Arika Okrent
Linguist, author of In the Land of Invented Languages. I use word-power to clean between your gyri.
13 grammar rules that changed since you were in school
If you were educated in the 1950s, '60s or '70s, here are some usages that you may be surprised are fully acceptable today.
How your online language gives away your age
When it comes to online communication, different generations use language quite differently.
11 grammar rules that changed since you were in school
"Errors" you made in the '60s, and '70s are no longer considered mistakes at all.
The 4 most important linguistic trends of the last decade
Most language trends fade away, but these have had more staying power.
How late in life can you start learning a language and still become fluent?
The results of a recent study are encouraging.
The specific ways aging affects language
Changes perceived as negative might have an upside.
Why “no problem” now means different things to different generations
A subtle change in language has led to a generational divide.
The most important linguistic trends of the 2010s
These trends will help define the decade we're about to leave behind.
Words that survived by getting fossilized in Christmas tradition
These words might be obsolete by now if they hadn’t been included in Christmas songs and celebrations.
To gift or not to gift. Is ‘gift’ really a verb now?
'Gift' as a verb is following the same path blazed by the word 'donate,' which at one point drove people nuts.
11 charming old slang words you can use this Thanksgiving
Old dialect terms for turkey parts to bring back this year.
There are 6 types of reminiscing — but only 3 are good for you
Just remembering and telling stories doesn’t necessarily confer any benefits, and in some cases can even do harm.
How the Postal Service got us to change the way we address letters
Unlike the campaign to adopt the metric system, this actually worked.
12 words about to reach retirement age (that remain essential)
These words first came on the scene in 1955 and will soon turn 65.
The creative ways other languages handle grandparent names
It’s a special bond, and humans have found ingenious ways to highlight its importance linguistically.