A reader wants to know more about the use of the word versus and its abbreviations: I have seen “versus” spelled out and abbreviated as both “vs.” and “v.” Is there any rhyme or reason to this word? The earliest citation of versus in the OED is in a legal context dated 1447: “John Husset … Read more
The English infinitive is the basic form of the verb. It has two parts, the particle to and the present form of the verb. Here are some infinitives: to go to sing to walk to want to believe The infinitive is used with and without the particle to. Used with the to, it’s called “the … Read more
A reader wonders how knowing a word’s origin helps spelling bee contestants arrive at the correct spelling: Recently, I was watching [a spelling bee] competition and students were asking about the origin of a spelling like Latin, French, Greek, Dutch, Italian etc. and were guessing correct spellings. How is it possible to get correct spelling … Read more
A reader has called my attention to a surge in the use of the word feckless in the American press. A Web search garners 1,550,000 hits. Feckless derives from feck, a dialect word possibly formed by a linguistic process called aphaeresis: “omission of one or more sounds or letters from the beginning of a word.” … Read more
When I was a child, I learned that the name Philadelphia derives from the Greek words philos (loving) and adelphos (brother) and that William Penn chose the name because he wanted to establish “a city of brotherly love.” I’ve recently learned that the word philander derives from the Greek words philos (loving) and andro (man/male) … Read more
The “carriage trade” is the industry engaged in transporting passengers and goods. Because of recent campaigns by animal activists to ban the use of horses in heavy city traffic, the term has come to apply specifically to the horse-drawn carriage trade: The NY carriage trade is under attack by the HSUS and Animal Rights activists. … Read more
One type of conditional sentence refers to a situation in the past that might have happened, but didn’t. The speaker is speculating about what might have happened if things had been different. In this type of sentence, the verb in the “if clause” will be in the past perfect tense, and the main clause will … Read more
Although referred to as a “hoax,” a recent false report of the death of a beloved celebrity was the result more of ignorance than of malice. The rumor may have stemmed from this headline above a story posted in September in the Empire News: Actress Betty White, 92, Dyes Peacefully In Her Los Angeles Home … Read more
A common error with who’s and whose is to confuse one for the other: Incorrect: She loves an author who’s books have become hard to find. Correct : She loves an author whose books have become hard to find. Incorrect: That’s a regular whose who of Fataverse All-Stars if I do say so myself. Correct … Read more
A letter to the editor written by an environmentalist contains this use of the adjective ethereal: Contaminated air and water and ethereal space apparently are of no concern [to capitalists]. Here ethereal seems to refer to the physical area above the earth, what I might call “the atmosphere.” Referring to “ethereal space” in this context … Read more
A reader asks, What exactly is the difference between peep and peek? The words are similar in meaning. In fact, peep may derive from peek. And peek may come from an earlier word that still exists in in Scots dialect and dialects spoken in northern England: keek. keek: to look secretly, as through a narrow … Read more
Although I know they are a time-suck, slideshows with intriguing titles or photos often lure me in. The most recent to attract my attention was about “freaky coincidences.” Because the format was the kind that requires two clicks for each slide–one for the photo and one for the caption–I was ready to stop after the … Read more