10 Interesting Facts About the English Language that You Didn’t Know

Guest Post by Rochelle Ceira

Did you know that enneacontakaienneagon is actually a word in the English language? (And you thought pronouncing supercalifragilisticexpialidocious was difficult?). In fact, the meaning of the word is just as bizarre as the word itself: it’s a shape with ninety-nine sides.

 

Compared to other languages, English may seem simple, but that is probably because most people don’t realize it is full of crazy inventions, misinterpretations, mistakes, strange words, and needless words!

Let’s take a look at ten interesting facts about the English language:

1“I am” is the shortest complete sentence in the English language.

2 A pangram sentence is one that contains every letter in the language.

For example, the sentence “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog” is a pangram.

3Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (*breath*) is NOT the longest word in English.

This extra long word (that approximately means “fantastic”) was popularized by the movie Mary Poppins and was eventually added to the dictionary. What you probably didn’t know is that there is a word that is longer—yes longer—than this one. Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis is a type of lung disease caused by inhaling ash and dust. Go ahead and try pronouncing that!

4There are “ghost words” that mean nothing.

Believe it or not, there are some words that appeared in the dictionary because of printing errors. The nonexistent word “dord” appeared in the dictionary for eight years in the mid-20th century. It became known as a “ghost word.”

5The shortest, oldest, and most commonly used word is “I.”

Medieval manuscripts reveal that some of the oldest words in English are “I,” “we,” “two,” and “three.” This makes “I” one of the shortest and oldest words in the English language. It is also the most commonly used word in English conversations.

6A new word is added to the dictionary every two hours.

Between now and your next meal, a new word will be put into the dictionary. During the course of the year, almost 4,000 new words are added! So, the next time you try to catch the attention of the dissertation committee, try adding some new words to your project.

7There’s a name for words that we repeat often.

Words we always use even though they add no meaning or value to a sentence are called crutch words. For example, in the sentence “Then I was like, OMG, then like, he went there, and like…” it is pretty obvious that “like” is the crutch word. “Actually,” “honestly,” and “basically” are also commonly used as crutch words.

8Swims will be swims even when turned upside down.

Such words are called ambigrams.

9English is the language of the air.

This means that all pilots have to identify themselves and speak in English while flying, regardless of their origin.

10Girl used to mean small boy or girl.

The word “girl” was not initially used to refer to a specific gender. It used to mean “child” or “young person” regardless of the gender.

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Rochelle Ceira is a specialist in English, currently serving as an instructor at a private institute. She also works part-time with a team of dissertation experts at Dissertation Avenue. She’s an avid reader of Dan Brown and G.R.R Martin, and she loves to indulge in their novels whenever she has time.

Were These Words Invented by Shakespeare?

4 Fictional Families We Wish We Were Born Into

Our favorite authors create worlds, characters, and relationships that feel real to us. Here are four groups of siblings from literature we wish we were related to:

The March sisters in Little Women by Louisa May Alcott Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy March show us what true sisterhood is all about. They make up each other’s worlds, acting as playmates, enemies, counselors, and friends. Like many sisters, they could be arguing over a pair of shoes one minute and bonding over a family tragedy the next. I’d act out a play in the attic with the March sisters any day.

The Weasley siblings in the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling Ginny, Ron, Fred, George, Percy, Charlie, and Bill weren’t always on the best terms (ahem, Percy’s stint in the Ministry of Magic), but in the end, they have each other’s backs. Rowling paints a noisy, cozy picture of the Weasley household in the Harry Potter series, with Fred and George teasing their siblings constantly and Mrs. Weasley riding the line between total exasperation and complete control. The Weasleys are wild, but in a fight against Voldemort, you couldn’t ask for anyone better on your team.

Marianne and Elinor Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen In matters of the heart, Marianne and Elinor don’t always see eye to eye. In a way, their very different perspectives end up bringing them closer together. Marianne and Elinor’s relationship mirrors what many siblings go through as they grow up together: establishing an understanding of who your siblings are and respecting them, even if they’re very different from the way you want them to be. If I had to move to a cozy cottage in the country, I’d want the Dashwood sisters with me to add both sense and sensibility.

The Alden siblings in the Boxcar Children series by Gertrude Chandler Warner Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny Alden know how to sniff out a mystery…and how to solve it, too. Adopted by their kind, wealthy grandfather, the Alden siblings are free to solve mysteries, have adventures, and generally explore the world to their hearts’ content. If you slid open the door of an abandoned boxcar and found these kids, it would be a pleasant surprise.

