Y’all is a contraction of you all, and is used as a second-person, plural, pronoun. The Southern United States is well known as the place of origin of this word, but it seems that y’all has an even longer history. There is a good argument to be made that y’all was brought to the United States by the Scots-Irish with the term ye aw, as there was a large influx of Scots-Irish immigrants into the United States over the late …
I know most languages have homophones, but I doubt as many as English does. Not only do we have pairs of words that sound the same with different meanings, but we also even have trios of words that are homophones of each other. Take sense, since, and cense, for example. Three different terms with different definitions, but they sound the same and are even spelled similarly. So, let’s break down their key differences and give you some tips to remember …
A groan is a cry of distress, pain, complaint or disapproval. A groan may also be a low creaking sound made by something under pressure. Groan may be used as a verb to mean crying in distress, pain, complaint or disapproval. Related words are groans, groaned, groaning and the noun groaner. Groan comes from the Old English word granian which means to make a low sound expressing grief or pain, to murmur, to lament. Grown is the past participle of …
A band is 1.) a group of people bonded together in service of a common cause, 2.) a group of musicians who play together, 3.) an elastic circle of material used to hold something together, 4.) a belt used in machinery, 5.) a range of frequencies allotted to a radio station, 6.) a ring for a finger, 7.) a round collar warn by some clerics and academics, 8.) in North America, a thin band applied to the leg of a …
“Ruff” and “rough” are two words that are often confused because they sound similar and have some overlapping meanings. However, they are actually quite distinct and have different connotations and uses. Stick with me as I go over the details and definitions of both words. I also provide examples of each in full sentences to show you the difference between ruff and rough. Ruff Meaning Explained Some might think it’s one of those obsolete terms or made-up words, but “ruff” …
Rye is a cereal plant and the grains that come from this cereal plant. Rye is used as fodder, in whiskey-making and bread-making. Rye may be used as a noun or an adjective, in North America ryebread may be shortened to simply rye. Rye comes from the Old English word, ryge, and from the Germanic word, ruig. Wry refers to a dry humor or a twisted facial expression. Wry is an adjective, related words are wryer and wryest. The only …
Aloud means not silently, spoken out loud. Aloud may be used as an adverb or as an adjective. Aloud comes to us in the late fourteenth century by adding the prefix a- to the word loud. Allowed is the past tense of the verb allow, meaning 1.) to permit, 2.) to let happen, 3.) to permit entrance, 4.) to acknowledge the truth or acceptability of something. Related words are allows, allowing, allowedly. Allow comes into the English language in the …
Do you sail a ship or sale a ship? Using the wrong word in this situation can create so much confusion because one is a verb while the other is a noun. But there’s actually far more to it than that with these two homophones. Sure, they’re pronounced the same, but their meanings are so far apart. Let’s take a look together. Sail vs. Sale Sail and sale homophones are two words often confused with one another. Sail can be …
A resister is one who resists, stands firm against something, refuses compliance or withstands temptation. A resister may also be a coating that protects a surface during some processes. Related words are resist, resists, resisted, resisting, resistible, resistibility, resistibly. Resister appears in the late fourteenth century from the Old French word resister, meaning hold out against. A resistor is an electrical component that resists the passage of electricity. It is used to control electrical current. The original spelling of resister, …
Pidgin is a simplified version of a language used by two non-fluent speakers in order to communicate. Pidgin languages have limited structure and vocabulary in order to facilitate communication between two speakers who do not share a common native tongue. Pigeon English was spoken in China in 1859 in order to communicate with Europeans. The spelling was changed to pidgin English in 1876. The word pidgin comes from the Chinese pronunciation of the English word, business. Pidgin is a term …