Essay About Etymology

Many words in the English language have changed drastically over time. Some of those words have changed from meaning one thing to something similar. While other words have gone from meaning one thing to its complete opposite. The study of the history of words and their origin is referred to as etymology. It can be very insightful to learn the etymology of words. Many of the words that we use on a day to day basis have changed majorly from their original meaning. This paper focuses in on one word the word “awful.” The word “awful” has made a one hundred eighty-degree shift changing the meaning from its original meaning to the way we use it today. “Awful” is an example of a word with intriguing etymology one that would make an individual more interested in learning more about the history of English words.

One may ask why it’s important to know the etymology of words? Why do we need to know how they have changed? First of all, if people give etymology a chance it can be very fascinating and provide insightful and useful knowledge. Etymology can help answer questions like “Why does this word mean this?” or “How did this word come to mean this?” A basic knowledge of etymology will help in understanding the meaning of words better. Etymology can be a great tool to improve your English skills. Etymology not only helps people improve their English

When a person is telling one of their friends about something bad that happened to them or someone they know, we often say “that is awful.” Today it is very commonly found that people don’t have to actually listen to what another person is saying. They can just say “that is awful” to pretend they are listening and still provide feedback. It is often used as a form of showing empathy towards someone. Since awful is used so frequently, it has begun to lose its value. People use it without knowing its real meaning which has become a sad reality for many