Origins of English: "Our Language is at Present in a State of Anarchy" In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, England’s population grew rapidly: between 1550 and 1650, it doubled, reaching 5 million. Reflecting this growth a number of new words entered into English: ghetto (1611), suburban (1625), and dialect (1570s). Concerned about the apparent anarchy of the language and the lack of any standards regarding grammar, spelling, and pronunciation, the Royal Society set up a committee for improving the English language in 1664. The model for the committee was the Academy which had been founded in France some 30 years earlier. Those who promoted this idea included the poet and critic John Dryden and polymath John Evelyn. With regard to the possible goals of this special committee, linguist David Crystal, in his delightful little book The Fight for English: How Language Pundits Ate, Shot, and Left, writes: “There could be a grammar and a dictionary, collections of dialect words, guides to spelling reform, translations to act as models of excellence.”
The 100 best nonfiction books: No 86 – A Dictionary of the English Language by Samuel Johnson (1755) | Books British national self-confidence boomed throughout the 18th century, with that familiar mix of pride and insecurity. Now, more than ever, the educated English reader needed a dictionary. In the new world of global trade and global warfare, a language that was becoming seeded throughout the first British empire required an authoritative act of definition by a vigorous and practical champion. Enter Dr Johnson. Samuel Johnson, born in Lichfield in 1709, was a pioneer who raised common sense to heights of genius, and a man of robust popular instincts whose watchwords were clarity, precision and simplicity. The Johnson who challenged Bishop Berkeley’s solipsist theory of the nonexistence of matter by kicking a large stone (“I refute it thus”) is the same Johnson for whom language must have a daily practical use, and a ready application to the everyday world of the common man. Despite his formidable reputation as a man of letters, there was something rather childish about Johnson. 1.
Kissing | Mind & Brain 1 Only you: Human lips are different from those of all other animals because they are everted, meaning that they purse outward. 2 But we are not the only species to engage in kissing-like behaviors. Great apes press their lips together to express excitement, affection, or reconciliation. 3 Scientists are not sure why humans kiss, but some think the answer lies in early feeding experiences. Through nursing and (in some cultures) receiving pre-chewed food from a parent's mouth, infants may learn to associate lip pressure with a loving act. 4 Another possibility: Smelling a loved one's cheek has long served as a means of recognition in cultures around the world, from New Zealand to Alaska. 5 And yet kissing is not universal, leading some experts, like anthropologist Vaughn Bryant of Texas A&M, to think it might actually be a learned behavior. 7 Being close enough to kiss helps our noses assess compatibility. 18 The exchange of saliva could provide a reproductive advantage for males.
May/June 2010 > Features > Cognitive Scientist Lera Boroditsky Can language shape how we think? A Stanford researcher says yes, and her work speaks volumes about what makes people tick. By Joan O'C. Hamilton Lera Boroditsky's journey to answer one of psychology's most intriguing and fractious questions has been a curious one. "In English," she says, moving her hand toward the cup, "if I knock this cup off the table, even accidentally, you would likely say, 'She broke the cup.'" If one deliberately knocks the cup, there is a verb form to indicate as much. The question is: Does the fact that one language tends to play the blame game while the other does not mean speakers of those languages think differently about what happened? As anyone who's studied a new language understands well, languages differ in myriad ways beyond simply having, as comedian Steve Martin once observed, "a different word for everything." But Boroditsky, PhD '01, is not a linguist. Boroditsky's colleagues and mentors say her research is generating breakthrough insights.
Glossary of linguistic terms Context for this page: Modular book: Glossary of linguistic terms, by Eugene E. Loos (general editor), Susan Anderson (editor), Dwight H., Day, Jr. (editor), Paul C. Languages - Homepage: All you need to start learning a foreign language American Association for Applied Linguistics Free Online English Lessons and Exercises English Worksheets Learning basic English Learn English lessons books exercise free Linking Words — A complete List of English Connecting Words Linking & Connecting Words It is essential to understand how Linking Words, as a part of speech, can be used to combine ideas in writing - and thus ensure that ideas within sentences and paragraphs are elegantly connected - for the benefit of the reader. This will help to improve your writing (e.g. essay, comment, summary (scientific) review, (research) paper, letter, abstract, report, thesis, etc.). It is also fundamental to be aware of the sometimes subtle meaning of these "small" words within the English language. "Linking Words" is used as a term to denote a class of English words which are employed to link or connect parts of speech or even whole sentences. They are also called connecting words. Conjunctions and Transition Words Connecting Words Relations Between Words A concept is an idea - and what is an idea? So, a concept can be expressed as something between a single word, and an elaborate and in extenso described philosophy. Complete List of Linking & Connecting Words Download