He is certainly important to English but he isn’t responsible for as much of it as you might think.
Articles on English language
Displaying 21 - 40 of 138 articles
It’s common for people to live near others who speak a different – but similar – language. But generally, they handle their differences without violence.
That three-letter word erases the country’s political sovereignty.
Everyone has words they struggle to pronounce – and that’s no bad thing.
An American university has banned the expression ‘no worries’. Here are some other words and phrases that confuse speakers of different versions of English.
Many valuable scientific breakthroughs were originally published in a non-English language. New research shows more effort is needed to transcend language barriers to improve conservation science.
Grammatical nous has been found to give students a broader understanding of their own language and a key to learning others. The problem is, teachers aren’t being equipped to teach it.
Haitian president Jovenel Moïse is accused of overstaying his term, embezzling funds and dismantling parliament. Protests are a hallmark of his presidency – but the language of them has changed.
With so much recent focus on how women are treated, we need to look first at how we use language. And for a long time, it has been used to belittle and silence women.
How words are used change over time and insisting that their original meaning be adhered to is pretty silly.
There are plenty of reasons why our road signs should be in both te reo Māori and English. And no, bilingual signs don’t cause accidents.
Medicine’s linguistic history in English is rich indeed, peppered with borrowings from French. But the Old English renderings retain a certain charm.
A new book, which weaves fiction into the origin story of the Oxford English Dictionary, was declared a hit even before its release. Readers will judge whether it lives up to the hype.
Have you been pulled up by a “grammar Nazi”? Now you can correct them back.
Philip Pullman’s call for a boycott against the new 50p coin is just the latest Oxford comma controvery.
‘Greengrocer’s’ may be in mourning, but the rest of us can sigh with relief.
The history of the Latin phrase at the centre of the impeachment investigation into Donald Trump.
Behind the magical tale is a deep layer of linguistic meaning.
Pedants should reach for their red pens now.
The former journalist raised eyebrows recently when he lapsed into Nonstandard English which is frowned upon in his National Curriculum.
Top contributors
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Professor of English Language and Literature, University of Oxford
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Adjunct Lecturer, School of Languages, Literatures, Cultures and Linguistics, Monash University
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Professor of Linguistics, Monash University
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Honorary Associate Professor in Writing, The University of Queensland
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Senior Lecturer in Linguistics, Monash University
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Professor of ESOL, University of South Wales
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Associate professor, Flinders University
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Professor of Sociolinguistics, Manchester Metropolitan University
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Director of Slang and New Language Archive, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, King's College London
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Associate Professor in Linguistics, Macquarie University
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Associate Professor in Sociolinguistics, University of Cambridge
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Associate Professor in Language, Literacy and TESL, University of Canberra
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Associate Professor in English Language and Linguistics, University of Portsmouth
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Distinguished Professor of Applied Linguistics, Macquarie University
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Lecturer of English Language Teaching, The Open University