Assembly during the French Revolution, painting by Alexandre Debelle (1805-1897). France, 18th century. Assembly during the French Revolution, painting by Alexandre Debelle (1805-1897). France, 18th ...

While commenting on the gatekeeping of the English language, Bruce Gilley, in his essay “Guarding the Gates of Our Language,” argues that once a culture loses control over its language, everything ...

There are two kinds of people in the world: those who correct other people’s grammar, and those who think that those people are jerks. Ammon Shea’s new book, Bad English, looks at what are commonly ...

Corrections & clarifications: An earlier version of this story contained inaccurate or incomplete facts about the history of language. Language is an essential part of human communication, allowing ...