2005-09-23

Funny things

Well, that last post was #150, though I didn't notice that while posting it.

It's a funny thing, isn't it, that the Latin-based preface is English of several centuries' standing, whereas foreword, apparently quite Saxon, is in fact a calque of German Vorwort and was still being condemned by purists in the latter part of the 20th century?

Another funny thing, and a sort of footnote to my posting on doublets: the Greek root authent- came into English twice: once via Latin and French, giving us authentic, authentication and so on; and a second time via Turkish, giving us effendi 'a man of property, authority, or education in an eastern Mediterranean country'.

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