Life, Interrupted

Latin, Scandinavian and some Greek ruled at the beginning, but remember that wonderful saying so many of us have on tee shirts? About English not just borrowing from other languages? The actual quote is:

“We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.”
― James Nicoll

Thanks to this handy-dandy slide over on Slate's website, you can watch the progression of language as English swipes from the world, making it a mother lode of possible word choices for any occasion.