Word Change In English Language

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Throughout the history of the English language, many words have been added to the English speaker’s vocabulary. English has not only formed new words from existing words, but it has also borrowed and used foreign words. With more and more new words forming and pushing their way into the English language, this causes other words to be labeled as “archaic”, “obsolete”, or even “rare”. Words that are labeled as “archaic” are words that were once very common during a specific age, but after a wide timeline of newly introduced words took over, these words became antique. Although these words are still sporadically used, the word “archaic” leads to the understanding that the word has the characteristics of an earlier time. “Obsolete” specifies that …show more content…

The verb that is used to define a word to humorously confuse or upset someone is Early Modern English’s word “discomboberate”. This word is first recorded around 1825 in a newspaper based in Maryland titled The Torch Light & Public Advertiser. At first sight, this word does not look like it would be a strange word, but the length and complexity of the verb could possibly frighten an English speaker. After this word faced many different spell changes, it was ultimately replaced with today’s English word “discombobulate”. This word was first recorded in 1879 in another newspaper based in Iowa called the Le Mars Daily Sentinel. While this word is still rarely used, the original word and the modern day word both fall into the weak verb class. With that in mind, both of these word have the same meaning and same verb class, but they do not share the same spelling. While all of these original extinct words are still on record, English speakers no longer use them, but they can be used to research other …show more content…

After researching Old English verbs and their replacement with Modern English verbs, one can concluded that most verbs remain in the same class and retain the same meaning. Whether the verbs are archaic, obsolete, or even rare, the verbs are technically extinct and no longer is used. Although these categories hold words that most English speakers know, the words in these categories are practically extinct. Due to the evolution of the English alphabet, word spelling has transformed itself into the simple process that is still used today. There are symbols or spellings that occur in Old and Middle English that are no longer used today. Although some words have been pushed aside and other words have replaced them, those words ultimately share the same meaning. Although that may be the case, those words have been replaced with words that English speakers use today. Regardless of their replacement, the antique words are still recorded for historical purposes to study how far the English language has evolved and is still

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