English languages

A copy of the Merriam-Webster English dictionary.

What happens when the dictionary is just a website? We’ll soon find out

January 15, 2015Books

Most Americans have grown up thinking of “Webster’s dictionary” as the gold standard for definitions. But Merriam-Webster is about to take its iconic dictionary entirely online for the first time, once again changing the idea of the dictionary as we know it.

The phrase ‘Wha gwan’ (whaa gwaan) means ‘what’s going on’ in Jamaican Patois. The spelling varies but the meaning does not change.

Pidgin, patois, slang, dialect, creole — English has more forms than you might expect

October 22, 2014Culture

Did William Shakespeare really invent all those words?

September 17, 2013Arts, Culture & Media

Did William Shakespeare really invent all those words?

September 17, 2013Arts, Culture & Media

Podcast: Australia Through its Languages

August 15, 2013The World in Words

Cockney rhyming cash machines in London

August 14, 2013Arts, Culture & Media

A cash machine operator has introduced Cockney rhyming slang to a number of ATMs in east London. The World’s Laura Lynch ventured into east London to get the Morning Glory.

The new Oxford English Dictionary

August 14, 2013Arts, Culture & Media

The Oxford English Dictionary is embarking on a complete revision, and Anchor Marco Werman speaks with Charlotte Brewer, author of “Treasure-House of the Language: The Living OED,ï¿½ who explains the challenge of keeping the mammoth dictionary up-to-date.