The wonders of the 'a-' prefix in English. 'Personal' versus 'personnel.'

The wonders of the 'a-' prefix in English. 'Personal' versus 'personnel.'

942. We’re diving deep into the chameleon-like nature of the "a-" prefix, tracing its journey from Latin, where it often started out as "ad-," to its function as a preposition in French, and its transformative role in Greek that gifts English words like "atypical" and "asymmetrical." You'll be wowed by the versatility of the seemingly humble "a-" prefix as we unveil its covert presence in words like "atom" and its power in creating modern English words like "asexual."

Then, we explore the difference between the words "personal" and "personnel" and give you a tip for getting the spelling right every time.

The "a-" prefix segment was by Kirk Hazen, a data scientist at CVS Health and a linguist at West Virginia University. He is the author of Introduction to Language (Wiley) and can be found on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirk-hazen-phd/

| Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/personnel/transcript

| Preorder "The Grammar Daily"

| Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates.

| Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses.

| Peeve Wars card game.

| Grammar Girl books.

| HOST: Mignon Fogarty

| VOICEMAIL: 833-214-GIRL (833-214-4475) or https://sayhi.chat/grammargirl

| Grammar Girl is part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network.

  • Audio Engineer: Nathan Semes
  • Director of Podcasts: Adam Cecil
  • Advertising Operations Specialist: Morgan Christianson
  • Marketing Associate: Davina Tomlin
  • Digital Operations Specialist: Holly Hutchings

| Theme music by Catherine Rannus.

| Grammar Girl Social Media Links: YouTube. TikTok. Facebook. Instagram. LinkedIn. Mastodon.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jaksot(1013)

728 - How English Words Came Into French After World War II

728 - How English Words Came Into French After World War II

French authorities tried to keep English out of their language, but “tank,” “bulldozer,” and “jeep” got the ball rolling, and it kept going from there.LINKS AND SPONSORS |Learn how you can get my Link...

3 Loka 201916min

727 - The Quirky Australian 'Crime' Tense. 'Hopefully.'

727 - The Quirky Australian 'Crime' Tense. 'Hopefully.'

A listener asked why Australians use the present perfect tense in a way you won't hear in British or American English. You'll often hear it in crime reports or on the radio. Also, we look at a slightl...

30 Syys 201914min

726 - A Cup of Joe. ‘Smokey’ and ‘Smoky.’

726 - A Cup of Joe. ‘Smokey’ and ‘Smoky.’

In honor of National Coffee Day, we talk about the origin of coffee and all its nicknames. Plus, I'll help you remember the difference between "smoky" and "smokey" with a little help from Smokey Bear....

26 Syys 201911min

725 - Interviewing, Story Structure, and Writing Tools with Jonathan Small

725 - Interviewing, Story Structure, and Writing Tools with Jonathan Small

If you've ever been nervous before interviewing someone, struggled to write a good lede, or just want to get some tips on handy tools for writers, this interview with Jonathan Small is for you.LINKS A...

23 Syys 201935min

724 - Why Esperanto Is an Amazing Language. 'Fall' or 'Autumn'?

724 - Why Esperanto Is an Amazing Language. 'Fall' or 'Autumn'?

Created on purpose and easy to learn, Esperanto will amaze you. Once you learn the origin of "fall," you'll look at trees in a whole new way.LINKS AND SPONSORS |Bona: http:/bona.com/grammar |Mastercla...

19 Syys 201911min

723 - Grammar Girl #723. Tips for Fact Checking. Why We Use the Term 'Watershed Moment.'

723 - Grammar Girl #723. Tips for Fact Checking. Why We Use the Term 'Watershed Moment.'

Learn from our fact checking tips that come from years of experience. Also, we answer a listener question about why we call something a "watershed moment."LINKS AND SPONSORS |Merrill Financial Advisor...

16 Syys 201911min

722 - 'Math' or 'Maths'? Irregular Verbs.

722 - 'Math' or 'Maths'? Irregular Verbs.

Have you ever wondered why the British say "maths" and "in hospital" and Americans say "math" and "in the hospital"? We have some answers. Also, we look at why the most common verbs tend to be irregul...

12 Syys 201914min

721 - Verbing Nouns. 'It Is I' or 'It Is Me'?

721 - Verbing Nouns. 'It Is I' or 'It Is Me'?

Alan wonders what to think about his co-workers "solutioning" problems. Also, we investigate whether you should tell people "It is I" or "It is me."LINKS AND SPONSORS |Merrill Financial Advisor Develo...

9 Syys 201912min

Suosittua kategoriassa Koulutus

rss-murhan-anatomia
psykopodiaa-podcast
voi-hyvin-meditaatiot-2
rss-narsisti
adhd-podi
rss-rahamania
psykologia
rss-liian-kuuma-peruna
kesken
rss-valo-minussa-2
ihminen-tavattavissa-tommy-hellsten-instituutti
rss-duodecim-lehti
rss-tietoinen-yhteys-podcast-2
leikitaanko-laakaria
rss-vapaudu-voimaasi
rss-niinku-asia-on
jari-sarasvuo-podcast
mielipaivakirja
puhutaan-koiraa
rss-rentotapaus