The question above emanated from some comments that greeted a recent observation by Lagos-based media executive, Bamidele Johnson. In a Facebook post, he had reminded his friends – and foes – that ...

Editor’s Note: This article previously appeared in a different format as part of The Atlantic’s Notes section, retired in 2021. This afternoon, a reader emailed to say that he believed I was muddling ...

You might think nouns are the most straightforward part of language. After all, they’re just words for people, places, and things, right? Think again. Across the world’s languages, nouns are ...