Roots…

Many years back, I started a book on chakras. By the time I published it, I had altered the term to the English word gyres. Why? Because chakra is a Hindu word, referring to a yoga concept. And no matter how many languages English thieves from, I determined that a good Old English word was more meaningful to a British Traditional Witch’s practice than a Hindu one.

Hence, I come to my point. English has its roots in Old English (also known as “Anglo-Saxon”)—and the Norman Conquest of England (1066 CE) remains evident all over everyday words. Animals, food, management, actions, seafaring…oh, so many. And when I come to writing spell texts or affirmations, visualizations or wardings, I find that Old English words carry much more heft than the Latinate “synonyms” of Old French. Here’s a few examples:

With these examples to lend a hint, I believe you’ll take my meaning that Old English words carry more heft than any Norman French loan-words—if only because they are very largely one syllable instead of several.