Historical Linguistics

How Persian Lost Its Gender

Modern Persian, or Farsi, is famously gender-neutral, but its ancestor, Old Persian, was not. This post explores the fascinating linguistic…

3 months ago

When Did English Lose Its Grammatical Gender?

Old English once had a complex system of masculine, feminine, and neuter nouns, much like modern German. This all changed…

3 months ago

The Sound of Old English: How Was Beowulf Spoken?

We can read the words of Beowulf, but what did this ancient ancestor of English actually sound like? By using…

3 months ago

How Do New Signs Get Created in ASL?

American Sign Language is a living, evolving system, not a static code. The process of creating new signs for modern…

3 months ago

“Correcting” a Language: A Brief History

Ever wonder why we have "correct" spelling and grammar? These rules aren't timeless truths but were forged by powerful forces…

3 months ago

A Guide to Sino-Tibetan Languages

Journey into the Sino-Tibetan language family, a vast linguistic world of over 400 languages spoken by 1.4 billion people. From…

3 months ago

A Guide to Slavic Languages

** Dive into the fascinating world of Slavic languages, a family that connects over 300 million speakers from Prague to…

3 months ago

The Gaelic Languages Explained

Ever wondered about the difference between Irish and Scottish Gaelic? This guide introduces the three living Gaelic languages—Irish, Scottish Gaelic,…

3 months ago

How ‘V’ and ‘B’ Became One in Spanish

Ever wondered why 'vaca' and 'boca' sound identical in Spanish, despite the different spellings? This isn't a mistake but a…

3 months ago

The Secret Marriage of Letters

Have you ever noticed how the letters 'f' and 'i' sometimes merge into a single, elegant character? This is a…

3 months ago

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