The English Project

The English Project explores “Englishes” in all their diversity & allows individuals to gain a clearer understanding of their own version of English.

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5 days to go to English Language Day 2020: Have you booked your place to hear David Crystal yet? https://t.co/EEBrLw6Ke7

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Two weeks until Prof David Crystal gives his special lecture on 'The New Normal for Global English'. Book your place at this unique online event and to help support The English Project. @davcr @hilcryst @bencrystal

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Hmm. What could you do on Oct 13th that brings the world's foremost commentator on the English language right to your device? Here's a hint: https://t.co/3c2QtpqwlQ @davcr @bencrystal @hilcryst

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Clan = tribe; poss from Latin planta = sprout; older Celtic language (Goidelic) may substitute k for p. First evidence c1425; ‘contemptuous’ from 1540. Now ‘properly applied to Highlands’ but (by extension) to Lowlands families. Frequency band 6: 10-100 per million words.

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Continuing our annual theme: varieties of English - what do you think is the most frequently used word in English of Celtic origin according to the Oxford English Dictionary online? Please post ideas below and we'll tweet back at the end of today.

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Gee-whizzery = ‘excitement as response to scientific innovation' & 'language to provoke excitement’. Colloquial, US. First cited 1961 ‘your tone is naïve: gee-whizzery indicates you are uninformed…’ Possibly from 'Gee Willikers' (US interjection) or euphemism of Jesus

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Which new entrant OED word (March 2020) is surprisingly technological yet not always positive? Clue? It may be a Jesus euphemism and sounds pretty fast. Come back later for our suggestion...

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Capt Cook (1770) believed it the name given to the animal but one theory (OED thinks unlikely) suggests it could have meant ‘I do not understand’. 1793 other names used such as ‘patagorong’. Tasty 1773 citation: ‘Our Kangaroo was dressed for dinner and proved excellent meat.’

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What is arguably the most frequently used Australian Aboriginal word in the English language and why is it special? OED: ‘kangaroo’ now used 1-10 times per million English words (like ‘tumult’ & ‘paraphrase’); special as no one knows for sure what it actually, originally meant.

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Bodega, n. (Spanish = cellar), earliest OED entry 1846 = Spanish wine shop; from 1850s in Philippine English = storeroom; from 1950s New York English = local shop; OED 2020 notes spread from Puerto Rican businesses, 1950s, to wider use in NYC for any local, convenience shop.

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We like 'ember months' and 'next tomorrow' - why not take a look at some recent additions, from Nigerian English, into the Oxford English Dictionary? https://t.co/V29HUyQ0E7

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henna, v. Verb form of 'henna' first recorded 1851 but only entered the OED Jan 2020 as 'to dye hair/skin reddish brown with henna'. Noun form dates to at least 1600. Adjectival form 'hennaed' first recorded 1853. French had henné (c1540). Ultimately from Arabic ḥinnā'

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chutzpahdik, adj: audacious, impudent (colloquial). Entered OED Jan 2020. 'Chutzpah' dated to 1852 'Chootspurs' borrowing from Yiddish 'khutspe'. Earliest written eg of chutzpadik 1959. OED 5 variant spellings. Major search engines show between 8-10,000 results online, Jan 2020.

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Welcome back to EnglishProject tweets. In 2020 we're looking at the many varieties of English in weekly tweets. Our 'tweeks' will consider many forms of English (home & abroad) in the Oxford English Dictionary. Do send in or tweet us with words that interest you, too. (Still.)

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The English Project, 'How to Speak New Forest' https://t.co/Q8iu7awRxk

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New Forest Lingo: 'crink-crank', adjective 'long, drawn out elevated or literary word' first OED citation 1865 RD Blackmore; 'them crink-crank words is beyond me' (Cradock Nowell). Southern English regional, now rare. See EP 'how to Speak New Forest' for more words like this...

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'businesswoman' OED: frequency band 4; first cited in modern sense of commerce in US 1923; 'businessmen/man' in similar sense dates to 1798/1803 and is now considered frequency band 6; 'businessperson' dates to 1844 (Dickens) & is frequency band 5. Which do you use most often?

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'chauffeuse' OED: 'derivative, female chaffeur' first cited 1903, no frequency band; 'chaffeur' first cited 1902, def: 'professional / paid driver of private motor vehicle' (frequency band 5). Orig verb 'chaffer' = 'to heat' (stoke engine). Why male verb form only 'to chaffeur'?

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'biatch' OED first cites 1986 'beyotch' as 'originally and chiefly US slang, derogatory & offensive', but in https://t.co/88K1yDh1lC by 2018 the more recent 'affectionate or disparaging form of address' is given. A positive shift?

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'ladette' first OED citation 1995 Sunday Times, linked with drinking culture. Definition: young woman characterized by enjoyment of social drinking, sport, or activities considered male-oriented (usually) one of close-knit social group. Is 'ladette' still negative? And is 'lad'?