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english vocabulary

Celtic influence on the English language

Celtic Vocabulary in English

In a recent Langfocus video I talked about Celtic influence on English, inspired by John McWhorter’s book “Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue”. In the video I mentioned that while English has a couple of grammatical peculiarities that resemble Celtic languages, Continue reading

Greek Vocabulary in English

You will face the wrath of many linguists if you suggest that English is a hybrid language. But at least in terms of vocabulary, it’s true. Over 60 percent of the vocabulary of English consists of words with Latin or Greek roots, and if we focus specifically on the sciences, the number hits the roof. The majority of these words have roots in Latin, but a large number have roots in Greek as well. Continue reading