Our search has the following Google-type functionality:
If you use '+' at the start of a word, that word will be present in the search results.
eg. Harry +Potter
Search results will contain 'Potter'.
If you use '-' at the start of a word, that word will be absent in the search results.
eg. Harry -Potter
Search results will not contain 'Potter'.
If you use 'AND' between 2 words, then both those words will be present in the search results.
eg. Harry AND Potter
Search results will contain both 'Harry' and 'Potter'.
NOTE: AND will only work with single words not phrases.
If you use 'OR' between 2 single words, then either or both of those words will be present in the search results.
eg. 'Harry OR Potter'
Search results will contain just 'Harry', or just 'Potter', or both 'Harry' and 'Potter'.
NOTE: OR will only work with single words not phrases.
If you use 'NOT' before a word, that word will be absent in the search results. (This is the same as using the minus symbol).
eg. 'Harry NOT Potter'
Search results will not contain 'Potter'.
NOTE: NOT will only work with single words not phrases.
If you use double quotation marks around words, those words will be present in that order.
eg. "Harry Potter"
Search results will contain 'Harry Potter', but not 'Potter Harry'.
NOTE: "" cannot be combined with AND, OR & NOT searches.
If you use '*' in a word, it performs a wildcard search, as it signifies any number of characters. (Searches cannot start with a wildcard).
eg. 'Pot*er'
Search results will contain words starting with 'Pot' and ending in 'er', such as 'Potter'.
David Crystal is one of the world's foremost authorities on language, having published extensively over the past fifty years on his research work in English language studies. He has authored the hugely successful The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language (Cambridge, 3rd Edition, 2010) English as a Global Language (2nd edition, 2003) and Language and the Internet (Cambridge, 2nd edition, 2006) among countless other books. An internationally renowned writer, editor, lecturer and broadcaster, he received an OBE in 1995 for his services to the study and teaching of the English language. He is Honorary Professor of Linguistics at the University of Wales, Bangor and was made a Fellow of the British Academy (FBA) in 2000. David Crystal is the director of the Ucheldre Centre, Wales, a multi-purpose arts and exhibition centre.