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How many of the 170k English words do you know? (vocabowl-870366514258.us-west1.run.app)

501 points by abnry · 23 days ago · 555 comments on HN

Article summary

The article appears to be about a quiz or test that assesses one's knowledge of English words, with some commenters sharing their scores and discussing the etymology of certain words. The discussion reveals that many English words have roots in other languages, such as French, Latin, and Greek. The quiz seems to have sparked an interesting conversation about the complexities of the English language. The article itself is not available, but the comments provide insight into the topic.

Main themes

  • English language etymology
  • Language borrowing and loan words
  • Linguistic complexity
  • Language learning and vocabulary
  • Cultural influence on language

What commenters say

  • Many English words have roots in French, Latin, and Greek, reflecting the language's history of borrowing from other cultures.
  • The English language is a unique blend of Germanic and Romance languages, with a significant proportion of words derived from French and Latin.
  • Some argue that words borrowed from other languages, such as French, do not become English words simply because they are used by native English speakers.
  • Others propose that English has a high fraction of Latin words, both directly and through French, which has had a significant impact on the language's vocabulary.
  • The use of Latin and Greek roots in English words can make them easier to understand for speakers of other languages, such as French.
  • The complexity of the English language is due in part to its history of cultural exchange and linguistic borrowing.
  • There is disagreement about the correct rendering of certain punctuation marks, such as the interrobang, with some arguing for a specific ordering of characters.