If you're a word geek, there's a delightful article at the BBC by Mark Forsyth I think you'll enjoy. Check it out. "
The language we know but don't know we know."
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| The big bad wolf ie the rule of ablaut reduplication |
“Adjectives in English absolutely have to be in this order: opinion-size-age-shape-colour-origin-material-purpose Noun. So you can have a lovely little old rectangular green French silver whittling knife. But if you mess with that word order in the slightest you’ll sound like a maniac. It’s an odd thing that every English speaker uses that list, but almost none of us could write it out.” - Mark Forsyth, BBC
1 comment:
This is wa-aaay too much to think about. You realize, of course, that I won't be able to write another damn complete sentence until I forget I ever read this.
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