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One Step Now Education April 24, 2026 discomfit Words are often intriguing to me because I'm unsure of their base or I see a familiar base and I wonder if it's the same. With discomfit, it's the latter. Could the base possibly be <fit>? This investigation will explore the verbal inflectional paradigm and see how the past participle can function beyond just tense. We'll trace this word back through Middle English and the Norman Conquest, and along the way, you might discover that several...

One Step Now Education April 17, 2026 derelicting When studying words scientifically, you can see a familiar word in a new light. I was familiar with the word derelict. I may have even used it once or twice. But never as a verb. Which is what the suffix <-ing> implies, right? Maybe we need to investigate. This investigation will reveal the difference between synchronic and diachronic approaches to word study. We'll learn how to obtain the English base from a Latin infinitive. Along the way,...

One Step Now Education April 10, 2026 peculiar What's peculiar about the word peculiar? Well, for me, it was the base. I tried to think of other words it might be linked to (culinary? pecan?). After a quick run-through, this word made my list for further investigation. This investigation takes us through several layers of structure and history. Watch for a suffix that appears for specific reasons and notice the role of a connecting vowel letter that does something unexpected with sound. We'll...

One Step Now Education April 3, 2026 charlatan The holiday of April Fool's Day may have started in 16th century France when King Charles IX changed New Year from Easter to January 1st. Therefore, if you continued to celebrate the new year in April, you were the "April Fool." "Only fools and charlatans know everything and understand nothing"--Anton Chekhov You may find as you practice scientific word study that the more you go along the less you know. I've been at this for nearly ten years...

One Step Now Education March 27, 2026 covetous Sometimes I see a word that sets off my sensors, like a trap waiting to spring. I always caution looks can be deceiving. For example, in the PS of last week's investigation, we talked about hyphenating the word co-owner to avoid a double <o>. Is the <co> in this word the same prefix as in co-owner? Does the <vet> have a connection to veteran or veterinarian? These are the types of things early word studiers I've worked with spot. So let's test...

One Step Now Education March 20, 2026 self-deprecating Do you have a self-deprecating form of humor? I heard this word on a podcast the other day and wondered about the base of the word and a possible relationship to the word precious. I also think it's a good opportunity to talk about hyphens in spelling. As you read through this investigation, you'll encounter information about participles, both past and present. You'll find out how to handle Latin deponent verbs when you encounter them....