Wordie: Anglo Saxon Words: Comments

Comment by Evin290, 10 months ago

Thu, 30 Aug 2007 16:04:27 +0000

"Kind" is the only word meaning "type" that comes from Anglo-Saxon. Every other word, including "sort", "genre", ect. all come from French. :P

Comment by seanahan, about 1 year ago

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 22:32:03 +0000

Another interesting thing is that what we consider swears or vulgar are typically of Anglo-Saxon origin, while the accepted terms come from Latin, or Norman. For example, shit vs. feces.

Comment by reesetee, about 1 year ago

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 21:33:26 +0000

Funny--that's one of the lessons that stuck with me as well. Fascinating.

Comment by chained_bear, about 1 year ago

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 21:05:45 +0000

One of the coolest things I learned about the English language is the reason why so many words for food, such as beef, are rooted in Norman French, while the words for those animals, such as cow, are rooted in Anglo-Saxon. After the Conquest, French was considered the language of culture and of power, and consequently those who worked with their hands--i.e. the producers of the beef--called it one thing (cow, ox, etc.), while those who enjoyed the fruits of their labors (the Normans) called it by their own word, "boeuf" (or however you spell it in Old French). That just clicked something in my head and made the history of English such a fascinating subject. Thanks for this list!