television also contribute to our confusion; as well as, what is printed in every kind of publication. Public media are strong influences and if we hear and see a word misused often enough, it takes on a certain “correctness”. There are many influences working against the improvement of what is considered preferred-English usage and those same influences are receiving credit for increasing the use of malapropisms and miscommunications.

Homonyms, Homographs, and Homophones

2004-12-27T01:30:00.000+01:00

Confusion that sometimes exists because of spelling and sounds of words

A homonym comes from Latin homonymum and Greek homonumon (a word) having the same name. It represents one of two or more words that are identical in sound or spelling but different in meaning.

There are at least three kinds of homonym type word groups:

1. Homonyms: Those that sound and look alike (bank, a slope; bank, a place for money; and bank, a bench or row of switches).
2. Homophones: Words that sound alike but do not look alike (coarse, course).
3. Homographs: Words that look alike but do not sound alike (the verb lead [LEED] and the metal lead [LED].

Pronunciations can confuse the "clear definitions" of homonyms

Although a homonym is a word that has the same pronunciation as another word, but has a different meaning and spelling, this apparently clear and simple definition becomes less stable when we begin to analyze English words in order to classify them. We do not all pronounce words the same way, and these local or reginonal differences in pronunciations may cause word pairs that are homonyms in one area not to be considered as such in others.

Also, as changes in pronunciation are continually occurring, words that are pronounced the same at one time may not be pronouncd the same way at other times. There is, for example, a tendency to reduce the hw pronunciation of wh to w. So, when whale [HWAYL] is commonly pronounced [WAYL], it becomes homonymous with wail, a cry of suffering, and wale, a welt. Similarly, a word like real, which is still shown in most dictionaries as two syllables [REE uhl], tends to be reduced to one syllable, i.e., [REEL], which becomes homonymous with reel. Other common examples are liable—libel, higher—hire, flower—flour, and phial—file.

The a and an Problem

2004-07-21T11:23:00.000+02:00

Words: Woe & Wonder

A and AN, EH?
By Blair Shewchuk
CBC News Online

On May 11, 2000 CBC TV's The National ran a story about an author who had written a book on Nazi war criminals in Canada. The reporter said the man "knows he's about to kick an historical hornet's nest." The next night, The National called the Nisga'a treaty in B.C. "an historic change."

At first glance, everything appears to be in order. The term hornet's nest (not hornets' nest) is uncontroversial. It's been around since at least the 1740s — much longer than the Nisga'a nation's fight for a land settlement. The adjectives "historical" and "historic" are also undisputed. The book deals with history, while the treaty makes it, but what about that tiny article an? Should it be a? Does it matter?

AN, BRIEF HISTORY

The confusion over a and an before a word beginning with an "h" goes back centuries.

In the King James Version of the Old Testament, for instance, "an heritage of the Lord" stands out today as odd. But years ago, the "h" sound was often imperceptible at the start of many words, including historic, heroic, and humble. And when an "h" disappears an "n" naturally shows up.

All you have to do is pick "herbs" to see it's sometimes a matter of taste. In North America, for example, herb usually has a silent "h" and so takes the word an. In Britain, however, herb is aspirated, so a is the common choice.

TAKING A STAND

Many authorities today insist that an historic is wrong. The rule, they say, is based on pronunciation, not spelling:

• Any word beginning with an aspirated "h" (one that's sounded when spoken) always takes "a". For example, a hotel, a holiday, a history professor, and a historic treaty.

• Any word beginning with an unaspirated "h" (one that isn't sounded when spoken) takes "an". For example, an hour, an heir, an honour, and depending on dialect an herb. In fact these four words (and their derivatives) are the only common English terms that fall into this category. Oops. Make that five. An honest mistake.

AN EXCEPTION

Some experts, however, believe it's more complicated than that. The New Fowler's Modern English Usage (published by Oxford in 1996), for instance, maintains that when the first syllable of a word that begins with an aspirated "h" is unstressed a writer may use either a or an, depending on pronunciation.

"The thoroughly modern thing to do is to use a, never an, together with an aspirated "h" — a habitual, a heroic, a historical, a Homeric, a hypothesis," according to New Fowler's.

The book goes on to argue that there is no reason an should be banned from words that begin with "h" as long as they're given "minimal or nil aspiration." Put another way, if in your 'eart you truly believe that adjectives such as 'istoric and 'orrific should be pronounced without the "h" (or with very little emphasis placed on it), then an is perfectly acceptable.

CBC STYLE

For decades, most major newsrooms have embraced the convention that an historic is either archaic or just plain poor English. The 1962 New York Times Style Book, which still has a place in the library on the third floor of CBC's Broadcasting Centre in Toronto, spells it out clearly. So does the 1983 Toronto Star Style Book, which begins with the words "the rule is not complicated." The 1993 Chicago Manual of Style agrees. So does the 1998 Globe & Mail Style Book. CBC Radio and CBC Television also have Style Guides that recommend a historic.

Does the definite stand on an indefinite article make sense? One test would be to return to the nest in the story about the Nazis. Most broadcasters would swat down "an hornet" before the phrase made it to air. So consistency becomes a hallmark of what some might consider a hysterical campaign against the words an historical.

