Tag archives: Viking

Mars: A lexicographer’s perspective

The planet Mars might initially seem an odd choice for Place of the Year. It has hardly any atmosphere and is more or less geologically inactive, meaning that it has remained essentially unchanged for millions of years. 2012 isn’t much different from one million BC as far as Mars is concerned. However, here on Earth, [...]

Posted on: December 5 2012 | Posted by: | Comments: 4 | Categories: English in use, Word origins | Tags: , , , , ,

Five events that shaped the history of English: part one

The Anglo-Saxon settlement It’s never easy to pinpoint exactly when a specific language began, but in the case of English we can at least say that there is little sense in speaking of the English language as a separate entity before the Anglo-Saxons came to Britain. Little is known of this period with any certainty, [...]

Posted on: September 15 2011 | Posted by: | Comments: 0 | Categories: English in use, Word origins | Tags: , , , , , ,