Language Learning

How Do You Learn a Language With No Writing System?

Imagine learning a language with no alphabet, no dictionary, and no textbooks. This is the challenge for field linguists who…

5 months ago

The Pitch-Accent Puzzle of Japanese

In Japanese, a single word like `hashi` can mean 'bridge' or 'chopsticks' based on a subtle change in melody. This…

5 months ago

When Siblings Lie: Germanic False Friends

English and German are sibling languages, but like any family, they have their misunderstandings. This article explores "false friends"—deceptive words…

5 months ago

Pragmatic Traps: The Cultural Side of False Friends

We all know about "false friends"—words that look similar but mean different things. But what about words that are perfect…

5 months ago

Hidden Cousins: Cognates That Look Like Strangers

We’ve all heard of "false friends"—words that look the same in different languages but mean different things. But what about…

5 months ago

The Million-Dollar Mistake: When False Friends Cause Chaos

We've all heard humorous tales of language mix-ups, but so-called "false friends" can have consequences far beyond embarrassment. From derailing…

5 months ago

The Death of the Latin Passive

Latin once expressed complex passive ideas with a single word, like amor for "I am loved". This post explores how…

5 months ago

The Subjunctive’s Shadow World

For many language learners, the subjunctive is a grammatical nightmare. But what if it's not just about rules? This post…

5 months ago

The Latin Echo in Spanish ‘ll’

Ever wonder why the Spanish word for 'rain' is *lluvia* when its Latin ancestor was *pluvia*? This transformation is no…

5 months ago

The Dental Print: How Teeth Shape Speech

Beyond the agile movements of the tongue and lips, our teeth stand as silent, crucial architects of speech. From the…

5 months ago

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