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  1. Where does the use of "why" as an interjection come from?

    Mar 18, 2011 · "why" can be compared to an old Latin form qui, an ablative form, meaning how. Today "why" is used as a question word to ask the reason or purpose of something.

  2. Why is "pineapple" in English but "ananas" in all other languages?

    Nov 7, 2013 · The question is: why did the English adapt the name pineapple from Spanish (which originally meant pinecone in English) while most European countries eventually …

  3. Contextual difference between "That is why" vs "Which is why"?

    Thus we say: You never know, which is why... but You never know. That is why... And goes on to explain: There is a subtle but important difference between the use of that and which in a …

  4. orthography - Why are names that begin with "Mc" first in order …

    Why is it that in lists of people’s names, surnames beginning with Mc are listed before surnames beginning with Ma? For example, if a book had a bibliography listing its references, we would …

  5. Why do eleven and twelve get unique words and not end in "-teen"?

    Why don't these words fit the pattern of thirteen through nineteen? [Answer to 1] A remarkably thorough answer to (1) appears at Why do eleven and twelve get unique words and not end in …

  6. Why "meth-", "eth-", "prop-", when there is "uni-","di-","tri-"?

    In chemistry, the homologous series for hydrocarbons uses the following prefixes: Meth- Eth- Prop- But- Pent- Hex- Hept- Oct- Why are these prefixes used, instead of just usin...

  7. pronunciation - Why is the “L” silent when pronouncing “salmon ...

    Jan 18, 2013 · The reason why is an interesting one, and worth answering. The spurious “silent l” was introduced by the same people who thought that English should spell words like debt and …

  8. What is the purpose of using the word "why" in "why, thank you"?

    I sometimes have heard somebody replying with Why, thank you. instead of Thank you. What is the meaning of the first phrase? What is the difference between the two phrases?

  9. Why was "Spook" a slur used to refer to African Americans?

    Jul 29, 2023 · I understand that the word spook is a racial slur that rose in usage during WWII; I also know Germans called black gunners Spookwaffe. What I don't understand is why. Spook …

  10. "Why it is" vs "Why is it" - English Language & Usage Stack …

    Nov 7, 2013 · 8 1) Please tell me why is it like that. [grammatically incorrect unless the punctuation is changed. Please tell me: Why is it like that? The question: "Why is [etc.]" is a …