Choose a word you use often. Make sure the word has some history (atleast a few hundred years). After you have your chosen word, find theword's root and history by going to the Oxford English Dictionary.

Summarize the word's history and root language(s). Write an essay of750-1,000 words describing the history and developmental changes of theword, including its beginnings in the English language and how it haschanged in usage, prevalence, and context over time.

Then, answer this question: In chapter 1 of Changing Englishby Graddol et al. (2007), Joan Swann explains that some accounts ofchange in the English language differ in terms of their approach. Sheexplains that one of her sources, Tom McArthur, emphasized "thediversity of different 'Englishes', in terms of their linguisticcharacteristics and the social political contexts in which they areused" (p. 6). By contrast, another of Swann's sources, Randolph Quirk,approached the study of English from the assumption that the language is"relatively fixed, something unified and discrete, playing down thediversity highlighted by McArthur" (p. 6). Thus, we have two paradigms:the paradigm of diversity or the paradigm of stability. How do yourrepresentation of your chosen word's history and the entry you find inthe Oxford English Dictionary reflect one of these two paradigms? Or do your history and the Oxford English Dictionary's entry fall somewhere in between? Explain your reasoning.

This assignment is designed to get you familiar with the history of asingle word. By studying a word's history, you will gain greaterinsight into the flexibility of language and the importance ofmeaningful reading and writing.

Prepare this assignment according to the MLA guidelines found in the MLA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.

Be sure to cite your sources, check grammar and spelling, and writethe assignment in essay format (including an introduction, several bodyparagraphs, and a conclusion).