Monthly Archives: December 2009

Jack Windsor  Lewis has sent a comment to my post on “two names and a word” which dealt with an unusual pronunciation of sedentary: This morning, 28 Dec 09, also on Radio 4 but on Andrew Marr’s ‘Start the Week’ … Continue reading →

I’ve been following John Wells’ thread on nursery rhymes, and have found this rare example from a French one: “Oui, oui, choux!” un maire y crie, “ça masse!”

Nicholas Glass, in his report for Channel 4 News yesterday on the arrest of five men charged with stealing the “Arbeit Macht Frei” sign from Auschwitz, named two other places: Gdynia and Wrocławek. He can be excused (as we are … Continue reading →

It’s often said that English has more words than any other language. I’m not aware of any bona fide linguist who’s said this, but the statement crops up in newspaper articles from time to time. Is it true? How would … Continue reading →

The death has been announced of Professor Eva Sivertsen, at the age of 87. She was born in 1922 in Trondheim, Norway, and was Professor of English there from 1961, first at the then Norges Lærerhøgskole, and then, when this … Continue reading →