Welcome to the page for all my website articles. To narrow down the list, use the drop-down menu above to find articles on a variety of topics, from English etymology to Latin linguistics.
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- Greek, the Asian and African LanguageJust as the borders of Europe are geographically, politically and socially fuzzy, so too are its linguistic edges. Whatever lines of demarcation we care to draw, the many flavours of speech to be heard in Europe flow over those lines like the air of which they’re made. Consequently, a label like ‘a European language’ isContinue reading “Greek, the Asian and African Language”
- Cool Etymology: Chilled Jelly and Cold GelatoIn previous years, I’ve seized on the annual holiday of Christmas as inspiration for a December article. For this year, though, I fancy a foray into the weather conditions associated with that holiday: that is, the cold. Christmas imagery is inseparable from low temperatures, what with all its snow, reindeer, and jolly gentlemen in fur-linedContinue reading “Cool Etymology: Chilled Jelly and Cold Gelato”
- A Voice for the Voiceless: English’s Lost ConsonantsIn September this year, Catherine Clarke, professor at the Institute of Historical Research, published A History of England in 25 Poems. This chronological hike through England’s history via verses that its people have left behind was released to great acclaim – and no wonder, when the book manages to be comfortable and accessible, yet alsoContinue reading “A Voice for the Voiceless: English’s Lost Consonants”
- Sázava and the Consolidation of the WestCentral-Bohemian towns with 4,000 inhabitants rarely star as the headline destinations of travel vloggers and guidebooks to the Czech Republic. Prague, Brno, Karlovy Vary, Plzeň, Olomouc, Český Krumlov – these are where I’d personally send a first-time tourist. The town of Sázava, meanwhile, lying twenty miles southeast of Prague, I would reserve for the history-desperateContinue reading “Sázava and the Consolidation of the West”
- The Silence of the LettersThis post was inspired by communication between me and James McConnachie, who recently and kindly reviewed my book, Why Q Needs U, for the most recent edition of The Sunday Times. The review, which can be found online here, was joyous in its wide selection of facts and features of spelling that James enjoyed. It concludes with aContinue reading “The Silence of the Letters”
- ‘Why Q Needs U’ – Out Today!The long-awaited day (awaited by me at least) is here, as October 2nd is the publication day of my new book Why Q Needs U: A history of our letters and how we use them! Find it here: https://geni.us/WhyQNeedsU Published in the UK by Blink/Bonnier, it’s now available to find in British bookshops – asContinue reading “‘Why Q Needs U’ – Out Today!”
- Reflections of TriesteLike an insufferable fin-de-siècle socialite, I’m writing this on my honeymoon, a three-stop holiday that naturally never once ventures outside the old borders of the Austrian Empire.¹ As any self-respecting new husband should, it’s giving me the time to reflect on the two dearest things in life: a beautiful wife, and language history. No otherContinue reading “Reflections of Trieste”
- You Know More Finnish Than You ThinkLinguistics illuminates the linguistically obscure – or so I’ve always thought. It’s a common theme of my online output that a little bit of historical linguistics goes a long way, making helpful connections and breaking down psychological barriers. This theme was present in two old posts of mine that used etymology to elucidate two OldContinue reading “You Know More Finnish Than You Think”
- ‘Why Q Needs U’ cover reveal!Friends, linguists, beloved subscribers, lend me your eyes! My new book Why Q Needs U has a cover. Now, you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but you can judge a cover, and this one is looking good. This reveal also comes with a limited-time discount… A lot of thought and emails have goneContinue reading “‘Why Q Needs U’ cover reveal!”
- The Liquid of the ElbeHigh up in the Giant Mountains (Krkonoše), in the north of the Czech Republic, one of Europe’s mightiest rivers bubbles into life as a bit of soggy bog. This river is the Elbe, which rises on the southern slopes of Mount Violík, and soon picks up speed by crashing over and down the Elbe Falls,Continue reading “The Liquid of the Elbe”
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Danny L. Bate 