687: addiction and diction Oct 25, 2016

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There are a great many things to which someone could be addicted, whether it be a substance like a drug or an action like gambling. Nevertheless, probably there are not many people addicted to speech (though perhaps a few radical linguists). 'Addiction' has taken on a slightly different meaning from the root, a Latin verb 'addicere' meaning 'to favor', and comes from the root word 'dicere' meaning 'to say', giving English both, 'addiction' but also 'diction'. Interestingly, even though this word dates back centuries or even millennia, the word 'addict' to refer to someone who is addicted to something was first recorded in only 1909.

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