THE LOST WORDS

A beautifully illustrated new book highlights the evocative natural terms that are at risk of disappearing

Award-winning author Robert Macfarlane and celebrated artist Jackie Morris have come together to highlight the wonderfully evocative natural terms that are at risk of disappearing from our vocabulary

lose your eyes and imagine the aquatic acrobatics of an otter or the glossy mahogany veneer of a conker. While we have always been able to freely conjure up these images, this simple pleasure may not be as readily available for future generations. Worryingly, a 2016 research paper by Cambridge University found that eight- to 11-year-olds were better at identifying video game characters than common species of British wildlife. With words like willow, wren and otter fading from use, is there a risk they will be lost from our vocabulary for ever, taking with them their enduring link to the natural world? At a time when there are already concerns about children losing touch with the great outdoors and what it has to offer, could future songs and stories be devoid of the electric-blue feathers of the kingfisher or the delicate trumpeted blooms of the bluebell?

It’s to raise awareness of this, and celebrate these endangered words, that Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris have created The Lost Words. Published this month, it is a collection of exquisite poems and pictures, or ‘spells’, that invoke the wonders that these represent. “Through illustrating this book, I hope to give a voice to the wild world, to inspire new generations to have a sense of awe and respect for nature,” Jackie says, “to gain an appreciation of the magic everywhere we look. It’s often closer than you’d think.”