Weird : How an Old Term for Fate Became a Political Slur – WSJ

As the weird wars continue, it s worth considering how the word could end up becoming politically weaponized in the first place. Weird is being used as a pithy label to describe opinions or behavior considered creepy or bizarre. But that meaning is relatively new in the word s history.

The origin of weird is in the Old English word wyrd, a noun meaning fate or destiny that appeared in some of the earliest Anglo-Saxon written records. After the Norman Conquest in 1066, classical learning became highly prized, and the word wyrd got applied to the Fates from Greek and Roman mythology, personified as three sisters who ensured that humans lived out their destinies.

via www.wsj.com

Ben Zimmer.