In most languages, color is purely descriptive, but in some systems, it plays a grammatical role. This post explores how…
Ever get confused when a sentence has too many "he"s or "they"s? Some languages have a brilliant built-in solution for…
In many languages, pronouns are simple stand-ins like 'I' or 'they'. But in Wolof, a major language of West Africa,…
In English, we say 'my house', but Finnish takes a more intimate approach. Instead of a separate word for 'my',…
Most languages count one and many, but what about a number for precisely two? Discover the "grammatical dual", a lost…
In Quechua, it’s grammatically impossible to state a fact without also specifying how you know it. This fascinating system of…
Are Korean and Japanese related languages? While they feel incredibly similar to learners, the answer from linguists is "no." This…
Every time we speak, we make a choice about how we relate to reality. This fundamental distinction is captured in…
You know the passive voice, but have you ever heard of its bizarre mirror image? The antipassive construction, found in…
Reduplication isn't just baby talk like 'bye-bye' or 'choo-choo'. This surprisingly common linguistic tool is used across the world's languages…
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