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The true story of 'true' - Gina Cooke

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TEDEd Animation

Let’s Begin…

The older the word, the longer (and more fascinating) the story. With roots in Old English, 'true' shares etymological ancestors with words like betroth and truce...but also with the word tree. In fact, trees have been metaphors for steadfastness and faithfulness for as long as the word true has defined the same qualities. Gina Cooke describes the poetic relationship between 'tree' and 'true.'

The oldest words in present-day English come from what earlier language?

About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Gina Cooke
  • Animator Brad Purnell
  • Narrator Addison Anderson

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