I’ve always been fascinated with the construction of words.

The use of i before e, except after c; why a y, when an i will do; when does -ize become -ise.

How language has adapted and evolved over centuries and across geographical boundaries. Punctuation, pronunciation and phonetics all playing their part to produce a panacea of understanding.

Just writing this blog, I considered hundreds of words and many ended up on the cutting room floor for being too superfluous (which is a glorious word in itself).

Last week my niece learnt what onomatopoeia meant and I got such a buzz recounting all the words we could think of together [I dare you to refrain from internally sounding out ‘meow’ and ‘quack’].

Words make stories. Whether they are written down or read aloud. They help us to learn, to make sense of the world, to laugh and to cry. And most importantly, stories enable us to connect.

avyze gives me the opportunity to use my love of words to help others. Adapted from Edmund Spenser 1590s allegorical poem, The Faerie Queene, avyze means to advise, give counsel or offer an opinion.

The word has evolved and adapted, however its meaning has survived. As we navigate the next year, there’s a lesson in there for all of us.

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And yes I did check, avyze is a valid Scrabble word, securing 20 points. So there’s an option next time you are landed with a V, Y and Z together.