Final U in English Words

Final U in English Words Final U in English Words Final U in English Words By Maeve Maddox The aphorism â€Å"English words don’t end in u,† is frequently invoked by spelling teachers as an aid in spelling such common words as, blue, clue, cue, due, flue, glue, hue, and true. The silent final e also rescues the following words from the onus of ending in u: construe, continue, ensue, imbue, and issue. The only two native English words that end in u are the pronouns thou and you, but they probably shouldn’t count because they really end in ou. There remain 50 or so â€Å"English† words that do end in u. I put English in quotation marks because most of these u-words obviously came undigested from some other language, most from French. I’ve arranged them in three groups. I won’t provide definitions for the first group because they are fairly common. 1. U-words you may have come across, depending on your age and reading habits bayou beau bureau caribou chapeau chateau froufrou gnu guru haiku impromptu jujitsu kudzu lieu lulu manitou menu milieu muumuu nouveau parvenu plateau portmanteau sou tableau tiramisu tofu trousseau tutu 2. U-words with special applications acajou: A tree related to the cashew. bateau: a flat-bottomed boat used in the bayous. bijou This French word for â€Å"jewel† was popular as a name for movie theaters. eau:This French word for â€Å"water† appears on bottles of eau-de-cologne. ecru: the color of unbleached linen. Jehu: a fast driver. In some old novels it’s used as a generic name for a coachman. The reference is to Kings 9:20: â€Å"And the watchman told, saying, He came even unto them, and cometh not again: and the driving is like the driving of Jehu the son of Nimshi; for he driveth furiously.† kinkajou: a fruit-eating quadruped of Central and South America, allied to the raccoon. landau: A four-wheeled carriage, the top of which, being made in two parts, may be closed or thrown open. Aficionados of period novels will be familiar with this word. ormolu: gilded bronze or a gold-colored alloy of copper, zinc, and tin used to decorate furniture, make ornaments, etc. pilau: a dish, partly of Middle Eastern, partly and ultimately of South Asian origin. poilu: a soldier in the French army, especially one who fought in World War I. rondeau: a short poem of medieval French origin. rouleau: A length or tube of rolled fabric used as a trimming on a garment. sadhu: In India: a holy man, a sage. I may have learned this one by reading Kim. tonneau: The rounded rear body of a motor-car (originally with the door at the back); the rear part of a car with front and rear compartments or of an open car. vermoulu: worm-eaten. 3. U-words that are clippings or slang flu: from influenza snafu: I’ll let you look this one up. thru: an alternative spelling of through that may or may not become standard some day. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Spelling category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:How to Structure A Story: The Eight-Point ArcBest Websites to Learn EnglishIs Your Novel "Mystery," "Thriller," or "Suspense"?

Free Essays on Duke Elington

The name is monumental in the world of jazz, who else but Duke Ellington would come to mind when thinking of the music that formed the 1920’s and shaped later music to what it is today. Undoubtedly one of the most accomplished musicians of all time and the forefront leader of the jazz world. Duke didn't always have music on his mind though. Duke, Born Edward Kennedy Ellington was born April 29th ,1899 the son of James William Ellington and Daisy Kennedy Ellington. They lived In Washington, moving out of the deep south just prior to Dukes birth to escape failing agriculture and the implementation of the Jim Crow laws. They lived comfortably in the middle class. Duke was given his nickname by his friends and family, and it stuck with him throughout his life. As a child Duke’s family listened to music that had black roots such as ragtime. The family considered jazz something to radical, new and vulgar though for there sophistication so it did not have a strong presence in his early childhood. When Duke was about seven his parents had arranged for him to take piano lessons. This at the time was seemingly not for him as it did not stick long. He would rather spend his free time outside playing sports such as baseball. His first job actually came as a peanut concession sales men for the Washington Senators, this served as a valuable experiance as good practice for the boy entertaining people. Duke’s interest in becoming involved in music developed around the age of thirteen when he realized that music could be used to gain popularity in a growing age of girls and parties. He set off in search of music lessons on his own rather than asking his parents for an instructor who would teach him unimportant things and have him practice them for hours on end, he decided to do things his own way. He began to hang around Frank Holliday’s hang out the Pool Room which was next to the famous Howard Theater. As well as being home to some of the... Free Essays on Duke Elington Free Essays on Duke Elington The name is monumental in the world of jazz, who else but Duke Ellington would come to mind when thinking of the music that formed the 1920’s and shaped later music to what it is today. Undoubtedly one of the most accomplished musicians of all time and the forefront leader of the jazz world. Duke didn't always have music on his mind though. Duke, Born Edward Kennedy Ellington was born April 29th ,1899 the son of James William Ellington and Daisy Kennedy Ellington. They lived In Washington, moving out of the deep south just prior to Dukes birth to escape failing agriculture and the implementation of the Jim Crow laws. They lived comfortably in the middle class. Duke was given his nickname by his friends and family, and it stuck with him throughout his life. As a child Duke’s family listened to music that had black roots such as ragtime. The family considered jazz something to radical, new and vulgar though for there sophistication so it did not have a strong presence in his early childhood. When Duke was about seven his parents had arranged for him to take piano lessons. This at the time was seemingly not for him as it did not stick long. He would rather spend his free time outside playing sports such as baseball. His first job actually came as a peanut concession sales men for the Washington Senators, this served as a valuable experiance as good practice for the boy entertaining people. Duke’s interest in becoming involved in music developed around the age of thirteen when he realized that music could be used to gain popularity in a growing age of girls and parties. He set off in search of music lessons on his own rather than asking his parents for an instructor who would teach him unimportant things and have him practice them for hours on end, he decided to do things his own way. He began to hang around Frank Holliday’s hang out the Pool Room which was next to the famous Howard Theater. As well as being home to some of the...

Racism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Racism - Essay Example Even with the thought the foreign workers are crucial in his country's economic well-being, the student still felt bothered and frustrated. What is more significant is that many students agreed with the fellow and his statement. The Singaporean experience is an excellent example of race relations. Its population is small and the dynamics of the relationship within its society is easily recognized because of it. Any conflict or significant development immediately comes to the surface. Today, more than a quarter of its population is composed of foreign residents, who, for their part, come from various countries and cultures. (Chong 2010, p. 145) By inviting all these peoples into the country, the Singaporean government is forcing them to live side by side each other in addition to living within the Singaporean community. The student's perspective at NTU told much about racial prejudice. As a citizen, he expects to be put above the rest, particularly in the governmental agenda. With the sizable number of foreigners, however, his economic and political influence in policy networks is threatened. This aggravates his personal racial biases. The result is unfortunate if we are to imagine how this student and similar Singaporeans would interact with other nationalities.