Historical Linguistics

The Fossil in ‘Sing, Sang, Sung’: Ablaut

Ever wonder why we say "I sing" but "I sang" and "I have sung"? These aren't just random, annoying exceptions…

2 weeks ago

When ‘S’ Became ‘R’: The Story of Rhotacism

Ever wondered why the Latin word for 'honor' is honos but its other forms use the stem honor-? This isn't…

2 weeks ago

How Roman Soldiers Spread Their Language

The spread of Latin wasn't just the work of poets and senators; it was carried across Europe on the hobnailed…

2 weeks ago

When Did Latin Become French and Spanish?

There was no single day people in Paris or Madrid woke up and stopped speaking Latin. The evolution from Latin…

2 weeks ago

Gallo-Romance: The Tongues of Ancient Gaul

Beyond the familiar sound of Parisian French lies a hidden linguistic world born from Latin's encounter with ancient Gaul. The…

2 weeks ago

Are Romance Languages Just Dialects of Latin?

Are Spanish and French just modern forms of Latin? This provocative question opens a fascinating window into language evolution, revealing…

2 weeks ago

From Rome to Romania: A History of Romance

Ever wonder how the Latin of Roman soldiers evolved into languages as diverse as French, Spanish, and Romanian? We trace…

2 weeks ago

How Many Romance Languages Are There Really?

How many Romance languages are there? The simple answer is five—Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, and Romanian—but the real story is…

2 weeks ago

The Living Echo of Latin: Is It Italian?

Is Italian the true heir to Latin? While it boasts the most similar vocabulary, the answer is more complex than…

2 weeks ago

The Ultimate Guide to Romance Languages

Ever wonder what connects the Spanish of Madrid, the French of Montreal, and the Italian of Rome? Journey back in…

2 weeks ago

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