Plain English

PELTATE, pedate or palmate? The rich lexicon of science – including botany – arises from the desire to convey ideas accurately but its largesse of technical terms can defeat understanding. David Crystal analyses scientific English in the Cambridge Encyclopaedia of the English Language (pp 489, £25), pointing out that the persistence of this problem has led to “various remedial measures” – and science journalism is one of them. The book traces the history and use of English, enriching the mixture with anatomy and wit.