Linguistics

The Phishing Lure: Linguistics of Scam Emails

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

10 months ago

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

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

10 months ago

The Grammar of ‘Went’: A Tale of Suppletion

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

10 months ago

AI’s Word Boundary Problem

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

10 months ago

Linguistic Passing: The Adopted Accent

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

10 months ago

The Grammar of “Chit-Chat”: Reduplication

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

10 months ago

Apraxia: The Brain’s Broken Speech Plan

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

10 months ago

Verner’s Law: The Glitch in the System

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

10 months ago

The Wanderwort: Words That Travel the World

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

10 months ago

The Verbal Compass: How Rivers Define Direction

Forget North and South. For speakers of some languages, the entire world is oriented not by a magnetic pole, but…

10 months ago

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