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Episode 149: Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

The History of English Podcast

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How to Make Meaning Out of the Random Nature of English

The letter from richard pace is the oldest surviving document to use modern spelling with the letter l. So where did that l come from? Well, the answer has to do with the way speakers try to make sense out of the somewhat random nature of english. If some one expresses regret about something, you might hear them say something like, woda, could a shuda. That type expression reflects how we associate the words would, could and should with each other.

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