Shapers of English
How is language influenced by movements, events, discoveries, professions, and people? Here we consider some of the shapers of English.
New articles will be published regularly in the coming months.
- P.G. Wodehouse in the OED, by Robert McCrum
- Material world: the language of textiles, by Bernadette Paton
- Genes and genetics: the language of scientific discovery, by Jude Craft
- The rise of global English, by Robert McCrum
- ‘Fly in the ointment’? Assessing the influence of the King James Bible (1611), by David Crystal
- Surnames as sources in the OED, by Peter McClure
- Personal names and the development of English, by Peter McClure
- A hat, a hypnotist, and one (partially) bad egg, by Eleanor Maier
- Place names in the Oxford English Dictionary, by Tania Styles
- Song lyrics and English, by Fiona McPherson (coming soon)
Aspects of English: as well as the shapers of English, explore its history and modern use, along with stories behind some everyday words. More »