Cognitive Linguistics

Why Do We Say ‘Ouch’! When We Get Hurt?

Ever wondered why you scream 'Ouch'! when you stub your toe? This post explores the fascinating world of interjections, examining…

3 weeks ago

How Do Babies Learn to Hear Word Breaks?

Ever wonder how babies find individual words in the continuous stream of speech they hear? It turns out their brains…

3 weeks ago

When a Word Loses Its Meaning

Say a word over and over again until it loses all meaning. This bizarre experience, known as semantic satiation, isn't…

3 weeks ago

The Flavor Lexicon: Why Taste Is So Hard to Describe

Ever struggled to describe a complex flavor, resorting to 'it's kind of... earthy'? This isn't a personal failing, but a…

3 weeks ago

Eggcorns: The Brain’s Creative Errors

Ever heard someone say "for all intensive purposes" or describe a "doggy-dog world"? These aren't just random mistakes; they're "eggcorns"—logically…

3 weeks 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…

3 weeks ago

The Milliseconds Before You Speak

Before a single sound leaves your lips, your brain performs an incredible series of high-speed calculations. In just a few…

3 weeks ago

Does Language Make You Better at Math?

Why do children in some countries seem to learn arithmetic faster? The answer may lie not in their schools, but…

3 weeks ago

My Hand, My Self: Inalienable Grammar

In English, you can talk about "a hand" as a detached object. But in many languages, the rules of grammar…

3 weeks ago

The Silent Arbiters: Linguistics of the Subconscious

Before you even choose a word, your brain has already made countless linguistic decisions. This article journeys into the hidden…

3 weeks ago

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