“I must trick out my dwelling with something fantastical.” That quote comes from the 1822 definition of the verb “trick,” a word used much in the same way since the 1500s, meaning to dress, adorn, or decorate. What about the verbs “friend” and “unfriend?” Popularized by Facebook they may be, but they too have ancient origins, appearing as far back as 800 years ago. The Atlantic takes a look at the historical uses of the Facebook verbs, while Mental Floss has a list of 16 words that are much older than they seem.
‘Unfriend,’ ‘trick out,’ and other words with ancient origins
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