We often pepper our sentences with extra little words called discourse markers.

I mean, you know, well, like, and so.

And they tend to irk native and non-native speakers alike.

People learning English aren't sure how to use them, and some native English speakers

feel like we shouldn't use them at all.

But did you know that discourse markers have actually been around since the days of

old English, and that the heroic epic poem, Beowulf, even started off with one?

Say what?

Grab a girl here.

I'm Mignon Fogarty, your friendly guide to the English language.

Stick around because after we talk about Beowulf's Valley Girl habits, we're going to talk about

a big change in the way people view the words anxious and eager.

Say what is right, but by what, H-W-A-T, I don't actually mean what in the modern English

question sounds.

But instead, I mean it in the old English discourse marker sounds, which, according

to the language the Laurel Brinton, who literally wrote the book on discourse markers, quote,

expresses speaker's surprise and focuses attention, unquote.

In other words, it essentially signals, listen up, I'm going to tell you something cool.

This is why some hip, modern interpretations of Beowulf translate the first word in the

poem, what?

As simply, bro!

Both back in Beowulf's time and today, discourse markers like to begin with and now help sentences

...