The First-Contact Linguist: The Ethical Tightrope of Studying a Previously Uncontacted People’s Language

6 months ago

What are the ethical responsibilities of a linguist who is the first outsider to document a language from a previously…

Speaking in Tones: The Art and Science of Politeness in Japanese (Keigo)

6 months ago

Beyond "konnichiwa" lies Keigo, a complex system of Japanese politeness that goes far beyond simple pleasantries. This linguistic art form…

The Ghost in the Machine: How Linguists Teach Computers to Understand Ambiguity

6 months ago

Ever wonder how your phone knows you mean the band Queen, not a monarch? This post explores the linguistic challenge…

The Descent of the Larynx: How a Quirky Evolutionary Shift Gave Humans the Power of Speech

6 months ago

Human speech is a miracle of evolution, but it comes at a steep price. Our ability to form a rich…

The Ainu Language: A Linguistic Island in Japan

6 months ago

On the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, a language isolate with no known relatives is fighting for survival. The Ainu…

Freudian Slips or Brain Glitches? What Slips of the Tongue Reveal About How We Organize Language

6 months ago

When you accidentally say "a lack of pies" instead of "a pack of lies," what's really happening? While Freud saw…

The World in a Different Order: How Subject-Object-Verb Languages Challenge Our Linguistic Assumptions

6 months ago

For most English speakers, "The dog chased the cat" is the only logical way to say it. But what if…

Lost in the Gutter: The Unique Linguistic Challenges of Translating Comics and Graphic Novels

6 months ago

Translating a comic book isn't just about swapping words in a speech bubble; it's a delicate dance between text, art,…

Your Own Words Will Betray You: How Forensic Linguistics Solves Crimes

6 months ago

Every time you write or speak, you leave behind a unique linguistic fingerprint. Explore the fascinating world of forensic linguistics,…

The Grammar of the Bees: Do Animals Truly Have Language?

6 months ago

We marvel at the honeybee's 'waggle dance' and the intricate alarm calls of prairie dogs, but do these complex systems…

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