History That Never Was

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Fun for Friday: Why is English so weird?

As someone who ALMOST double-majored in English, with a focus on linguistics, the English language is a fascinating subject for me. But as most people who know even a little bit of English can tell you, it’s also a WEIRD language.

This article does a good job of summarizing some of the reasons why English is so weird. And it’s not just, as James Nicoll said, “We don’t just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.” It’s much more than that!


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