The English language is constantly evolving. From selfie to sproglet, we acquire, combine and change words all the time.
But what about the words that have fallen out of use over the years? Rediscovering dead words tells us a lot about our past, both in terms of social and cultural history, but also the history of the language itself.
But do words really ‘die’, and how does that happen? These truly obscure words from Old English, local dialects and even 1990s classics can teach us a lot about why words can disappear. How many can you decipher?
Three surprising changes that transformed the English language
They say that change is the only constant in life - and that's certainly true for language too.
Five words that have changed their meaning
Why we used to call serious people 'silly' - and other language curiosities.
Why do we keep misspelling these words?
Find out what spelling can reveal about the evolution of English.
