Ye Olde English!!!

English is a weird language. It's always evolving. Being flexible and adaptable to changes in the society is what has made it survive for so long. The main reason it is one of the most spoken languages in the world is that it doesn't shy away from including words from different languages and modifying them, which makes it relevant for all age groups as well as for people belonging to different parts of the world.

You'll be surprised to know that not all words used to mean what you know them to mean now. Prior to being used as a synonym for absurd or ridiculous, in old English, 'Silly' meant happy or blessed. Similarly, 'Moody' comes from the word modig, which meant brave or wilful. Now that I come to think of it, maybe that's where JK Rowling got the inspiration for the name Alastor Moody, or popularly known as Mad-Eye. And also, once upon time, 'Artificial' used to mean skilled.

When it comes to borrowing, Oxford English dictionary does it with great pleasure. The latest word to be added to the dictionary is 'Ayyo', or 'Aiyo', which is used as an expression for distress, regret or grief, similar to 'Oh no!' or 'Oh dear!', in southern India.

English is also not very far behind when it comes to adding abbreviations. Nimby, which is a colloquialism signifying objections by a person regarding constructions near his/her own resident, actually is an acronym for Not In My Backyard.

These are just a few examples of how our beloved language has always been hip and happening and #goingwiththetrend. There are many more little surprises it has in store for everyone who's interested to dig a little deeper into its rich history.