Who are your favorite siblings from literature? Let us know in the comments!

Typos: Should You Forgive or Forget?

Typos–we all hate them–but are some typos more unforgivable than others? That depends largely on what you are writing and for what audience. Below are several typo scenarios ranging from green light (no problem, speed on ahead) to yellow (caution) to red light (zero, and I do mean zero, typos allowed). A good general rule of thumb is the wider the audience and more formal the setting, the less “allowable” the typos.

First draft/stream of consciousness phase of creative writing: Few things shut down the creative impulse more quickly than trying to correct as you go. Writing and editing are two different processes so let those fingers fly when the muse comes calling. Backspacing to fix typographical errors puts the brakes on inspiration as your inner critic takes the wheel. Move in one direction–forward. Do give a quick glance back at the end of your creative spurt to add in words that your fingers skipped the first time but that may be essential to making sense of your work later. Then, set the work aside and come back after a day or so to refine and polish.

Text messages: We are all “all thumbs” when it comes to text messaging. Typos and odd auto-corrects are acceptable, particularly when the recipient is your BFF or SO. As long as the message’s core meaning–such as what time the movie starts or which dinner ingredients need to be picked up on the way home–is understandable, it’s all good. Even the most OCD of grammar mavens typically do not sweat a transposed letter pair or an absent apostrophe in such instant communications.

Message boards: Many of us frequent Internet message boards and frequently see typos. However, there are message boards, and then there are message boards. Making a few typos in a long-winded commentary to fellow racing fans about what Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Daytona 500 victory means for Junior Nation is understandable. However, what if you are a student in an online college course? You do not have to be perfect, but it is strongly encouraged that you practice professional communication skills when posting to a more “official” board. Now suppose you are on staff at the National Institutes of Health. You are answering a question that a member of the public has posted about N1H3 and you keep calling it N1H5. The reader will get confused, and you will lose credibility, at least on the board, as a public health authority.

Anything scheduled for publication: Any writing that you plan to publish should always be carefully reviewed, preferably by at least two proficient proofreaders. A company’s quarterly report, for instance, will likely be thoroughly read by shareholders. Any errors in wording, or worse, numbers, can cause shareholders to lose confidence in the company. Published fiction, whether it is an e-book or “dead tree” edition, should have zero typographical errors. Readers want to immerse themselves in your imaginary world. They find typos to be jarring. It disrupts their enjoyment by pulling their focus out of your story and to the mere mechanics of the written text.

Presentations: Perhaps the most glaring type of typo is the one that sneaks into a key bullet point on a slide show presentation. This is especially true if you are presenting a sales pitch to a potential client or you are an expert in your field trying to convince an audience to take your side on a particular issue. Such a typo not only distracts the audience from your message, but it tells your audience that you are sloppy and ill-prepared.

To sum up, weed out all typographical errors in your formal and set-to-publish manuscript with extreme prejudice. Know, however, that typos are accepted in the messy process of creativity as well as within instant, informal communication.

Words to Use When You’re Upset at Work

If work conflicts stress you out, you may be tempted to express your frustration with a few expletives. According to CareerBuilder.com, more than 80% of workers believe that “the use of curse words brings the employee’s professionalism into question.” What might this mean for you? If you are the employee, you could damage your chances of a promotion and seem less than mature in the eyes of your coworkers. If you’re the boss, you are a brand ambassador. Clients who find your speech offensive may decide to take their business elsewhere. That said, what can you say if you feel your blood start to boil at work?

Dang! Dag Nabbit!

Dang and dag nabbit are euphemisms. A euphemism is a mild substitution for a strong or unpleasant term. For instance, dang is a politer version of the word damn. With a little research, you can probably find alternatives for your most scathing four-letter words. A note of caution: it’s possible that someone you know considers euphemisms for swear words just as bad as the original terms. Getting to know the people around you is the best way to determine what’s safe to say and what’s not.

That’s not how I see it. I don’t agree.

Many times, a disagreement is the root of office tension. Rather than call your colleagues’ opposing viewpoints you-know-whats-y, find a respectful way to let them know you don’t agree. If you say that you don’t see the situation in the same way, you can open up the lines of communication by explaining your viewpoint. You may find that a little clarification of the issue at hand does a world of good. If you want to end a discussion, you might try saying, “I don’t agree.” This simple phrase, said with a smile, is a lot more friendly than a barrage of insults, so it can help you to keep your work relationships healthy.

