Exploring The History of The Word ‘True’

By Maryann Yin 

What does the word “true” have in common with the word “tree?” The animated video embedded above features a four-minute TED-Ed lesson exploring the etymology of the word “true.”

Here’s more about the lesson: “With roots in Old English, ‘true’ shares etymological ancestors with words like betroth and truce…but also with the word tree. In fact, trees have been metaphors for steadfastness and faithfulness for as long as the word true has defined the same qualities.”

Over at the TED Ed website, linguistics fans can access a quiz, a discussion board, and more resources. Artist Brad Purnell served as the animated for this project. Gina Cooke, a language expert and the blogger behind LEX, took on the role of educator. In the past, Cooke crafted TED-Ed lessons called “Why is There a ‘B’ in Doubt?” and “Making Sense of Spelling.”