English language is a constant war of words, each year many join our common lexicon, others lose the battle, become lost and eventually die.
Dictionaries should, obviously, reflect this and compilers are incessantly reviewing their content.
A decade ago it was concluded that the new edition of the Oxford Junior Dictionary would drop a number of words as they were seldom used by children and, as such, didn’t merit inclusion.
Astonishingly, these included plant names such as bluebell, dandelion, willow and bramble.
Just as shocking, animals such as newt, otter, kingfisher and lark were removed. In fact over forty words concerning nature were erased.
The author Robert Macfarlane was prompted by these exclusions to produce an exquisitely illustrated book of ‘spells’ called Lost Words.
It is a volume of beautiful rhymes, descriptions and word-scapes that endeavours to encourage children to go outside and engage with nature.
I’ve been a naturalist since boyhood and every opportunity was, and still is, spent outside.
I find working indoors, especially during spring, makes me miserable, particularly as I know what I’m missing.
Sadder still is the thought of children, on a sunny morning, sat looking at a computer screen having no concept of what they are missing.
Although, as a........