Category: Language Studies
Posts of studies and ideas about the English language, grammar, and linguistics
“Thou Naughty Knave” with a “Heart of Gold”– Phrases and Insults from Shakespeare
Amanda Platz Shakespeare’s monologues have sparked the imagination of scholars, actors, and audiences alike. His characters bring audiences to the edges of their seats, make them weep and laugh, and […]
Behind a Skunk in the Road: Where did the Words Come From?
Dynestee Fields As I commuted from Central this sunlit afternoon, my eyes strayed to the medium of the highway to where a black and white figure lay stretched vastly beyond its […]
Puberty Haunts Everyone—Bragg’s Story of the English Language
Rebecca Reese The English language has come through many different stages. It went through an infantile stage where it did not know much about itself or how to get around […]
Survival of the Fittest: How English Took Over The World
Marshall Tankersley You don’t want to run into English in a dark alleyway. Granted, there aren’t many things you’d choose to run into on the dank cobblestones of a darkened […]
King Alfred’s fight to save English.
In Melvin Bragg’s ‘The Adventure of English’ we see a lot of different accounts of the trials and tribulations of the English language as well as a number of […]
We Live for Stories
Amanda Platz Stories are the things we live for. They enhance the ordinary drabness that our lives would otherwise become. They shape lives and change people for better or for […]
An Expert’s Opinion on The Meaning of Everything
Lyssa Henry What would the world be like if nobody understood each other? If no two people spoke the same language, how would anyone get along? These are problems that […]
Learning the Language–Dr. Schleifer Educates Students on the History of English
Amanda Platz On October 31, 2018, Dr. Paul Schleifer addressed the professional writing class at Southern Wesleyan University, regarding a topic they had recently been learning about: the development of […]
The Robin Hood of Languages: the story of how English is a Thief
Amanda Platz If you’re an English language lover, you’ve probably heard that quote “English doesn’t borrow from other languages. English follows other languages down dark alleys, knocks them over, and goes […]
Hey You Kids, Get Off My Lawn: The Story of English
Marshall Tankersley Why is the English Language so elusive? While other languages like French have their edges clearly and well defined, English hops and skips along nonchalantly, grabbing new words […]
Inkorn terms in The Meaning of Everything
By Quinton Bent In 1604, “som one learned did go out gathering”, and eventually produced what the entire literary universe was apparently waiting for. Robert Cawdrey, a schoolmaster from Oakham […]
America’s Reading Dilemma—From Prologue to Epilogue
Katherine Wiggins Most of us would not be surprised to hear that our generation does less reading for enjoyment than our parents’ and grandparents’ generations did. Most of us would […]