How linguists are unlocking the meanings of Shakespeare’s words using numbers: Rose Marinelli/Shutterstock Today it would seem odd to describe a flower with the word “bastard” – why apply a term of personal abuse to a flower? But in Shakespeare’s time, “bastard” was a technical term describing certain plants. Similarly, associating the word “bad” with …
Weird 26 mins ago 12:24 p.m.’Alternative facts’ the non-word of 2017: Linguists: German linguists have declared the phrase “alternative facts,” popularized by White House aide Kellyanne Conway , the non-word of 2017. Conway used the phrase last year when asked why President Donald Trump's then-Press Secretary Sean Spicer mischaracterized the size of the inauguration crowd. …
A linguist’s guide to the Theresa May Article 50 letter: With the delivery of Theresa May’s letter to Donald Tusk, the European Council president, the UK gave official notification of its intention to leave the EU. The letter not only signalled the legal start of the Brexit process, but also gave the British prime minster …