Language change! It's a thing.
For example, 'precipitation' originally meant “haste” and “the act of hurling or casting down”—it had no connection to water falling from the sky.
merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/…
'Habit' originally meant "clothing."
(We still call a nun's clothing a 'habit.')
merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/…
'Mean' originally meant "humble" or "ordinary."
(From there to "stingy" and from there to "cruel.")
merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/…
'Wonderful' meant "astonishing" until the 20th century, when it started being used to mean "excellent."
merriam-webster.com/dictionary/won…
The original meaning of 'nice' was "wanton" or "dissolute."
Kinda changed since.
merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/…
The oldest meaning of 'bully' was "sweetheart."
No joke.
merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bul…
'Catastrophe' originally meant just "the conclusion or final event of a dramatic work."
merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/…
'Debacle' originally meant "the breaking up of ice in a river."
Share this Scrolly Tale with your friends.
A Scrolly Tale is a new way to read Twitter threads with a more visually immersive experience.
Discover more beautiful Scrolly Tales like this.