Peter Trudgill
28 October 2021
Romancing Romanian and Moldavian tones
For political reasons, Moldovan and Romanian were considered separate languages. In fact, they are largely identical
Read the full article21 October 2021
The linguistic legacy of the buccaneering spirit
PETER TRUDGILL on a coastline and a corner of Colombia that seems forever English-speaking
Read the full article14 October 2021
What’s in a name? For these locations, an entire history
The English place names that offer revealing clues to the progress of invaders of these islands.
Read the full article07 October 2021
How Jamaican Patwa became the first language of whispering death
PETER TRUDGILL on the cricketer Michael Holding and Jamaican Patwa
Read the full article30 September 2021
One tiny tweak to subvert a tyrant
A minor change to the spelling of the Belarusian president's name would offer a subtle challenge to his authority.
Read the full article23 September 2021
The many accents of Afghanistan
The country has a reputation for being remote and reclusive, yet is home to a remarkably multilingual society, as well as one of language's greatest mysteries, writes PETER TRUDGILL
Read the full article16 September 2021
How Yiddish is a language shaped by adversity
PETER TRUDGILL on the many chapters of Yiddish
Read the full article09 September 2021
Why European language isn’t always black and white
Not all languages use the same terms to describe skin colour, writes PETER TRUDGILL.
Read the full article02 September 2021
Why Viennese public transport is on the hunt for more colourful language
PETER TRUDGILL on a recent decision to drop a common Austrian phrase due to racial sensitivities
Read the full article26 August 2021
Having a ponder over yonder
The disappearance of this archaic term represents a genuine loss for the English language, says PETER TRUDGILL
Read the full article19 August 2021
The Sami people and their nine different tongues
The Sami people are divided by several different languages and thousands of kilometres of inhospitable terrain. What does it all tell us about this remotely dispersed population?
Read the full article10 August 2021
Digby Jones’ attack on Alex Scott’s accent wasn’t just snobbish, it was wrong
Why Lord Digby Jones's claims that Alex Scott's commentary ruined the Olympics are ill-founded
Read the full article27 July 2021
Where did J R R Tolkien’s surname come from?
The roots of author J R R Tolkien’s name are almost as tangled as his fantasy fiction.
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