Mysteries of vernacular: Bewilder - Jessica Oreck and Rachael Teel

View full lesson: ed.ted.com/lessons/mysteries-o...
The history of the word bewilder is more straightforward than you might think. Roots can be traced back to the Old English words wilde (undomesticated) and deor (untamed animals), eventually combined into the word wilderness. Jessica Oreck and Rachael Teel track bewilder's etymological path from meaning natural states to complete confusion.
Lesson by Jessica Oreck and Rachael Teel, animation by Jessica Oreck.

[@nameofthepen]

Etymology and derivations of English words is fascinating. Always loved it.

[@MrSelidor7]

WOOHOO. I love these!!! Let's hear it for the mysteries of the vernacular!!! Yay yay whoo yay woohoo.

[@eugen9611]

i love how the words mutate, weird transformations, like from breathe to deer, you would never think of that, but it acctually makes sense and that is just... cool

[@kamikazeoo7]

"vernacular" was brought into the English language as early as 1601 from Latin vernaculus, "native", which had been in figurative use in Classical Latin as "national" and "domestic", having originally been derived from vernus and verna, a male or female slave respectively born in the house rather than abroad. The figurative meaning was broadened from the diminutive extended words vernaculus, vernacula.

[@HKHasty]

Absolutely bewildering.

[@joanne9916]

holy heck this series is bliss!!!

[@SarahMustafa89]

I love this series.

[@Acquavallo]

This one was especially wonderful

[@jiberish001]

I LOVE THESE!

[@TheBlondeSunset]

These are such cool videos.

[@AvnishCPatel]

Does anyone know when and from where the slang term "hit on" meaning "to flirt" came into usage?

[@davidbushhouse1730]

Could you guys make a video showing the process of how you make these videos?

[@neriumsuitedher]

I love the narrator's voice.

[@zir1010011010]

read up on "Indirect democracy" aka "representative democracy" :). Direct democracy is almost impossible in great scale (ie. almost any country total population)

[@ryansanteful]

can you do Mysteries of vernacular: VERNACULAR

[@startreking]

Your mother must be so proud.

[@moensbruno]

We still call any animal a "dier" in dutch. deor isn't that far off and "deer" actually sounds exactly the same. Interesting!

[@DSB42]

So do you have to pay for this virus, or does it upload to your computer for free?

[@007MrYang]

I have no problem with the meme of 'first' spreading. I'll just keep having fun with it! :)

[@NostalgicxRune]

The more you know.

[@Lamer123cko]

جامعة تبوك لايك

[@zir1010011010]

Democracy is easy -- from Greek `demokratia` (with diffrent spelling), the 'rule of people'.

[@AHerderOfCats]

"DEMOCRACY" and/or "FREE(DOM)" please. : ) > -

[@TheStateOfEarth]

I think that the "first" comments are just as bad as the people take notice of them, and must point out the grave affront this meme is to youtube. there is no first comment that goes without some snide rebuttal, yes we get it, they are first, and you are right. ironically it wouldn't be a norm if people didn't reply so consistently, thus spreading the meme virus of 'first'. [and oh god now i'm contributing to it too, there is no escape, no refuge] :s

[@AHerderOfCats]

I would have agreed with you just a short time ago, before the advent of this wonderful tool we are using here. Computer networks made direct democracy very possible ... even practical. But would it be successful? The only way to know for sure would be to TRY it. But you, and many others, call democracy "impossible" before any such test of it's true viability. Why? : / > -

[@AHerderOfCats]

Yes, I know the origin. But how/why did the word "democracy" change, from "a citizen's power to rule" to "a citizen's privilege to select their rulers"? To me this seems antithetical to that original meaning. I'd love to hear more on that process. : ) > -

[@kman_34]

First.

[@007MrYang]

To be flagged

[@jiberish001]

Mysteries of vernacular: Ignorant

[@AHerderOfCats]

Indeed, the People don't rule America. So why have/do so many referred to America as a "democracy"? This includes several elected officials, whom I assume knew the difference between a "republic", a type of "oligarchy" (rule of few), and a "democracy" (rule of many). To be clear, I understand that a "democratic" nation is NOT necessarily a "democracy". In fact, the democratic aspect of any 'democratic' republic vanishes as soon as the people vote away their sovereign power to proxies. : [ > -

[@XJester33X]

It didn't change to the that. If you're referring to America being a democracy, it is not. America is a democratic republic. That means we get to elect our officials. We do not vote on everything like a democracy suggests.