November 2023

More than emotion words

By Edwin L. Battistella

Interjections like oh or wow are sometimes described—too simply—as “emotion words.” They certainly can express a wide range of emotions, including delight (ah), discovery (aha), boredom (blah), disgust (blech), frustration (argh), derision of another (duh) or one’s self (Homer Simpson’s d’oh).
They certainly can express a wide range of emotions, including delight (ah), discovery (aha), boredom (blah), disgust (blech), frustration (argh), derision of another (duh) or one’s self (Homer Simpson’s d’oh).

Supporting a loved one who self-injures [infographic]

By Stephen P. Lewis and Penelope A. Hasking

The stigmatization of self-injury remains common. Such stigma makes it difficult for people to reach out about their experience, even when they may want support. Further, many people who do not have lived experience, but who are concerned about someone who does, want to offer support but are unsure about how to navigate this. The […]

"The First Episode of Psychosis: A guide for Young People and Their Families" by Beth Broussard MPH CHES and Michael T. Compton MD and MPH, published by Oxford University Press

How to recognise and treat an episode of psychosis [infographic]

By Beth Broussard and Michael T. Compton

Psychosis is a rare experience and often misunderstood within society. Learn more about the symptoms, stages, and treatments for psychosis in the infographic.

Title cover for "English Begins at Jamestown: Narrating the History of a Language" by Tim William Machan, published by Oxford University Press

How little we (can) know about the history of the English language

By Tim Machan

Historical linguist Tim Machan explores the history of the English language and what we (can) know about it, and how it has been recorded throughout history.

Understanding Depersonalization and Derealization Disorder [infographic]

By Daphne Simeon and Jeffrey Abugel

Depersonalization is the third most common psychiatric symptom, yet clinicians and lay people still know little about its presentation and treatment. While it can indeed be a symptom accompanying other mental illnesses, it is also a full-blown disorder itself, recognized by every major diagnostic manual.

Breakthrough and disgrace: Knut Hamsun’s Hunger and Pan in retrospect

By Terence Cave and Tore Rem

The 2023 award of the Nobel Prize for literature to the Norwegian writer Jon Fosse brings Norwegian literature into focus for English-speaking readers and provides a fresh angle from which to view the writings of Knut Hamsun.

A fool’s cap of etymologies, or the praise of folly

By Anatoly Liberman

It is amazing how many synonyms for “fool” exist! It is almost funny that fool, the main English word for “a stupid person,” is not native, says the Oxford Etymologist in this week’s exploration of the origins of fools.