WEB WARNING

Now that Canada's public broadcaster also "publishes" stories on the Internet, writers have to worry about detail that was less important before. In the past, for instance, viewers and listeners never saw reporters' scripts and, so, didn't know if hastily typed words were misspelled or commas were out of place.

In the case of "a" and "an" we have to pay attention to more than just the letter "h". Any words that begin with a vowel sound take an, including numbers and abbreviations. So it would be "an MP" and "an 11-kilometre road."

While these constructions are obvious to anyone speaking into a microphone or over a coffee, when you're writing something for the eye and not the ear the "n" can slip away if you're not careful. The Penguin Dictionary of Troublesome Words, for example, cites this sentence from the Washington Post: "Cox will contribute 10 percent of the equity needed to build a $80 million cable system". (It should be an $80 million.)

CONCLUSION

While it's not necessarily wrong to write "an historic agreement," it's considered a hilarious phrase by many authorities. Of course journalists should be guided by love of reason, not fear of ridicule. So what should they do?

The 1997 Oxford Guide to Canadian English Usage offers the following advice:

In British English in the past, the initial 'h' was pronounced weakly or not at all in words with an unstressed first syllable, so 'an' was generally used before these words.

Canadians borrowed this practice, even when they pronounced the 'h'. Now the British too are pronouncing the 'h' in these words, and British usage guides are recommending against the unnecessary 'an'. It is probably time for Canadians to let it go too.

CBC Radio and TV language guides have already taken this step. But with an historic so entrenched in so many corners of Canada, the debate over whether it's good or bad will probably go on, an' on, an' on.

(May 30, 2000)

The Challenge of Confusing English Words

2004-07-20T23:24:00.000+02:00
There are many sound-alike words; such as, homophones and they can often "reek" or "wreck" [or wreak] havoc if you are not careful. So, what do you think is the preferred spelling in each of the following sentences?

  1. anchors away/aweigh
  2. to wait with baited/bated breath
  3. to grin and bare/bear it
  4. sound bite/byte
  5. bloc/block voting
  6. a ceded/seeded player
  7. champing/chomping at the bit
  8. a full complement/compliment of
  9. to strike a responsive chord/cord
10. just deserts/desserts

See the start of a significant presention of confusing words by going to Word Files so you can learn more about sound-alikes.

Misquotations by Politicians

2004-07-15T19:51:00.001+02:00
President Bush, among other Bushisms, was heard using the double negative "misunderestimate." Then he was heard pronouncing the word tyranny at a commemoration of the 60th anniversary of D-Day as TIE ruh nee; apparently based on the pronunciation of tyrant. The correct pronunciation, of course, is TIRR uh nee.

Balancing Bush's blunder is the misquotation committed by his presumed Democratic opponent, Senator John Kerry when speaking at a rally in Seattle: "More than a century ago, Teddy Roosevelt defined American leadership in foreign policy. He said America should 'walk softly and carry a big stick.' "

In a letter written in 1900, a year before he became president, Theodore Rooselvelt wrote, "I have always been fond of the West African proverb: 'Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.' " He repeated what he called this "homely old adage" in a speech as president in Chicago in 1903, and twice again in his writings after that. Every time he used the quote, he said, "Speak softly."

Governor Bill Clinton, campaigning for president in 1992, told a cheering audience: "Teddy roosevelt once said that we should walk softly and carry a big stick. Today I want to talk softly and carry Ohio." Maybe he was influenced by former President Gerald Ford's comment in 1981 about reacting to the Soviet arms buildup: "The United states should walk softly and carry a big stick."

Although it has frequently been misused in quotations, to walk softly is a political no-no. Aspiring leaders should remember to speak softly although one's tone may be raised in reference to TIRR uh nee.

-Excerpt from "Language," a column by William Safire titled "The tirr-anny of 'gone missing' " in the
Internatioinal Herald Tribune (page 6) on June 28, 2004.

There are several discussions about malapropisms, at Word Files where you may find several versions of English blunders.

Puberty and Related Family Words

2004-07-14T14:09:00.000+02:00
Today I completed a research and uploading of the word "puberty" and its related family of words to the Latin-Greek Cross References which is available to supporting subscribers. Although it may not seem to be very many, I found 31 related puberty words in medical, etymological, biological-medical, and a variety of abridged dictionaries. None of them have as many references as currently exist in the Latin-Greek Cross References.

The motivation for completing this unit of words is based on what I perceived to be both a misuse and a mispronunciation of prebubescence on the radio. When I went to the cross references, I noticed that the puberty section was not completed and so I made sure it was done. There are many other units that are complete; however, there are also many that are not done. It is a very BIG task for one person to do, but I continue to work on it and other related vocabulary objectives.

You may find a significant list of confusing words so you can get a better idea about the many confusions of words that exist in English.

Word Info

2004-07-14T11:18:00.000+02:00
It is my purpose to present info about words so people can appreciate the various aspects of English vocabulary. More information will be coming as research is done.