While I was watching the WordCamp Miami 2017 livestream and sharing highlights on Twitter, I watched a slew of tweets go by about language and texting.
The tweets caught my attention because they used the same hashtag.
And because the tweets reminded me of my conversation about language and words with Anne Curzan after her TEDxUofM talk a few years ago. Continue reading Anne Curzan on the English Language, Texting, and Going Grammando
When I was in grade school, I was fascinated with words. We had a Webster’s New American Illustrated Dictionary in our house, and it was common to see me sitting on the floor, reading the dictionary to learn new words.
My parents couldn’t understand my fascination. Why would a nine-year old girl sit inside on a beautiful summer day to read a dictionary? Continue reading TED Talk: Go Ahead, Make Up New Words
At this year’s TEDxUofM event, University of Michigan Professor Anne Curzan finished out the day with her talk, What Makes a Word “Real”?
Curzan had me (and the audience) laughing and gasping with her discussion of dictionaries, word usage, and how words have changed meaning over time. Continue reading TEDxUofM 2014: What Makes a Word “Real”?