How well do you know the origins of English words?

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Because of its peculiar history, English often has two words that mean the same thing: an earthier one from Anglo Saxon (e.g. brotherly) and a more elevated one from French (e.g. fraternal). Can you tell them apart?

#language #knowledge

What are your thoughts on this subject?

480 Comments

Kay Robinson

Great having the answers. I have quit taking the quizzes without answers. It is a waste of time..

james parrillo

Donna Gregory, That is a lovely picture. Christine, James' wife

MRogers

carole winslow, I agree. In addition to Latin in high school, I took German in College. As a result, I’m seldom stumped by a new word in English.

MRogers

Patty K, that language is Norman French. After the Conquest of 1066, England had three languages in use. French for the Court and Nobility, Latin for the Church and AngloSaxon (English) for the peasantry. That is the reason in modern times there are similar words linked together in law, e.g. aide and abet and in marital services e.g. to have and to hold. Both the French and the English were used so that everyone knew what was going on.

Mike Valsamy

Almost like speakin American.

R Yancey

Nice quiz. Thanks for answers.

Chris Brown

A few words that were Americanised

Patty K

I noticed it was the simpler words were Anglo-Saxon. The other words had to have been based on another language!

Suzanne Beer

15/20 I’m English 😀

Adriana Zuliani

17/20 OK because English is my second language.

Michael Meehan

If the words were not derived from French or Latin, they were Anglo-Saxon. Though over this side of the pond we say autumn, rather than fall, but when people first went to America, they took with them the English Language as it was 300 years ago. Managed a clean sweep of 20.