Literary Hub » English language

Barf, Funk, Tug, and Other Etymological Mysteries

Barf, Funk, Tug, and Other Etymological Mysteries

Joshua Blackburn Explores the Centuries-Long Evolution of the English Language

By Joshua Blackburn | October 20, 2025

How to Build a Dictionary: On the Hard Art of Popular Lexicography

How to Build a Dictionary: On the Hard Art of Popular Lexicography

Ilan Stavans and Peter Gilliver Discuss the Philosophical and Pragmatic Aspects of the Oxford English Dictionary

By Ilan Stavans | September 29, 2025

Algorithm On Fleek: How TikTok is Transforming the English Language

Algorithm On Fleek: How TikTok is Transforming the English Language

Adam Aleksic Explores the Evolution of Popular Vernacular, From the Middle Ages to the Contemporary Era

By Adam Aleksic | July 15, 2025

Hamlet While He Was Stoned?"> Did Shakespeare Write <em

Did Shakespeare Write <em

Hamlet While He Was Stoned?">

Hamlet While He Was Stoned?">Did Shakespeare Write Hamlet While He Was Stoned?

Sam Kelly Explores the Potential Influence of Cannabis on the Bard’s Prolific Literary Output

By Sam Kelly | July 8, 2025

How Immigrants and Other ESL Students Make American English Their Own

How Immigrants and Other ESL Students Make American English Their Own

Megan C. Reynolds on the Linguistic Quirks That Contribute to the Diversity of the English Language

By Megan C. Reynolds | July 2, 2025

“Bookworm, Cliché, Deadline...” And Other Unexpected Etymologies

“Bookworm, Cliché, Deadline...” And Other Unexpected Etymologies

David Crystal Explores the Unlikely Stories Behind Some Common Turns of Phrase

By David Crystal | June 27, 2025

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By Literary Hub | September 19, 2024

Breaking English Open: On Privileging Sound Over Sense

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Moriel Rothman-Zecher Makes the Case Against Italicizing Non-English Words

By Moriel Rothman-Zecher | July 8, 2024

Yes, But Can You Really Explain the Difference Between Morals and Ethics?

Yes, But Can You Really Explain the Difference Between Morals and Ethics?

Eli Burnstein on the Subtle Nuances of the English Language

By Eli Burnstein | April 12, 2024

What is Left Unsaid: How Some Words Do—Or Don't—Make It Into Print

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Sarah Ogilvie on Alexander John Ellis, the Man Behind the Oxford English Dictionary

By Sarah Ogilvie | October 23, 2023

A Distinct Medium: How English Became a South Asian Literary Language

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Liesl Schwabe on the Vision and Legacy of an Independent Press in Kolkata, India

By Liesl Schwabe | September 7, 2023

How Lower-Class Innovation, Like, Changes the Langwage

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My Cousin Vinny, the Caste System, and the Queen's English">Valerie Fridland on the Linguistics of My Cousin Vinny, the Caste System, and the Queen's English

By Valerie Fridland | April 18, 2023

The Wound of Multilingualism: On Surrendering the Languages of Home

The Wound of Multilingualism: On Surrendering the Languages of Home

Sulaiman Addonia: "The words died in me, and silence became my language."

By Sulaiman Addonia | September 8, 2020