Names, words, terms, etc. There are scores of them in all of the world’s languages, and the English language is no exception.
There have been many name/word changes within the English language, in which case more than one word can have a similar definition (and thus can be used interchangeably), or a word is replaced by another word and thus becomes archaic or obsolete.
Here is a list of some words with similar meanings:
- Ghost, Spirit, Wraith, Phantom
- Janitor, Custodian, Caretaker, Maintenance
- Disciple, Apostle
- Laptop, Notebook
- Mobile Phone, Cell/Cellular Phone
- SMS, Text (Message)
- Pancake, Hotcake, Flapjack
- Shamrock, Clover
- Groundhog, Woodchuck
- Gnu, Wildebeest
- Hot Dog, Frankfurter, Wiener
- Pirate, Buccaneer
- Hispanic, Latino/Latina
- White, Caucasian
- Black, African-American
Here is a list of words that have been considered archaic or obsolete:
- Alack
- Apricity
- Brabble
- Betwixt
- Clepe
- Curglaff
- Excogigate
- Erelong
- Fain
- Fuzzle
- Gorgonize
- Gardyloo
- Houppelande
- Howbeit
- Iwis
- Jollux
- Lunting
- Lief
- Mayhap
- Nary
- Od
- Pardie
- Pismire
- Quotha
- Quockerlodger
- Rede
- Snowbrowth
- Swink
- Twattle
- Thole
- Usward
- Verily
- Whilom
- Yede
- Zounds
Words and their meanings have changed over the centuries. Some changes made sense (or perhaps just sounded better), such as the term “internet” replacing the term “information superhighway”. But in this age of political correctness (which itself seems to be replaced with “cancel culture” and “woke culture”), replacing names and other words in order to not offend someone is getting out of hand.
One particular example is the Washington Redskins being known as the Washington Football Team for two seasons before becoming the Washington Commanders.
Another example is changing the names of all military bases that were named after Confederate Soldiers, a process that will cost $62.5 million.
Yet another example took place in 2015, when the Obama Administration changed the name of Mount McKinley to Mount Denali, on the grounds that the Koyukon people had referred to the mountain as Denali. But the real controversy regarding the name change was the fact that the Obama Administration changed the name without Congressional approval since doing so required an act of Congress — it’s a wonder Obama was not impeached for acting on his own.
Then there was the promotion of the term “Latinx”, an idea that became a flop.
There are many other examples, such as schools and other places being named after someone who is regarded to be prejudiced in some way, shape, or form.
Needless to say, all of this renaming has gone too far.
