![]() ![]() This all means that C isn’t used as much today as it was in Old English, but you can still expect it to account for around 2.5 percent of a page of written English, and it accounts for 3.5 percent of all the words in a dictionary-including the 40 clever C-words collected and collated here. Ultimately, C typically came to be used in all the “s”-sounding words (known as “soft-C”), while the Greek K was rescued from the linguistic scrapheap and began to be used for the “hard-C” words. Old English speakers were now facing the same problem that the Romans had had, as their letter C was being used for two entirely different sounds. After the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, the English language adopted a number of words from French in which the Latin letter C was now being used to represent a “s” sound, like city, citizen, and circle. Just as things were starting to settle down, along came William the Conqueror. So when the Roman alphabet was introduced to England, C was originally used for all instances of the “k” sound-as in cyng (Old English “king”), sticca (“stick”), lician (“like”), cneow (“knee”), and cniht (“knight”). Having one letter to represent multiple sounds proved confusing, and so Roman scribes invented a new letter, G, to represent “g,” which freed C to represent the “k” sound. Gussied – make someone or something more attractive, especially in a showy or gimmicky way.The letter C is a modern-day descendent of the Ancient Greek letter gamma, and as such originally represented a “g” sound rather than “k.” The Romans, however, confused everything they typically used their letter C to represent both “g” and “k” sounds, avoiding the letter K (which was descended from the Greek kappa) almost entirely. Grandiloquent – pompous or extravagant in language, style, or manner, especially in a way that is intended to impress. Gorgonzola – a type of rich, strong-flavored Italian cheese with bluish-green veins. Gooseflesh – a state of the skin caused by cold, fear, or excitement, in which small bumps appear on the surface as the hairs become erect. Golden – (of a period) very happy and prosperous. Gobbledygook – language that is meaningless or is made unintelligible by excessive use of technical terms. Glorious – having, worthy of, or bringing fame or admiration. Globetrotter – a person who travels widely. Glitz – extravagant but superficial display. Gleeful – exuberantly or triumphantly joyful. Gizmo – a gadget, especially one whose name the speaker does not know or cannot recall. Gibberish – unintelligible or meaningless speech or writing nonsense. Genius – exceptional intellectual or creative power or other natural ability. Gazpacho – a cold Spanish soup made from tomatoes, peppers, and other salad vegetables. Gazebo – a small building, especially one in the garden of a house, that gives a wide view of the surrounding area. Gasbag – a person who talks excessively about trivial things. Gargoyle – a grotesque carved human or animal face or figure projecting from the gutter of a building, typically acting as a spout to carry water clear of a wall. Gangplank – a movable plank, typically with cleats nailed on it, used by passengers to board or disembark from a ship or boat. Gadzooks – an exclamation of surprise or annoyance. Hopefully, you find the word you’re looking for or some inspiration to set you on the right track. I’ve put together a list of words starting with the letter G that either means something similar to cool, sound cool, or are just interesting, awesome, and unusual. Looking for a list of cool words that start with G? If so, you’ve landed on the right page. ![]()
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