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As an amateur etymologist myself I adored this article - nicely written. I find it fascinating to see how languages evolve, slowly changing from an earlier form and often borrowing from other languages due to the vagaries of conquest, cultural trends, and a wide variety of other factors. When we learn more about the language(s) we speak it begins to feel like having something alive in one's mouth and we can be much more mindful of the precise words we use.

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Allan Milne Lees
Allan Milne Lees

Written by Allan Milne Lees

Anyone who enjoys my articles here on Medium may be interested in my books Why Democracy Failed and The Praying Ape, both available from Amazon.

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