The Phishing Lure: Linguistics of Scam Emails

10 months ago

"Kindly update your details immediately". It's a phrase that feels slightly off, and for good reason. This article breaks down…

The Scribe’s Shortcut: A History of the Tilde (~)

10 months ago

That familiar squiggle, the tilde (~), is more than just a decoration on the Spanish 'ñ' or a casual emoji.…

The Grammar of ‘Went’: A Tale of Suppletion

10 months ago

Why isn't the past tense of "go" *goed*? The answer lies in a fascinating linguistic phenomenon called suppletion, where a…

AI’s Word Boundary Problem

10 months ago

To a computer, what exactly is a "word"? This seemingly simple question opens up the "word boundary problem", a surprisingly…

The Vai Script: A Dreamed-Up Alphabet

10 months ago

In the 1830s, an illiterate Vai man in West Africa named Momolu Duwalu Bukele had a vivid dream where he…

Linguistic Passing: The Adopted Accent

10 months ago

Linguistic passing is the conscious act of adopting a new accent, not just to blend in, but to gain social…

The Grammar of “Chit-Chat”: Reduplication

10 months ago

From the simple 'bye-bye' in English to the Indonesian *wiku-wiku* (very fast), repeating words is a powerful tool found in…

Apraxia: The Brain’s Broken Speech Plan

10 months ago

Apraxia of speech is a mysterious neurological condition where the brain knows the perfect word but can't send the right…

Verner’s Law: The Glitch in the System

10 months ago

Grimm's Law neatly explains many sound changes from ancient Proto-Indo-European to Germanic languages, but puzzling exceptions remained a mystery for…

The Wanderwort: Words That Travel the World

10 months ago

Explore the fascinating world of "Wanderwörter", or wandering words—terms for tradeable goods like tea, sugar, and silk that crossed entire…

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