Webster’s Dictionary 1828: Annotated
Noah Webster’s American Dictionary of the English Language declared Americans free from the tyranny of British institutions and their vocabularies.
The Ladylike Language of Letters
Letters reveal how language changes. They also offer a peek into the way people--especially women--have always constructed their private and public selves.
Jane Austen’s Subtly Subversive Linguistics
Why are Jane Austen books still so beloved? A linguist argues it has more to do with Austen's masterful use of language than with plot.
Why Do Americans Eat Three Meals a Day?
A Curious Reader asks: What’s the origin of the familiar breakfast-lunch-dinner triad?
A Novel Defense of the Internet
Novel reading was once regarded as an idle occupation, just as Internet use is now.