The Language of Numbers Stations

7 months ago

Tune your shortwave radio to the right frequency, and you might hear it: a disembodied voice reading strings of numbers…

The Alphabet Wars: Central Asia’s Script Politics

7 months ago

An alphabet is more than just a tool for writing; it's a flag, a declaration of identity. In Central Asia,…

Language Carbon Dating: The Science of Glottochronology

7 months ago

Ever wonder how linguists estimate when languages like Spanish and French split from their common ancestor? The answer lies in…

Teaching AI Emotion: The Linguistics of Sentiment Analysis

7 months ago

How do we teach a machine to understand sarcasm or the subtle disappointment in a 'fine' review? This exploration delves…

The Billion-Dollar Word: Naming Products for the Globe

7 months ago

What's in a name? For a global brand, it could be a billion dollars. This post explores the high-stakes world…

Proving Languages Are Related

7 months ago

How can linguists be so certain that English and ancient Sanskrit are cousins, while neighboring Finnish is a total stranger?…

How Vietnam Got Its Latin Script

7 months ago

The Vietnamese alphabet, Quốc Ngữ, presents a fascinating paradox with its Latin letters used for a tonal, Austroasiatic language. Originally…

The Linguistic Chameleon Effect

7 months ago

Have you ever noticed your accent or speech patterns changing slightly to match the person you're talking to? This isn't…

The World’s Simplest Alphabet?

7 months ago

Imagine a language that can express every human thought with only 12 letters. Discover the world of Rotokas, a language…

The Calculus of Politeness

7 months ago

Ever wonder why we say "Could you possibly pass the salt?" instead of just "Pass the salt"? This isn't just…

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