Where Did These Grammar Rules Come From?

Many Western intellectuals of the eighteenth century highly valued Latin and logic. Attempts to codify a prescribed English grammar often attempted to use the rules of Latin and of mathematical logic. Here are a few examples of grammar rules and where they came from: Double Negatives 1. Don’t use a …

The Strange Origins of the English Dictionary

Linguistic Anxiety At the dawn of the Early Modern era, English had multiple dialects and no one dominant form. While language is always changing, it appears that English was changing especially rapidly during the fifteenth century. In this linguistic landscape, printing was established in England. It was at this time …

5 Websites Every Word Nerd Should Follow

1. Language Log: Written by several highly accomplished linguists, Language Log tracks the evolution of language and our understanding of it. It occasionally gets a bit technical, but it includes lots of delicious brain candy for word websites. 2. Online-Utility: This site has a lot of cool features, but one …

What Is Grammar? A Deeper Dive

As you may know, there are multiple ideas about what constitutes grammar. In general, it refers to the rules that govern how a language is used. John McIntyre, writing about language for The Baltimore Sun, once categorized rules for the usage of English as follows: The Rules 1. Unnoticed rules. …