There’s A Reason Why Chit-Chat Sounds Right But Chat-Chit Doesn’t

Sanchi Gupta

Oh man, we do just so many things unknowingly!

Especially when it comes to speaking. Ever since we start learning the first alphabet, we’re taught the ‘rules’ of any given language.

Still, there are quite a few unexplained, unwritten guidelines that reflect in our everyday communication, and we don’t even realise it. They’re so obvious that we fail to question them.

timeanddate

But one can wonder and dig deeper!

Which is why the big, all-important doubt right now is: why do we say chit-chat and not chat-chit?

Why, oh lord, why? Why did we never ask before?

Regret will only make us lose out on more precious time which is why we’ll just tell you and kill the curiosity before it kills you.

You see, the rule that made this order states: “If there are 3 words then order has to go ‘I’, ‘A’, ‘O’. If there are 2 words then the first is ‘I’ and the second is either ‘A’ or ‘O’.”

And that’s why if someone said it the other way round, you know something isn’t right.

artisticenglish

How did this never come to mind in all these years? Shows how completely lazy and least interested we are! But never mind, we’re here now, being enlightened.

So, this rule stands true for a lot of other word couples we use, such as tick-tock, tic-tac, hip-hop, fit-flop, etc.

English is complicated and comes with incredible details, all of which we can only dream to uncover. But one at a time does the trick. The more we know, the more we share.

This will be all for now, till we come back with more!

H/T: BBC

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