As editors of the Vows and Modern Love columns at The New York Times, we read love stories every day, and have come to appreciate how language and love are intimately connected. We believe the ways we express, understand and receive love are deeply influenced by the words we have at our disposal.

This project, “Terms of Endearment,” examines how language shapes our relationships. We explore why some husbands choose to take their wives’ last names, and how the language of therapy has infiltrated dating. We look at how couples who speak different languages express love, and what it is like to lack the vocabulary for a particular kind of loss.

We share some of our favorite (and strangest) pet names submitted by readers, and offer a glossary of new dating terms, such as “cookie-jarring” and “cobwebbing.”

Still not sure if you’re being “breadcrumbed” or if you have “rizz?” Take our quiz.