Billions of Blistering Barnacles!

One online game based on pirates addressed the issue of foul language by creating a filter. Gamers who activate the filter see less offensive, pirate-y versions of swear words that other players type. Don’t worry if your job has nothing to do with pirates. You can personalize your own lingo based on your profession. Are you a journalist? How about “great gobs of pustulous paparazzi ”? As an added bonus, if you come up with something really cool, your colleagues will view you as creative rather than crass.

You think so?

What do you do when someone at work says something particularly insipid? Ask them, “You think so?” Though it sounds innocuous, it’s a great way of gently expressing difference of opinion. The question, said with a mild tone of voice, isn’t likely to provoke a strong response. Either the person will view the question as rhetorical, or they will go on to explain why they have adopted a certain viewpoint. If they are particularly perceptive, perhaps they will ask what you think about the matter.

Au contraire.

Often, people apologize for swearing by saying “pardon my French.” However, if you say “au contraire,” there’s no need to ask for pardon! This French phrase means “on the contrary.” Of course, you could actually use the English equivalent, but you might lose some of the phrase’s humorous or dramatic effect. One language enthusiast explains the difference between the two expressions: “An earnest argument demands “on the contrary,” but an opposing point of view, not meant too seriously and delivered with a flap of the wrist or a raised eyebrow, justifies au contraire.”

The last thing I want to say is no.

Isn’t this statement true? After all, what you really want to say is $@!!% no. Holding your tongue and using this phrase will help you in two ways, according to a small business forum. First, you let your boss or coworker know that you want to help them accomplish their goals, but something beyond your control prevents you from doing what they ask. Second, you give the impression that you considered your decision carefully and you value their point of view.

One, Two, Three. . .

How can these numbers help you? If you say them silently, you can calm down and choose your words wisely. What if a situation is especially vexing? Numbers are infinite! Use as many as you need.

“ ”

Yes, that’s right. The quotes are empty. The old adage still holds true: if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. Rather than saying something you might later regret, you can remain silent until your heart rate returns to normal. When your head is clear, you will be able to find just the right words to resolve the issue.

Undoubtedly, you will get upset from time to time. If it happens at work, don’t jeopardize your reputation of professionalism by using offensive speech. After you take a few deep breaths and calm down, you might find it easier to use these alternatives. Who knows? With these tips in practice, you may notice less conflict at work as you forge stronger, more respectful relationships with your workmates.

What Is a Generic Noun?

Generic nouns are nouns that refer to all members of a class or group. They are often used when making generalizations or talking about universal truths. Generic nouns can be singular or plural, and be used with or without articles.

Let’s take, for example, the very simple noun book. When writing a sentence, we might have a certain book in mind.

My book fell in a puddle when I got off the bus.

In this sentence, we’re clearly referring to a specific book, a fact that is particularly conspicuous because we have used the possessive pronoun my.

I don’t have a book to read at the moment.

While there isn’t a specific book referred to in this sentence, it is clear that the speaker wants to acquire just one book (at least for now) and has nothing to say that applies to all books. Therefore book is not a generic noun here, but simply a common noun.

A book is a window into a new world.

In this example, however, “a book” refers not to a single book, but to books in general. Therefore, book is a generic noun in this sentence.

It’s also possible to use a generic noun with the definite article, although this style is slightly old-fashioned.

The book is the most important human invention in all of history.

You can even make general nouns plural, in which case no definite or indefinite article is needed. We call this the zero article.

Books are windows into new worlds.

This principle of zero article + plural generic noun can be applied to any generic class of things.

Lions are majestic animals.

Do you think computers have revolutionized our society?

It is important to recognize whether a generic noun is used as a singular or plural, because it must agree with the verb that follows. Take the last sentence above, for example, and transform the plural generic noun computers into a singular generic noun.

Do you think the computer has revolutionized our society?

Since the noun computer is now singular (taking the definite article the) the verb following it is now “has” rather than “have.”

Which TV Boss Do You Work For?

There are many types of bosses, from serious, commanding types like Claire Underwood to fun, friendly types like Michael Scott. Find out which famous TV boss is your manager’s personality twin!

Did we get it right? Which TV boss do you work for? Share your stories in the comments.