Reports

When we use “this”, “that”, “which” or “it” as pronouns to refer to a clause, we often create uncertainty. But there’s no need to avoid these pronouns if you learn how to identify and fix any ambiguities.

Games come and go, but sometimes they shape the language before they disappear. This Word Stories instalment examines idioms that are rooted in forgotten games.

“Hark! Who goes there?” In our modern world, echoes of our linguistic past endure. Discover the quaint charm of archaic-sounding English.

Some say May is the month of youth (for the Roman springtime goddess Maia). Others say May is the month of the old (for the “maiores” or “elders” of Rome). In this Word Stories instalment, we salute May by investigating words that evoke youth and age.

“To and fro”, “right and wrong”: many words pair up in a set order, and if the order is changed, it just sounds wrong. Let’s learn more about these fixed phrases.

March was the first month of the Roman year, partly because springtime road conditions allowed the army to march out again (pun intended). This Word Stories instalment highlights some common words with soldierly roots.

This Language Matters article discusses all familial terms so you can better organize your next family reunion: untangle cousins, sort out your in-laws and navigate distant relations across all sorts of family ties.

Human communities use the subtleties of language to distinguish “insiders” from “outsiders”. This Word Stories instalment shines an etymological spotlight on the way people use language to define themselves and label others.