Comments on: They, their, them, eggs and freckles!

By: Axel

Axel — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 19:20:27 +0000

Window is another borrowed word. It seems it was introduced in the 13th century. Vindöga still has a meaning in swedish today, although the window interpretation represents a feature that is omitted from most modern buildings.

I really like this site, it looks like an excellent place to browse for linguistics without sifting through dictionary pages.

By: Peter

Peter — Wed, 05 May 2010 09:28:51 +0000

although some writers still use OE ire

But ire is from Latin, not OE.

By: Maeve

Maeve — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 13:15:30 +0000

Tom,
Thank you for the kind words.

You may have guessed that I love to write about words. Words give me the joy that some people get from collecting fossils.

By: Sharon Hurley Hall

Sharon Hurley Hall — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 11:30:24 +0000

Loved this post, Maeve. I have to disagree with Wedge, though. In the UK, people refer to feeling sick when they are nauseous, but ill if it’s a general malaise.

By: Wedge

Wedge — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 07:38:58 +0000

Fascinating, thank you.

I might suggest that ‘sick’ in common usage no longer refers to vomiting but is a synonym for ‘ill’. You never hear a young person / child say ‘ill’.