Wordcraft Community Home Page
Oldest English words?

This topic can be found at:
https://wordcraft.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/932607094/m/1750001296

August 07, 2018, 08:53
Geoff
Oldest English words?
https://www.quora.com/topic/Etymology
August 08, 2018, 17:25
goofy
Did you mean to link to this?

https://www.quora.com/What-is-...ish-language?share=1

The first answer is baffling. Black is not older than white. Hear is not older than speak. This bit made me lol:
quote:

Before the year 900, language skills were still in the Alpha or Beta stages of development, but people had to find themselves wanting to identify an object that may (or may not) have had a proper name (yet.) So, they pointed or gestured to something they wanted—and this was born!


Before 900, we were grunting like cavemen! Take that Plato!

It is an impossible to answer question.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: goofy,
August 09, 2018, 18:33
Kalleh
Why is it impossible? (Reminds me of the bit from "My Cousin Vinny").
August 10, 2018, 05:38
goofy
“What is the oldest word in English?” is impossible to answer for the same reason that “what is the oldest language?” is impossible to answer. All non-creole languages extend back to before recorded history, so most words do as well.

But “what are the oldest words in English?” is answerable. They are the words that were not borrowed. So black and white and probably derived from Proto-Indo-European but chartreuse was borrowed from French. So black and white are older English words than chartreuse; they have been part of English longer.
August 14, 2018, 21:09
Kalleh
Ah, that makes sense.
August 15, 2018, 07:48
Geoff
Bob, I've found that there are several highly competent, but also facetious people on Quora.
I suspect he had the effect on you that he intended!
August 15, 2018, 19:08
BobHale
quote:
Originally posted by Geoff:
Bob, I've found that there are several highly competent, but also facetious people on Quora.


I agree with that but I'm not sure why you said it as I haven't posted in this thread at all. Confused
Did you mean it for goofy?


"No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money." Samuel Johnson.
August 16, 2018, 08:07
Geoff
Oops! Sorry! Well, now you HAVE posted here! :-)