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Mysteries of vernacular: Odd - Jessica Oreck and Rachael Teel

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TEDEd Animation

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Whether we’re talking all things unusual or mathematical, the origins of the word odd point to the Indo-European root uzdho, which means pointing upwards. Jessica Oreck and Rachael Teel explain the evolution from the term for a triangle to a number indivisible by two and, eventually, to the peculiar.

Odd can also be used to describe a number that is somewhat higher than the given approximation – as in, for example, 50-odd years. How does this definition relate to the first?

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Meet The Creators

  • Director Jessica Oreck
  • Producer Rachael Teel
  • Educator Jessica Oreck, Rachael Teel