282: lo Sep 16, 2015

Some words don't have their own meanings, but are used for accentuation, such as 'confounded' and 'lo'. However these words used to mean something: 'lo' is a natural exclamation first recorded as 'lā' in Old English. This word was reinforced in Middle English by a shortened form of 'loke' meaning ‘look!’ (imperative). 'Confounded' also used to have a meaning that it doesn't have anymore. It comes from Middle English: from Old French 'confondre', and ultimately from the Latin 'confundere' which means ‘pour together, mix up’.