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Hege Library & Learning Technologies
Hege Library & Learning Technologies
One fundamental choice you have involves whether to write in the Anglo-Saxon zone or the Mediterranean (Greek & Latin roots) zone.
Take a look at this pair of lists:
|
optimum however purchase position attempt finalize request utilize initiate perform fabricate |
best but buy job try end ask use start do make |
The words in the left-hand column come from the Mediterranean diction zone. This part of the English word stock consists of words that have entered the language either from Latin or Greek directly or from Latin by way of French.
The words in the right-hand column tend to come from Anglo-Saxon, a Germanic language that provided the foundation of modern English.
The simultaneous existence of the two lists—Mediterranean and Anglo-Saxon—brings to English somewhat of a split personality, one which has an important sociological dimension.