Evolution of the Word Bitch
This is a great article from the April 2015 issue of The Atlantic entitled "Meet the New Bitch" by writer Britt Peterson about the origins of the word "bitch." I really enjoyed it and wanted to share. It makes you think of how words lose old meanings and gain new ones over time.
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/04/meet-the-new-bitch/386246/
The biggest example that I can think of is the word "awful". This word once referred to the inspiration of awe, fear or wonder. These days, it refers to something so horrible or unpleasant. How it got from one to the other beats me. I didn't get that far. LOL
Another word that I remember which once meant something else is the word "myriad." I specifically remember this word from my SAT vocab study courses back in high school. It's a noun meaning a great number but it once meant 10,000 of something, such as a myriad of troops.
So the next time you are saying something, realize that it once may have meant something else or had an entirely difference connotation!
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/04/meet-the-new-bitch/386246/
The biggest example that I can think of is the word "awful". This word once referred to the inspiration of awe, fear or wonder. These days, it refers to something so horrible or unpleasant. How it got from one to the other beats me. I didn't get that far. LOL
Another word that I remember which once meant something else is the word "myriad." I specifically remember this word from my SAT vocab study courses back in high school. It's a noun meaning a great number but it once meant 10,000 of something, such as a myriad of troops.
So the next time you are saying something, realize that it once may have meant something else or had an entirely difference connotation!
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