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3 answers
Etymology for “Mc‑” and “O’‑” prefix in surnames
There is clearly a prefix in names like McDonald, McChrystal, O’Brian, O’Neal.
What does this Mc- and O- prefix signify? It looks like Donald, Chrystal, Brian, Neal are perfectly fine names on their own, so why is there a prefix before it?
Midhat
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45
votes
4 answers
Should "So", "Therefore", "Hence", and "Thus" be followed by commas?
Often, I have come across sentences that begin with "So". Should such an usage of "So" be followed by a comma?
Are the following examples correct.
He is very good at computers. So, I think he can fix your computer.
When we multiply an even number…
Lone Learner
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45
votes
5 answers
Why is the spelling of "pronounce" and "pronunciation" different?
Why is the spelling of pronounce and pronunciation different? If one originally did not know the spelling of pronunciation, one would when hearing it verbally deduce its spelling to be pronounciation, which is the incorrect spelling.
Why is the…
JFW
- 4,767
45
votes
6 answers
"Electronic" vs. "electric"
Most people would refer to computers as being electronic, whereas a flashlight would be described as electric.
I know the general difference (electronic devices use transistors?), but what is it exactly, and how did the second term even come into…
houbysoft
- 1,261
45
votes
3 answers
"proficient " What is the correct usage?
Which preposition is correct in the phrase "proficient in/at/with English"?
c0smikdebris
- 729
45
votes
4 answers
Why is the prefix "Trans" shortened to "X"?
In technical literature as well as aircraft user interfaces where there is not enough space to write the whole word, the prefix "trans" is shortened to "x".
Transmit -> Xmit
Transfer -> Xfer
I am interested to know what is the origin of this. I…
Artium
- 509
45
votes
11 answers
Why is the 'anti' in 'anti-semitism'?
If 'ageism' is the prejudice or discrimination against aged persons, 'sexism' discrimination against a person's sex and 'racism' discrimination against someone's race, then why is not Semitism the word of choice to express prejudice or…
Nigel J
- 24,448
45
votes
19 answers
What is the opposite of 'gravitas'?
I'm having difficulty coming up with a valid antonym for gravitas.
Online searches return results like superficiality, cheerfulness, frivolity, facetiousness etc. which don't work for me. They seem to be opposites of gravitas as it is understood by…
AJFaraday
- 1,477
45
votes
23 answers
Is there a word for the person who hides truth in order to deceive?
Let's say I caused a minor car crash some time ago and today I meet a woman. The conversation goes:
Woman: Hey, I remember that car with the scratch from the crash last
week, you must be the one who caused it.
Me: Are you sure? It didn't
…
Aaron White
- 649
45
votes
14 answers
Is there a common saying in English that means "It's just business, I don't feel any shame"
In Gujarati language there is a saying which literally means "no shame in business".
It is used in a context where one has to do something unpleasant (or immoral) for the sake of their business (business as in profession).
When criticized for…
Amit
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45
votes
8 answers
Is the word 'Hitherto' outdated?
I am wondering if you would consider the word hitherto to be outdated. I prefer it over its definition, "until now" and know of no equal alternative. I have been marked down (on papers) for using this "archaic" word. So, is this word outdated? If…
Quinn
- 718
45
votes
5 answers
When should "farther" and "further" be used?
I know I learned the difference between the usage of farther and further in school, but I can never remember where each one should be used. Can someone help me out here?
Brian Sullivan
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45
votes
4 answers
What is the correct abbreviation for the word "numbers"?
What is the correct abbreviation for the words numbers and number?
Nos.
No.
Nos
No
Possible example usage:
"Number of guests" where the word number is abbreviated
"Numbers 10–15 are located in the top shelf."
Ahmad
- 553
45
votes
1 answer
"Canceling" or "cancelling"
Possible Duplicate:
When is “L” doubled?
I'm confused about the two spellings. In which contexts do I have to use canceling or cancelling?
Google returns 15.6 million results with canceling and 18 million with cancelling, so I don't know what is…
Cyril Gandon
- 713
45
votes
4 answers
Is D-glottalization a plausible explanation of ambiguity in Donald Trump interview with WSJ?
On Jan 11, The Wall Street Journal published an interview with President Trump that contained the following phrase:
With that being said, President Xi has been extremely generous with what he’s said, I like him a lot. I have a great relationship…
Szymon
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