Sometimes chasing the origin and meanings of an apparently simple English word gives us a glimpse of a […]
language
In a language with so many words, this is another which has several different meanings, which seem to be growing away from their origins.
Adding in- as a prefix in English turns out to be more complex than it at first seems. All you have to know is the meaning of in- and the origin of the word.
From a brave king, to the pungent taste of mustard, with a wail on the side – all in the one word.
How it came to be raining, but the weather will be fine and sunny.
A single origin, many different meanings, and some irregularities to provoke the odd peeve.
If you were looking for a ‘good’ night out with a ‘bad’ man or woman, would you prefer someone who was amoral, immoral, or non-moral? Here comes a strange trip into English morphology…
Sometimes someone comes along and pulls the rug from under your most deeply-held ideas. This time it is […]
Given the facts about modern English, prescriptivism will not only fail under the far greater force of change, but prescriptivism will steadily die out.
Following an essay by Oliver Kamm (whose latest book is reviewed here) in the Wall Street Journal attacking […]
The Eclectic Light Company 