Donate

English languages

A copy of the Merriam-Webster English dictionary.

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

Books

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

Culture

Did William Shakespeare really invent all those words?

Arts, Culture & Media

Did William Shakespeare really invent all those words?

Arts, Culture & Media
The World

Podcast: Australia Through its Languages

The World in Words
The World

Cockney rhyming cash machines in London

Arts, 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 World

The new Oxford English Dictionary

Arts, 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,� who explains the challenge of keeping the mammoth dictionary up-to-date.