This time tracking the endings of words, the fluidity of language and how much it changes becomes clearer and clearer.
All in HowCouldYouBeSoChartless
Choose to Chuse
Wouldn’t it be fun if we could chuse a new way to spell? I’m sorry, I mean choose, seeing as we can’t now.
Kyiv or Kiev?
For years, English has spelled the capital city of Ukraine as Kiev. As of November it switched to Kyiv, not so much as a stylistic choice, but as a foreign policy decision.
Is it Tsar or Czar?
Why is that we see different spellings of the same words? Is there a difference? Is one any more correct than the other? Through an exploration of the words ‘tsar’ and ‘czar’, we can see how historical context provides insight into these questions
Bistros are Classy, Right?
Today we hear the word ‘bistro’ and think of small but classy plates of food, fine wines, and baguettes. It is the epitome of pint sized elegance. But closer examination of the word ‘bistro’ itself reveals a far less glamorous origin.
The Shew Must Go On
Perhaps in your own adventures with personalities like Jane Austen, John Milton, and Shakespeare you’ve come across the unusual word of “shew.” This archaic spelling of “show” leaves one to wonder just how and why language shifts.
Noah Webster Hates 'U'
As children, we’re often taught that language is rigid, strict, and adherent to precise rules. But, sometimes language is at the whim of a single man and his dictionary and those rules are not as rigid as we think.
Hear Ye!
Words such as “thou” and “thee” sound strange and formal in our ears, but perhaps in losing these antiquated terms, not only have we made English a harder language to understand, but we have lost the ability to express part of the nature of God and His relationship to us.
Anglisizing Лев Николаевич Толстой
What do the many spellings of Leo Tolstoy say about the socio-political and cultural landscapes of 1800s and 1900s Europe? These charts from Google Books might have an insight or two...