For centuries, scholars believed that there was no inherent visual correlation between certain signifiers (letters and words) and the signified (what they conveyed). For example, this belief—helmed by Swiss linguist and philosopher Ferdinand de Saussure—suggests that there is no reason why the word tree corresponds to an actual tree, because there’s nothing particularly tree-like about the word tree. New research, however, is making scholars believe …
Art lexicon is often daunting and dense. The words usually have roots in French or German, but even the simple(r) English ones are worthy of brushing up on. Learning the right terms is essential when attempting to analyze art—a builder has to have the right tools, after all. From “foreshortening” to “gestural,” Artsy has listed eight essential terms.
NPR’s interview with lexicographer Kory Stamper (who is also an associate editor at Merriam-Webster) is a must-listen for word nerds. Stamper delves into the idea that language is “a living thing,” which means that working on a dictionary is an ever-evolving and constantly growing entity. “A lot of times people assume that English as we speak it is something that was curated maybe by some …
