Tag Archives: language evolution

10 Old English Swear Words that Should Make a Comeback

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We may pretend to not use swear words (or even know any) when around Grandma and Grandpa, but these types of words and phrases probably form a bigger part of your daily language than you realise. But, as shocking as it may sound, Granny probably once swore too, and perhaps even with different swear words!(…)


How to Lose a Language in 10 Days

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Alright, so we’ve all lost things. We sometimes lose our keys. Occasionally we lose our heads. Kate Hudson taught us how to lose a guy (hence the title). Heck, even Elizabeth Bishop wrote a whole poem about it (“One Art”). But what about a language; how can you lose a language? Boy are you in for a treat.(…)


To Infinity and Beyond: Language in Space

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According to the Ethnologue, there are some 7,099 living languages spoken across this world today. That is a fair old amount, isn’t it? And if those languages were evenly spread amongst speakers, that would be around 10,000 people conversing in each language – although we know that isn’t the case; we are just trying to put(…)


Language Trends: Even Words Come Back into Fashion

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Whether you despair at the latest slang trending on your Twitter feed, or kid yourself you’re still relevant by using the lingo that the kids say, it is impossible to ignore that language does indeed come in waves. Groovy, wicked, cool and bad are all words that were once on the tip of everyone’s tongue,(…)


The Evolution Of Language, Innit?

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As guardians of grammar, or the slightly more derogatory grammar police, it is our job to ensure language is maintained to the highest standards, adheres to all the rules, and stays the same it always has – innit? Like Charles Darwin’s theory of the evolution of the species, the evolution of language is all about(…)